A$AP Rocky is a Free Man, Acquitted of All Assault Charges

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Drake is headlining three nights of London’s Wireless hip-hop festival despite reportedly turning down a similar offer from Rolling Loud. In other news:

• A$AP Rocky reacts to his not-guilty verdict 😄

• Playboi Carti is restarting his album rollout 😒

• Industry Insights 🔎

A$AP Rocky Found Not Guilty in Assault Case

ASAP Rocky just dodged what could’ve been a career-ending bullet—literally and figuratively. On Tuesday, the Harlem rapper was found not guilty on two felony assault charges tied to a 2021 altercation with former A$AP Mob member A$AP Relli.

The case stemmed from an incident outside a Hollywood hotel, where Relli claimed Rocky pulled a gun and fired at him, grazing his hand. Rocky’s defense? It wasn’t a real gun—just a prop from a music video. And with no weapon ever presented in court, the jury deliberated for just three hours before clearing him of all charges. Rocky was facing up to 24 years if convicted.

After the verdict, Rocky hugged family in the gallery, including Rihanna, and his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, who has now officially become “A$AP Joe,” joining the lawyer Hall of Fame alongside Brian Steel. “Thank y’all for saving my life,” he told the jury.

It was an emotional day for Rocky and his family, as shown in his reaction below. The trial happened at a time when he had several noteworthy projects in the works. He’s scheduled to headline Rolling Loud LA in March, he’s a celebrity chair for the Met Gala in May, and he’s starring in a Spike Lee-directed movie alongside Denzel Washington.

The drama between Rocky and Relli

The trial shed light on bad blood between the two former collaborators. Relli testified they met in a Hollywood parking lot to squash their beef, but things turned hostile. According to Relli, Rocky showed up with A$AP Twelvyy and A$AP Illz and eventually pulled a gun, firing a shot that grazed Relli’s hand.

The defense clapped back, saying Rocky only had a prop gun and fired blanks to break up the tension. They also accused Relli of exaggerating the incident to squeeze money out of Rocky in a civil lawsuit.

Key moments in court

Rihanna made headlines for attending parts of the trial, even with their kids in tow. Prosecutors warned the jury not to let her presence influence them, but Tacopina revealed Rocky didn’t even want her there. “Wild horses couldn’t keep her away,” he said.

Relli’s testimony got heated, with him snapping at the defense during cross-examination and claiming he’d been receiving death threats since accusing Rocky. At one point, the judge had to calm him down, telling him to “drink some water.”

The defense painted Relli as unreliable, calling him a “perjury machine” and dismissing his injuries as minor. Plus, no hard evidence—like a weapon—was ever found at the scene, and Relli himself admitted to collecting shell casings after the fact.

As for Relli’s civil lawsuits? Rocky’s lawyer isn’t worried. “After today, I don’t think that’s going so well,” Tacopina said.

Fans are eager to see if his newfound freedom will influence him to release his next album. His first tweet post-verdict? “DON’T BE DUMB,” which is either part of the rollout or a reminder that we’re all dumb for keeping our hopes up.

“MUSIC IS COMING” Billboards Are Popping Up

Playboi Carti has been teasing fans about his upcoming project, I AM MUSIC, so much that it's hard to take the bait anymore. 

He released singles on social media, such as last November's “Play This." He has dropped collaborations with The Weeknd and fellow ATL native Latto. He even played new music at last year’s Rolling Loud Miami without dropping the actual project. Now, it seems Carti might have listened to Kai Cenat’s pleas for the album and is (once again) hinting at its release.

Is MUSIC actually on the way?

Billboards in Miami and Los Angeles have been spotted simply stating “MUSIC IS COMING” and “I AM MUSIC MF” in the signature Carti font and Spotify logo underneath.

Fans were understandably skeptical about what this means and doubted if the album would even come this year. IG u/nn.anfoo commented, “I’ve never seen a man go to such lengths to LIE before,” while u/jmv.503 said, “gta 8 dropping before carti does btw.”

However, Polymarket odds suggest that Carti is going to come through. Asked by SAINT, the website predicts a 74% chance that the album will drop before June 1st.

This isn’t the first time the vamp rapper looked like he was officially starting a rollout before disappearing again. Hopefully, this time, he doesn’t disappear back into his cave and gives fans what they have (literally) been begging for.

• Time to head down to Philly. Meek Mill, Glorilla, Latto and more will be taking the stage at this year’s The Roots Picnic 2025 May 31st and June 1st.

• Young Thug has another legal victory. The lawsuit from AEG against Thugga and his label Young Stoner Life LLC has reached a settlement and has been dismissed.

• Anthony Edwards is in his music bag. He is the co-executive producer of a new compilation album with Culture Jam titled Culture Jam Presents: Legend In My Hood.