From #FreeRocky To Free Man – What’s Next For A$AP Rocky?

After a three-week trial where A$AP Rocky faced up to 24 years in prison, tears sprang from his eyes when a Los Angeles jury delivered their verdict of not guilty on Feb. 18. Those two words acquitted the Grammy-nominated rapper and fashionisto born as Rakim Mayers of two felony counts of first-degree assault with a semiautomatic firearm, granting him what many are calling a second chance. 

"Thank y’all for saving my life,” an emotional Rocky told the jury as they exited the courtroom.

It was another “At. Long. Last.” moment for the lauded creative and entrepreneur who was arrested in April 2022 after Terrell “Relli” Ephron accused Rocky of shooting at him during a Nov. 6, 2021, confrontation outside a parking garage in Hollywood. The two men had been friends since meeting in high school in Harlem, bonding over their shared passion for fashion and travel. They later became members of the A$AP Mob collective, adopting the monikers A$AP Rocky and A$AP Relli. 

But in August of 2022, things had reached a point where then-Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced his office was filing charges against Rocky “for an alleged assault with a firearm against a former friend.”

“This whole experience has been crazy for the past four years, but I’m thankful, nonetheless, I’m thankful,” Rocky said, his voice filled with relief as he spoke with reporters outside the courthouse, while his longtime partner, Rihanna, looked on.

Rocky went on to deliver the standard ‘thank you’ roll call familiar to many public figures who’ve narrowly escaped the clutches of Lady Justice: "You gotta thank God first. I really wanna thank the jury for making the right decision. … And we blessed to be here right now, to be a free man talking to y'all, thank you, all praise due to God.” 

We can’t disagree that some arbiter of divine intervention may have been on his side. For awhile, legal experts were predicting the opposite outcome and thought the rapper should have taken a plea deal. But Rocky placed his faith in a legal system with a spotty track record of showing mercy to the Black & Accused, though results vary unpredictably for the Black & Famous (the guilty scale ranges from O.J. Simpson to R. Kelly, though those two aren't remotely comparable to this case), and he was vindicated. As Rihanna posted immediately on IG: “THE GLORY BELONGS TO GOD AND GOD ALONE! THANKFUL, HUMBLED BY HIS MERCY! 🙏🏽”

So now that the Uptown Adonis with a smile as bright as his bling has been given this second chance at freedom, it begs the question: What will he do to ensure this is the last time fans flood social media with #FreeRocky posts?

Because to be honest: This wasn't a hurdle he cleared, it was one he narrowly squeaked by.

“We were all thinking a crime had been committed, but the thing is with the instructions we had and with the law, that we didn’t feel there was enough evidence to convict,” a juror said to YouTuber Nique at Nite shortly after the proceedings. “He’s lucky at this point that we didn’t have enough evidence to hand down a conviction.”

Of course, Rocky’s legal team saw it a bit differently. “I mean, look, this case went perfectly for us,” defense attorney Joe Tacopina told TMZ Live on Monday. “This case, it should be a five-minute acquittal.”

However, the jury’s three-hour deliberation suggests otherwise, though the verdict ultimately fell in Rocky’s favor. It's clear that the law, and a bit of luck, was on his side. Rocky now gets to return to business as usual and won’t miss his headlining set at the Rolling Loud festival in LA this March. He’ll get to carry out his enviable duties as co-chair of the 2025 MET Gala, which has a theme that draws inspiration from Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. And we’ll get to see Rocky share the screen with Denzel Washington in an upcoming Spike Lee joint set for release later this year. While all of that is great, my hope is that Rocky has learned that relying on “Lady Luck” to be his saving grace isn’t the wisest strategy.

In fairness, confidence should be the sharpest arrow in a rapper’s quiver. And it was a bold display of confidence in his innocence and the ability of his legal team, when Rocky turned down a plea deal that offered three years of probation, a seven-year suspended prison sentence and 180 days in county jail. This was in exchange for pleading guilty to one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. His lawyer said Rocky refused because he believed a plea would have ended his (red-hot and still rising) career.

“I’ve believed in Rocky’s innocence from day one. Rocky has maintained it,” Tacopina said to TMZ. “By virtue of the fact that he’s turned down a plea that would have been … like six months and he’s facing obviously a lot more than that, I think shows you his resolve and his belief in his innocence and belief in the jurors.” 

Rocky also chose not to testify in his own defense, another potentially risky move in a highly publicized trial that was a spectacle from start to finish, as the trial was marked by courtroom theatrics.  For instance, on Jan. 30, the defense and prosecution bickered with each other to the point of getting into a shouting match that made sheriff's deputies clear the courtroom, causing an exasperated Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold to beg the men to “stop squabbling.” And this wasn't an isolated incident. In fact, lawyers from both sides of the case argued so much—with witnesses on the stand and with the judge’s decisions—that Judge Arnold threatened to enact monetary sanctions with up to $1,500 for each offense.

