LOS ANGELES — In a recent trial in Los Angeles, A$AP Rocky’s longtime friend and collaborator, known as A$AP Twelvyy, testified that the rapper discharged a starter pistol that he had been using as a prop during a physical altercation with a former associate on the streets of Hollywood back in 2021.

Twelvyy, who is part of the same A$AP Mob collective as both the victim and Rocky and has known them since high school, played a crucial role in Rocky’s defense against two felony charges related to assault with a semiautomatic firearm. A conviction on these charges could result in a maximum sentence of 24 years imprisonment.

“He walked around with a prop, like a starter pistol,” Twelvyy claimed while addressing the jury. “I’ve seen it on multiple occasions.”

Rihanna, Rocky’s partner and celebrated singer, returned to the courtroom for the trial’s concluding session on Friday, just as she had the day before. In a notable moment, the couple left the courthouse together, walking hand-in-hand to a waiting SUV, bypassing a small gathering of photographers.

Twelvyy’s testimony implied that A$AP Relli, the individual accusing Rocky—a mutual friend—was aware that the pistol was not functional when Rocky brandished it. “He told him to shoot that fake-ass gun,” Twelvyy recounted under defense questioning.

According to Twelvyy, when Rocky fired the starter pistol, it was intended to prevent Relli from assaulting another member of their group, A$AP Illz, who was also present during the incident. During cross-examination, Deputy District Attorney John Lewin probed Twelvyy on this point.

“Could you clarify how brandishing a prop gun, which Relli understood to be fake, would serve as a deterrent?” Lewin inquired.

Twelvyy responded, “It’s all about the sound.”

Lewin pressed further, astonished by the explanation. “You think the sound of a gun that someone knows is fake could intimidate anyone?”

Twelvyy maintained, “The sound is so loud that you’d mistake it for a real gunshot and instinctively back away.”

The A$AP Mob, a creative collective that started at a New York high school nearly two decades ago, has produced various artists, with Rocky being the standout success since he broke into the mainstream in the early 2010s with two chart-topping albums. In addition to three Grammy nominations, he is recognized for his fashion ventures and his relationship with Rihanna, with whom he shares two young sons.

Jamel Phillips, known professionally as Twelvyy, has supported Rocky during live performances and has also appeared in his music videos. He testified that he had seen Rocky with the starter pistol on three occasions—in July 2021 during a music video shoot in New York, at a Harlem block party in September of that same year, and in Los Angeles shortly before the incident on November 6.

“This was during the COVID era, so he didn’t have security,” Twelvyy explained. “The starter pistol was basically his means of self-defense.”

Lewin later challenged Twelvyy about how he could have identified the gun as a prop in such a dynamic incident and mentioned the specific starter pistol from previous encounters.

“He told me and I witnessed it,” Twelvyy replied.

Tensions had been escalating between Rocky and Relli, leading to their confrontation on the street following a performance that Rocky had given earlier that evening, with Twelvyy and Illz accompanying him.

Twelvyy rejected Relli’s claims that Rocky was the instigator of the physical clash and that he had pointed the pistol at Relli while also carrying a knife.

Both prosecution and defense agree that Rocky and his two associates left the scene after the initial altercation, but Relli pursued them, after which gunfire was reported. Relli asserted that he sustained minor injuries from a grazing shot but claimed he was not seriously hurt.

It was only during jury selection two weeks ago that the information regarding the gun being a prop was unveiled, coming to light for both the judge and the prosecution.

Authorities did not recover the firearm that they assert was used in the incident, and the defense indicated they do not possess the prop gun. When police investigated the scene immediately following the scuffle, they found no evidence of a shooting. Relli later stated that he discovered two shell casings, which he handed over to law enforcement when he reported the occurrence two days later.

Twelvyy was the first witness for the defense following the prosecution’s conclusion of their case the previous Thursday.

During questioning, Lewin mentioned Rihanna, implying that any unfavorable testimony could have potential consequences for Twelvyy’s career.

“Are you suggesting that even if Rocky and his partner Rihanna were displeased with you, that would have no bearing on your career in any way?” Lewin asked.

Twelvyy responded confidently, “I’m an artist; I could change my career path at any time. I could pursue painting.”

He insisted that he was not testifying on Rocky’s behalf, stating, “I’m not attempting to assist him in his case. I was there. I know the truth.”