ASAP Rocky's ex-friend due to testify in hip-hop star's firearm-assault trial
The trial's key witness, known by the name ASAP Relli, will provide what's likely to be the trial's most important piece of testimony when he gets back on the stand.
Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, has pleaded not guilty two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. His lawyer says the shots he fired were blanks from a starter pistol that he carried as a prop.
On Tuesday, Relli, born Terell Ephron, described the first part of the confrontation, and was on the verge of describing the alleged shooting itself when court ended for the day.
He said he and Rocky, members of ASAP, a crew of creators at a New York high school, had been close but their relationship eroded after fame came for Rocky.
He said their relationship had been strained for years and getting worse in the previous days, but he was still 'furious' when Rocky pulled a gun on him after a scuffle that began the moment the two met up near the W Hotel.
'I told him to use it. Because mentally I couldn't believe it,' Relli testified, with his old friend staring at him intently from the defense table. 'I physically could not believe there was a gun in my face. That was the breaking point for me.'
He said he had expected to argue but reconcile with his old friend, and the last thing he wanted to do was get into a fight that could ruin the modest music management business he had built.
'He's famous,' Relli said. 'I'm nobody.'
The testimony will come on an abbreviated court day. The trial will only be in session for two hours in the morning because of a prosecutor's previous commitment. Relli can expect to face fierce cross-examination from the defense that could begin on Wednesday.
Raised in Harlem, Rocky's rap songs became a phenomenon on the streets of New York in 2011. He had his mainstream breakthrough when his first studio album went to No 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2013. The second one, in 2015, did the same.
He's set to have his biggest career year as a multimedia star. This Sunday, he's nominated for a Grammy award for best music video for his song Tailor Swif, at the ceremony at the Crypto.com arena just two miles from the Los Angeles courthouse where his trial is being held.
He's also set to headline the Rolling Loud music festival, to star opposite Denzel Washington in a film directed by Spike Lee, and to co-chair the Met Gala in May.
But the prospect of a conviction and the possibility of a maximum of 24 years in prison casts a shadow over all of it.
Rocky is the longtime partner of Rihanna, with whom he has two toddler sons. She has yet to appear at his trial.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Why Mariah Carey is such a big deal for Brighton
Summer 2025 has seen an Oasis homecoming in Manchester, Black Sabbath's farewell concert in Birmingham and now international superstar Mariah Carey set to perform in Brighton. The five-times Grammy winner, who has sold more than 220 million albums worldwide, performs in Preston Park in the city on Saturday night as the headline act at Brighton & Hove a private jet on Wednesday, Carey posted on TikTok: "Nothing beats going to Brighton Pride."But what has brought the All I Want for Christmas is You singer to Brighton and what boost could she give the city? The simple answer is that Mariah Carey is fulfilling a promise made to fans and Pride's organisers in 2020. She had been booked to headline that year, but Covid-19 kicked in and the event was cancelled, leaving many "gutted".Five years on she's finally coming to the East Sussex seaside city, promoting her forthcoming 16th studio album Here For It All. Brighton is one of only a handful of venues worldwide where Carey has announced concerts in Pride is one of the largest events of its kind in Europe. Paul Kemp, Brighton & Hove Pride managing director, told BBC Radio Sussex: "Mariah is on her way and is really excited. "This really puts our city on the map."Brighton and Hove as an events city really punches above its weight." Mr Kemp went on to tease fans: "I've heard there might be a surprise - a legendary moment."But I can't say any more."She is still relevant, she's still a diva and I just can't wait." Carey joins the ranks of divas who have played at Brighton Pride in recent years in front of tens of thousands of fans, including Britney Spears and Kylie. The 56-year-old has been a long-standing supporter of the LGBT+ community and played Los Angeles Pride in her career began in the late 1980s, she has had three UK number one singles and two UK number one albums. Birgit Miller, the councillor responsible for tourism at Brighton & Hove City Council, said Carey's appearance was a "big deal".She said: "Pride is a huge event for the city and brings in a benefit of around £30m to Brighton's economy. "That is really important for our hospitality and tourism."I am so looking forward to Mariah."
