A$AP Rocky Talks ‘Gut-Wrenching and Nerve-Racking’ Gun Assault Trial for the First Time

A$AP Rocky spoke in-depth about his recent felony firearm assault acquittal for the first time. In a new interview with Variety, the rapper-actor told writer Angelique Jackson that his former friend A$AP Relli’s allegation that Rocky shot at him multiple times in November 2021 taught him to “focus on your own actions.”

In the interview, he opened up about the affects of the trial, which he called “gut-wrenching and nerve-racking.” He discussed having trouble trusting people, though he said that’s something that he can’t attribute solely to what happened in court. “For sure, it’s a lesson learned,” he replied, adding, “I think I had trust issues for a while now. I can’t necessarily blame it on my last situation. But what I did learn is you’ve gotta accept that everybody’s not good people; you’re not gonna run into a solid person every time. Not everybody’s gonna handle situations like you. Once you accept that you’re not responsible for nobody’s actions but yours … That’s where I’m at — like, yo, focus on your own actions. Because I ain’t perfect. I’m human too, and we all fuck up.”

The toll of the legal proceedings manifested both in his music and acting, with the trial informing his appearance in Spike Lee’s upcoming Highest 2 Lowest film, which he stars in alongside Denzel Washington. Rocky said that he “embodied” his Highest 2 Lowest character Yung Felon during a courtroom scene because in real life he was due to stand trial. “I was able to act like a piece of shit who was going away for a long time but didn’t realize the consequences, because in real life, I knew exactly what the consequences felt like,” he said. He added that acting was his “only escape” during the trial. 

Musically, Rocky said he’s been writing about “these past four or five years” for his upcoming Don’t Be Dumb album. The LP, which he has been teasing for years, is expected sometime this year. “It’s been kind of handicapping me,” he said of the legal stress. 

Following the conclusion of the trial, Rocky memorably fell into Rihanna’s lap, hugging her as she embraced him with her eyes closed. When asked about what he remembered about that moment, he said it was about “Being happy and wanting to get the fuck out that building.”

Rocky said he was grateful for his freedom and the chance to inspire others. “I’m blessed to work,” he said. ”With all the circumstances that I’ve been going through, being able to just navigate through life and come out victoriously, I just want that to be an example for guys like me that, ‘Yo, it’s light at the end of the tunnel. You could always take any negative and flip that shit to a positive for real.’”

From Rolling Stone US.