A$AP Rocky faces eight yeaars in prison as he appears in court on gun charges (Picture: Frederick M. Brown for DailyMail)
Rihanna’s boyfriend A$AP Rocky has appeared in court on gun charges one month after the couple welcomed their second child.
The rapper, 35, and Umbrella star Rihanna, 35, have son Rza, 17 months, and Riot Rose, who was born in August this year.
Last April the father-of-two was arrested at LAX airport when returning from a trip to Barbados with his girlfriend, who was then pregnant with their first son.
Police took him into custody at the airport, and Rocky’s lawyer, Alan Jackson confirmed that the arrest was in relation to a shooting in November 2021.
Rocky – real name Rakim Mayers – has now appeared in court, where he faces up to eight years in jail for his alleged role in the shooting.
He stands accused of two felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm, as his former A$AP Mob band member Terell Ephron claimed to the court that Rocky fired at least four shots at him after threatening to kill him, and that one of the bullets hit his hand.
The father-of-two coered up with glasses and a mask as he appeared in court (Picture: Backgrid)
Rocky appeared subdued and downcast as he attended the hearing (Picture: Frederick M. Brown for DailyMail)
Lawyers for former A$AP Mob member Terell Ephron, pictured in court last year (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
Ephron claimed their formerly good relationship deteriorated as Rocky’s solo career took off, while the remaining band members were left behind.
The Problems rapper covered up as he arrived at court, wearing both dark sunglasses and a face mask.
Dressed in a dark suit and white shirt, he looked subdued and downcast while in court, but after the preliminary hearing appeared to perk up and was snapped chatting to fans and signing autographs outside the building.
Ephron told the court that Rocky said he would ‘kill you right now’ before firing off four shots, one grazing his hand.
The rapper perked up as he signed autographs and chatted outside court (Picture: Backgrid)
He reported the shooting the next day and a warrant was issued for the hip hop star’s arrest.
Following the arrest, police were seen entering his LA home with a battering ram where they reportedly seized a number of guns.
It was reported by TMZ last year that Rocky and an accomplice were alleged to have got into an argument in Hollywood the previous November, which escalated to gunfire, in which the alleged victim’s hand was grazed by a bullet.
Prior to his arrest lsat April, Rocky had been under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department but this had not been public knowledge.
The LAPD confirmed in a press release: ‘The argument escalated and resulted in the suspect firing a handgun at the victim.
Thecourt case comes three months after Rihanna gave birth to her and Rocky’s second child, who they named Riot Rose (Picture: Getty)
The pair also share 17-month-old Rza (Picture: Backgrid)
‘Detectives worked diligently to investigate and corroborate the reporting information which helped identify the suspect(s) involved. The suspect has been identified as 33-year-old Rakim Mayers, a Los Angeles resident, also known as music artist A$AP Rocky.’
They added at the time: ‘Early this morning, LAPD officers arrested Mayers for assault with a deadly weapon (firearm) at the Los Angeles International Airport. This case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration.’
The court case comes as rumours abound Rihanna is preparing for a massive comeback after more than five years away.
Having released songs for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack last year, the singer is now said to be planning a ‘major’ tour spanning 2024 and 2025 and has ‘two albums’ worth of new material to release into the world.
If Rihanna does drop a new album next year, it will mark her first since 2016’s Anti.
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He faces up to eight years in prison if convicted.