A$AP Rocky To Stand Trial In A$AP Relli Case

A$AP Rocky (born Rakim Mayers) will have to stand on trial in January. He is accused of firing a semi-automatic handgun at his childhood best friend A$AP Relli (born Tyrell Ephron). On Monday (Nov. 20), Judge M.L. Villar ruled that Mayers stand trial for the Nov. 6, 2021 incident.

Mayers previously pleaded not guilty to the two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm. According to legal documents obtained by PEOPLE, Relli filed a civil suit for assault, battery, and emotional distress against Rocky on Aug. 10, 2022. The "Fashion Killa" rapper has also denied those claims.

"Defendant generally denies each and every allegation of the complaint, and specifically denies that Plaintiff has been damaged in any amount or in any way as a result of any act or omission of answering defendant. The injuries and/or damages complained of in the complaint, if any, were caused solely, directly and proximately by the negligent and/or intentional acts or omissions of person other than answering defendant," Mayers' attorneys wrote in a response to the civil suit.

"I am certain Rocky will be vindicated of all of this," Joe Tacopina, Mayers' lawyer, said outside the courthouse on Monday according to the publication.

Ephron's attorneys, Jamal Tooson and Brian Hurwitz, previously said in a statement, per Rolling Stone, that Relli was lured to an obscure Hollywood location "to discuss a disagreement between the two of them," when the incident occurred.

“Unbeknownst to Mr. Ephron, A$AP Rocky was not just planning for a conversation and came armed with a semi-automatic handgun,” the statement alleges. “After arriving at the location, a conversation ensued whereby without provocation, warning, or any justification, A$AP Rocky produced the handgun and intentionally fired multiple shots at Mr. Ephron.”

Relli, who served as a talent manager and producer for the A$AP mob, says that Rocky inflicted minor injuries to his left hand. Relli's attorneys state that since the shooting, he has received "multiple death threats and irreparable harm to his career in the entertainment industry as a result of this incident."

The "L$D" rapper's trial is set to begin on Jan. 8.

A$AP Rocky has a lot of layers to his creativity. He first hopped on the scene in 2011 when he dropped his debut mixtape Live. Love. A$AP. However, before the tape was officially released, his song "Peso" was leaked online and fans began wondering who he was. The A$AP in front of his rap name (his legal name is Rakim Mayers) is due to the hip-hop collective that he is a part of. It includes A$AP Ferg, A$AP Nast, A$AP Ant, A$AP Bari, the late A$AP Yams, and more.

Two years after the drop of his 2011 mixtape, he released his debut album Long. Live. A$AP. The album debuted at No. 1. The album contained "Fashion Killa," "Goldie," and his lead single "F----- Problems." The latter track featured Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and 2 Chainz. It was also nominated for the Best Rap Song at the 2014 Grammys.

In his personal life, he just welcomed his second child with his girlfriend Rihanna. The couple has two sons, RZA, who was born last May, and Riot Rose, who was born in August.

Music-wise, Rocky fans should expect a new album from him this year. The rapper said earlier this year that his new album is already complete. "It’s finished and we just putting the finishing touches on it. It’s coming for sure," he promised back in January, per HipHopDX.

Since then, he has released "Same Problems?" and "RIOT (Rowdy Pipe’n)" as a lead artist. He also teased that Don't Be Dumb will have features from Tyler, The Creator, Miguel, Thundercat, Lil Yachty, and more. Fans thought he was hinting at an August release date when he tweeted "AWGEST," but it is now September, and no album update has been made at this time. However, while we wait, we can take a look at eight of his best songs ranked below:

In "Sundress," A$AP shows off his versatility. In this song, his rapping takes a backseat and you're able to hear him sing. It also still has a similar vibe to most of the popular songs in his catalog, giving off a hypnotic and euphoric feel. The song went platinum in January.

"Fashion Killa" is one of A$AP Rocky's most popular songs. It's also very apparent how much he loves fashion and styling, and this song is an ode to his talent. A$AP's flow on this song is very mellow with an upbeat tempo. The song samples Leon Haywood's 1970's hit, "I Want’a Do Something Freaky to You."

The music video features Rihanna, and some manifestation is found in the lyrics as he raps: "Our babies will be fly-er than their parents." Rihanna and A$AP Rocky welcomed their second child together this year.

Canal Street is a popular street in Lower Manhattan that tourists are usually drawn to for their fake designer items. The street is popular, so is the song in A$AP's discography. The song has another popular line "F--- Jiggy, I'm flawless, f--- pretty, I'm gorgeous," he raps. The record is from his 2015 album At. Long. Last. ASAP and is certified platinum as of January.

This track is a follow-up to another popular A$AP song "Pretty Flacko." The term "flacko" comes from the Spanish word "flaco" which means thin. In this song, Rocky boasts about his looks and his unique style. "Always been a stand-up guy, I'd rather stand out," he raps. The song went two times platinum.

Rocky's confidence is part of his swag, and this song is just one example of him verbalizing. He starts of the song with "I be that pretty muthaf-----, Harlem's what I'm repping." The song is from his debut mixtape Live. Love. ASAP and also served as his lead single. In January, the song was certified platinum by the RIAA.

"Praise the Lord (Da Shine)" is the third collaboration between the Harlem rapper and Skepta. They previously worked on 2016’s "Put That on My Set" and 2017’s "Ghost Ride." The music video for the song was filmed in both Harlem and London where both rappers are from. It's a special song to A$AP. "It takes me back in a place, my childhood or past life that I can’t even explain. It’s nostalgic," he told Complex in 2018. The song has been certified triple platinum.

The creative direction in A$AP's music videos is unique. This one is like a hallucination which is similar to the effects of taking the drug LSD. However, for Rocky, he explains throughout the song LSD stands for "love, sex, dreams." The song was nominated for Best Music Video at the 2016 Grammys. The song is now three times platinum by the RIAA.

There was not a party you attended after this song was put out where it was not played. While the song has guest verses from rappers such as Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and 2 Chainz, A$AP carries his own amongst the crowd. The song was nominated for Best Rap Song at the 2014 Grammys. The song is also seven times platinum by the RIAA.