Jury deliberations in the A$AP Rocky felony assault trial are set to begin Tuesday morning.
A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, is accused of firing two shots at his former friend Terell Ephron, also known as A$AP Relli, on a Hollywood street corner in 2021.
Attorneys are clashing over a key question between the two rappers: Was the gun real or was it a prop?
Prosecutors say it was real, however, the defense claims it was a prop gun that shot out blanks. Ephron says his knuckles were grazed by one of the shots but he wasn’t seriously hurt. Rocky’s attorneys say he picked up the prop for security on a music video shoot.
The Grammy-nominated rapper is facing two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. He has pleaded not guilty.
If convicted, he could face up to 24 years in prison. He initially turned down a pre-trial plea deal that could have just ended up with 180 days in jail.
Judge Mark Arnold has asked the jury to avoid any personal feelings about the rapper and his partner and mother of his children, Rihanna. Last week the singer brought the couple’s 2-year-old and 1-year-old sons to court.