Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, met Relli, born Terell Ephron, in high school in New York when both were part of a crew of creators who called themselves A$AP — which stands for Always Strive and Prosper.

A$AP Rocky was carrying a harmless prop gun from a music video on the night he allegedly shot a former friend in Hollywood, his lawyer told court on Friday, as his trial on assault charges got under way.

A$AP Rocky rejected a final plea deal offer on the first day of his firearm assault trial in Los Angeles Tuesday. He sat quietly as his lawyer said for the first time that the “Multiply” rapper was only carrying a “prop gun,” not a loaded semiautomatic pistol, the night he allegedly assaulted a former friend in November 2021.