After he was found not guilty in court on Tuesday, February 18th, A$AP Rocky has become an internet meme, with videos of him leaping into girlfriend Rihanna‘s arms and sharing his elation with fans and friends circulating online.

Rocky, real name Rakim Mayers, was facing two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and pleaded not guilty to both charges. Rocky was said to be facing 24 years in prison if the jury had found him guilty. He was previously offered a plea deal which he didn’t take.

A guilty plea would have resulted in a reduced sentence of 180 days in jail, but the musician was insistent on his innocence. Additionally, Los Angeles County prosecutors were set to recommend a seven-year suspended sentence and three years of probation, but he turned down the smaller offer – kicking off the full-fledged trial.

The trial concerns a confrontation that occurred in Los Angeles in 2021. Rocky was accused of firing a gun at his former collaborator and fellow A$AP Mob alum, A$AP Relli (born Terell Ephron).

The two had a tenuous relationship, but came face-to-face on the evening of November 6, 2021 in the parking garage of the W Hotel in Hollywood. Relli claimed that Rocky and two other men arrived at a parking garage near the hotel and that the two former friends began arguing. At around 10:15pm, Rocky “brandished, aimed, and fired multiple shots from a semiautomatic firearm,” according to Relli’s lawyers.

Prosecutors allege that shots from Rocky’s gun grazed Relli’s knuckles and they relied on surveillance footage showing Rocky apparently holding a gun moments before the shooting. Consequently, Rocky was arrested in 2022 at a Los Angeles airport after returning from a Barbados trip with his then-pregnant partner, Rihanna.

According to the defence, the gun that Rocky was seen with was a prop gun that his security team advised him to carry for his safety. The prop gun was taken off the set of a music video the rapper filmed with Rihanna and was incapable of firing ammunition, though it was never recovered.

The trial was set to begin in November 2024, but was postponed so that Rocky could headline the Rolling Loud music festival in Thailand.

Rocky enlisted the help of Joe Tacopina, a well-known New York defense attorney, experienced with representing a slew of high-profile clients, including President Donald Trump during his hush money trial.

One of the key moments of the trial was the slip that informed jurors of the potential length of Rocky’s sentence. Jurors were not meant to be informed about the possibility of a 24-year prison sentence. However, while giving testimony, Rocky’s tour manager Lou Levin mentioned the potential length of the sentence. “I don’t want him to go to jail for 24 years,” Levin exclaimed.

The judge told the jury to disregard that portion of the testimony, though there was speculation from the prosecution that the slip was intentional.

The prosecution also called into question the presence of Rocky’s partner Rihanna, and her potential impact on the jurors. The singer was present in the courtroom throughout the trial.

One of the unlikely and light-hearted elements of the trial that drew social media attention was Rocky’s impressive and thoughtful courthouse style. The rapper made headlines throughout the trial for his impeccably tailored suiting. Speculation and analysis of Rocky’s statement wardrobe choices swirled around social media.

Some considered the thoughtful tailoring a clear example of the “I’m innocent” wardrobe, coined during Gwenyth Paltrow’s 2023 trial. Others highlighted the specific pressures faced by a Black rapper on trial, and the increased pressure to appear “presentable,” viewing Rocky’s designer attire as a further rejection of the accusations against him.

The superfine tailoring was also a clear call to the rapper’s upcoming hosting gig, co-chairing the 2025 Met Gala. Highlighting the Black Dandy movement, Rocky will co-chair the “Tailored for You”-themed gala alongside Pharrell Williams, Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton and Anna Wintour, with Lebron James acting as honorary co-chair.

The trial, which ultimately lasted three weeks, was concluded on Tuesday, February 18 when the jury announced a not guilty verdict after only three hours of deliberation.

Immediately after the verdict was announced, Rocky thanked the jury profusely and delivered a speech, saying: “I gotta thank God first and I really want to thank the jury for making the right decision, you know? And I’m just so thankful. This is crazy right now. This whole experience has been crazy for the past four years, but I’m thankful, nonetheless. I’m thankful and blessed to be here as a free man talking to you all.”

The rapper also took to X, posting one three-word message: “DON’T BE DUMB”.

Fuelled by the emotional footage of Rocky leaping into his supporters arms after the not guilty verdict was announced in court, fans have been expressing their relief and joy in huge waves across social media. Even Rihanna broke her silence on the trial after the verdict was announced, posting on Instagram: “THE GLORY BELONGS TO GOD AND GOD ALONE! THANKFUL, HUMBLED BY HIS MERCY!”

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