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Jeannie Seely dead: Dolly Parton pays emotional tribute to 'one of dearest friends'
Jeannie Seely was a trailblazer in country music and, according to her longtime friend Dolly Parton, the soulful singer, from Titusville, Pennsylvania, had "a wonderful sense of humour" Dolly Parton has paid a heartbreaking tribute to her longtime friend - and country music trailblazer - Jeannie Seely. Seely, 85, died on Friday following complications from an intestinal infection following a career which spanned more than six decades. She won a Grammy in 1967 for her hit Don't Touch Me, an award which propelled her career in performance and made Seely a trailblazer for women in country music. Reacting to Seely's passing today, Parton, 79, said on Instagram: "I have known Jeannie Seely since we were early on in Nashville. She was one of my dearest friends. I think she was one of the greater singers in Nashville and she had a wonderful sense of humour. We had many wonderful laughs together, cried over certain things together and she will be missed." Seely died eight months after the passing of her husband Eugene Ward, who had a journey with cancer and it is thought also knew Parton. Seely's career influenced Parton's music and the latter won her first Grammy in 1979, some 12 years after Seely had bagged her sole one. Parton has since celebrated 10 more Grammy Awards, her most recent - Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song - coming in 2021 for There Was Jesus. But, like Seely, Parton lost her husband recently as Carl Dean - whom she wed in 1966 - passed away in Nashville, Tennessee. His ill-health happened at the same time as Seely's, as she had two emergency abdominal surgeries in recent months. Yet during her recovery in May, the defiant songwriter, from Titusville, Pennsylvania, said: "Rehab is pretty tough, but each day is looking brighter and last night, I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. And it was neon, so I knew it was mine. The unsinkable Seely is working her way back." Even since then, Seely continued to appear on Grand Ole Opry, a much-loved live country music radio show in the US. Saturday's Grand Ole Opry show will be dedicated to the tragic performer. In total, Seely was on the programme than 5,000 times since 1967. Seely was known for her distinctive soul-inflected vocal delivery, which earned her the nickname "Miss Country Soul." Her 1966 single Don't Touch Me became a hit on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart after ascending to number two, and she followed it up with more hits including A Wanderin' Man (1967) and I'll Love You More (Than You'll Need) (1968). All three songs were written by Seely's future husband, Hank Cochran, whom she wed in 1969. Following her divorce in 1979, Seely married Ward, an attorney from Nashville, who died last year.
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Jeannie Seely dead: Country music legend who sang Don't Touch Me passes away at 85
Jeannie Seely - a country music legend and Grammy award winner - has died aged 85. The singer had a number of hits, including Don't Touch Me, which won her a Grammy in 1967 when she was just 26. Seely, at the time, became one of the youngest people to receive a Grammy, following their introduction in 1959 and remained among the youngest for several years. Her success continued for decades, during which time the musician, of Titusville, Pennsylvania, was loved for her unique vocal style and became known as "Miss Country Soul". Seely was a trailblazer for women in country music, celebrated for her spirited nonconformity and for a string of undeniable hits in the '60s and '70s. Seely's career spanned more than six decades, during which time she made nearly 5,400 appearances on Grand Ole Opry, a much-loved live country music radio show in the US. Saturday's Grand Ole Opry show will be dedicated to Seely following her passing, which happened on Friday after complications from an intestinal infection. Don Murry Grubbs, the star's publicist, paid tribute to the songwriter, who had a number of country hits in the '60s and '70s, including three Top 10 hits on what is now known as Billboard's hot country songs chart; Don't Touch Me, 1967's I'll Love You More (Than You Need)' and 1973's Can I Sleep In Your Arms?, adapted from the folk song Can I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister?. But Seely, who was nominated for multiple other Grammy Awards, was a bit of a rebel, known for wearing a miniskirt on stage when it was still taboo. Her glittering success came at a time when country music expected a kind of subservience from its women performers but her legacy is huge, having influenced modern performers, such as Shania Twain and Sheryl Crow. In May, Seely revealed that she was in recovery after undergoing multiple back surgeries, two emergency procedures and spending 11 days in the ICU. She also suffered a bout of pneumonia. In a statement at the time, the singer said: "Rehab is pretty tough, but each day is looking brighter and last night, I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. And it was neon, so I knew it was mine. The unsinkable Seely is working her way back." Seely was born in July 1940, in Titusville, about two hours north of Pittsburgh and raised in nearby Townville. Her love of country music was instant; her mother sang, and her father played the banjo. When she was a child, she sang on local radio programs and performed on local television. In her early '20s, she moved to Los Angeles to kick-start a career, taking a job Liberty and Imperial Records in Hollywood. Seely kept writing and recording. Nashville was next: She sang on Porter Wagoner's show; she got a deal with Monument Records. Her greatest hit would arrive soon afterward: Don't Touch Me, the crossover ballad written by Hank Cochran. The song earned Seely her first and only Grammy Award, for best country & western vocal performance in the female category. Cochran and Seely married in 1969 but divorced in 1979. Seely since married Gene Ward, who died last year. Seely continued to release albums, perform, and host, regularly appearing on country music programming in her own final years. Her songs are considered classics, and have been recorded by everyone from Merle Haggard, Ray Price and Connie Smith to Ernest Tubb, Grandpa Jones, and Little Jimmy Dickens. And Seely never stopped working in country music. Since 2018, she's hosted the weekly Sunday's with Seely on Willie Nelson's Willie's Roadhouse SiriusXM channel. That same year, she was inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame. She had been a member of Grand Ole Opry since 1967 when she won her Grammy. The soulful performer released her latest song in July 2024, a cover of Dottie West's 'Suffertime,' recorded at the world-renowned RCA Studio B. She performed it at the Opry the year before.