The shenanigans continued during key witness Relli’s testimony from Jan. 26 to Feb. 3. He became so frustrated by the lengthy cross-examining that he lost his patience and and yelled, “You’re annoying, bro!” at the lead defense attorney.  The week prior, Relli vehemently denied phone recordings played by the defense that appeared to suggest he was after a payday from Rocky were real. But on Feb. 5, Wally Sajimi, the man behind the recorded calls, flew in from Paris to take the stand. During his testimony, he claimed the recordings were real, and played them for jurors to hear in their entirety. Sajimi stated the calls were intended to mediate the dispute between Rocky and Relli, though he admitted he never told Relli that their conversations were being recorded.

And before the trial began, it didn’t appear to be in Rocky’s favor that out of 106 potential jurors, not a single one selected was Black. Even legendary civil rights leader The Rev. Al Sharpton took umbrage with the jury selection process, posting, “It is absolutely ridiculous that the jury will be not fair and representative, so as to deprive A$AP Rocky of a fair trial,” on Jan. 22 on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

And perhaps it was also a strategic move that just moments into closing arguments, for the first time, Rihanna brought her and Rocky’s two young sons to the trial, “entering the courtroom quietly but dramatically,” as described by the Associated Press.  

During the jury selection, the prosecution asked potential jurors whether they could render a fair and impartial verdict if Rihanna happened to be sitting in the courtroom. Obviously, the 12 men and women chosen passed the test at the time. Despite their assurances, it’s hard to imagine the presence of the global pop icon didn’t have an impact on the jury when the moment came. But who among us wouldn’t pull out all the stops if their freedom were on the line?

On the heels of all these surprises, it came as a shock to many when Rocky waived his right to testify. “You understand that you have a right to get on the stand and give your side of the case. You understand that and accept that?” Judge Arnold asked. “I do understand,” Rocky answered on Feb 12.

The foundation of the case wasn’t a question of whether A$AP Rocky actually fired a weapon on Nov. 6, 2021. Instead, Judge Arnold instructed the jury that prosecutors had to prove the gun was real. Ultimately jurors had to assess the authenticity of the gun used in the incident, which the defense argued was a prop gun that Rocky carried to scare off attackers and fired only as a warning.

Rocky is legally licensed to carry firearms in California. But his attorney, Tacopina stated, “Despite his ability to do so legally, he didn’t want to carry a real gun for fear that he would either injure someone or himself,” and hoped to convince the jury that Rocky was following the advice of his security team to carry a fake gun for appearances. 

And that’s where Lady Luck came through for Rocky. With no prop gun, real gun or any shell casings ever recovered, reasonable doubt won the day, leading to a not guilty verdict.

“I didn't really believe it,” the same juror  who was interviewed outside of the courthouse after the trial said. “I didn’t think they had really convincing evidence that it was a prop gun. It was kind of a little mysterious how it disappeared and they couldn’t produce it as evidence."

The juror continued, “Some of the testimony did not sound accurate or truthful,” she added, “but we just tried to stick to what was presented and stick to the instructions that were given, and that's how we reached our verdict.” 

The courtroom erupted in cheers and screams of joy when the verdict was announced, and social media fawned over how Rocky leaped into the gallery and hug-tackled Rihanna. 

It was reminiscent of the excitement when the couple first went public in May 2021. Fans couldn’t help but notice how Rihanna had seemingly met her match in Rocky, making them one of the flyest duos in the game. The haute-couture cupid has had the Queen of Cool grinning like a lovestruck schoolgirl ever since.

A$AP was 33 at the time of the shooting, while Rihanna was three months pregnant with their first child. Now, at 36 years old, he’s a father of two, standing on the other side of victory from a high-profile case covered by outlets ranging from Time Magazine to TMZ. The trial wasn’t just about him— it played out under an intense spotlight that inevitably cast its glare on his partner and their family as well.

Just a few minutes after obtaining his freedom, Rocky tweeted, “DON’T BE DUMB,” perhaps a wink to the public to not believe everything they hear, as well as the name of his album set to be released this year. Even the jury hopes he takes his own advice: “I hope that in the future Mr. Mayers really thinks about his actions before he is upset with somebody. He does have a lot to lose,” the juror said.

A$AP Rocky walked away from this trial a free man but not totally unscathed. With its intense scrutiny, this case will mark a turning point and a catalyst for growth—if he allows it to prove that true success lies not just in legal victories but in responsible choices. Rocky has emerged with his freedom, and also with a profound opportunity for reflection. Whether he was blessed by God or a jury that showed grace, it’s on Rocky to show that he understands that with great opportunity comes great responsibility.