The shooting trial against popular rapper A$AP Rocky began Friday with opening statements in Los Angeles. The 36-year-old hip-hop rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, is accused of firing a gun at a former friend and bandmate during a heated exchange in 2021 in Hollywood. Mayers has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Prosecutors say he shot in the direction of fellow rapper Terell Ephron, who went by the name A$AP Relli.

A$AP Rocky’s assault trial began in LA on Friday (24 January), with the rapper potentially facing 24 years in prison if found guilty. The rapper, real name Rakim Mayers, is accused of firing a gun at a former friend – Relli, born Terell Ephron – in a November 2021 incident. Mayers has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm. On Tuesday, the 36-year-old declined a plea offer from prosecutors who recommended ​​a seven-year suspended sentence, three years of probation and 180 days in jail in exchange for a guilty plea.

A$AP Rocky, who has been charged with shooting a friend several times in a standoff, will start his trial today and is facing up to 24 years behind bars. The rapper, who has two children with pop superstar Rihanna, has pleaded not guilty and claimed he was spotted with a prop weapon. Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayer, has been charged with two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm for a 2021 incident in Hollywood. Rocky, 36, allegedly shot his former school friend A$AP Relli in a car park near the W hotel in Hollywood in November 2021. Relli, whose real name is Terell Ephron, once belonged to the same rap collective as Rocky, called A$AP Mob. It is claimed the pair's relationship had started to break down and they met that night to iron out their differences.