The assault case surrounding A$AP Rocky has a lot of slow-moving parts to it, so it may be a little confusing when putting it all together in terms of what he’s accused of, what evidence has been presented, and what his fate could be if it goes to trial.

As of today (November 16), here are the nuts and bolts elements one must know about. The presiding judge has not yet ruled on whether the Harlem rapper should stand trial, as the hearing for further testimony will continue on November 20.

According to November 8 testimony from A$AP Relli, the plaintiff in the case who spoke about what happened from his perspective, A$AP Mob member A$AP Josh died on October 16, 2021, which set off tensions that were already in the background among members of the group that was founded in 2008 – in part by Relli.

In a group text message, Josh’s mother, Relli, requested financial help to bring her son’s body back to New York, which Rocky agreed to take care of. Rocky did follow through with his promise, which Relli did not know until later, and initially believed he did not do so in texting Rocky: “You so f*****g fake it’s sad.”

“Don’t ever forget who introduced you to this life,” he added in text messages Deputy District Attorney Paul Przelomiec revealed to the court. “When I was at my lowest you looked at me like I was a piece of s**t.” 

A month later, Relli was in a vehicle with fellow Mob member A$AP Bari when he received a call from Rocky. Subsequently, Bari put the call on speakerphone with Relli, saying he heard Rocky invite Bari to his ComplexCon performance. Refusing, Bari told Rocky to “stop having your assistants hit me,” according to Relli. “Out of nowhere,” he testified, “Rocky says, ‘F**k that n***a Relli.’”

This led to Relli sending a message to one of Rocky’s friends, calling the rapper an obscenity.

On November 6, 2021, almost a month after A$AP Josh’s death, Relli was staying at the Loews Hollywood Hotel and woke up to missed calls from Rocky and fellow Mob members A$AP Illz and A$AP Twelvyy. Those messages, which were presented in court, show Rocky asking Relli, “Where you at? (Wya?), “Let’s get to it,” and “Stop duckin' my calls.”

Subsequently, Relli called Rocky via FaceTime and told him he was staying at the W Hotel, which Rocky claimed was false (it was) because of the decor of his room. Agreeing to meet Rocky at the W, Relli testified he believed the two were going to “talk” and that there was a “little bit of tension” which could lead to “roughing.”

Subsequently, Relli walked toward the hotel from Hollywood Boulevard and onto Argyle Avenue before hearing Rocky allegedly say, “What now, p***y?” with Illz and Twelvyy “coming in hot” behind him.

What happened next was partially captured by surveillance cameras, with Rocky allegedly grabbing Relli by his collar and Illz attempting to break it up. In his testimony, Relli claimed Rocky pulled a handgun from his waistband and pressed it to multiple parts of his body.

After being interrupted by bystanders walking through the area, which caused Rocky and the two other Mob members to walk away, Relli testified that he felt betrayed by the trio and aired out his grievances with each of them, labeling Illz and Twelvyy as “a crackhead” and living “back in the projects” respectively.

“I felt this was my time to get everything off my chest,” Relli said on the stand. Then, when attempting to follow the trio onto a different street, he claimed Rocky “turned around and shot me.”

D.A. Przelomiec also showed pictures to the court showing Relli’s hand with scraped knuckles, according to Legal Affairs and Trials reporter Meghann Cuniff.

Subsequently, Relli testified he grabbed Illz and used him as a human shield before Rocky moved around to get a clean shot. After allegedly firing three or four in total, Relli says Rocky ran off.

In text messages after the alleged incident occurred, Rocky denied he shot at Relli and that he should “stop makin s**t up.” He also accused Relli of extortion and told him to “call the police if i ‘shot’ @ u u weirdo.”

Two days after the shooting, Relli did just that at LAPD’s Hollywood station with his attorney present and shell casings he picked up from the incident scene.

A$AP Rocky has been charged with two counts of assault with a firearm, to which he pleaded not guilty in August 2022. He was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on April 20, 2022, and released on bail that same day.

"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,” Rocky’s answer to the civil complaints reads (via his attorneys). “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."

While being cross-examined on the stand, Relli’s demeanor, according to the Los Angeles Times, was much less confident and composed. During this portion of his testimony, Rocky’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, suggested that Relli fabricated the shooting to get money from his client, whom he’s also suing in civil court.

Tacopina claimed Relli’s lawyers asked Rocky’s civil attorneys for a monetary settlement a day after the Harlem rapper was arrested. Asking Relli if he sent a text to Rocky’s manager that read, “I’m getting ich [sic],” he replied that he meant to write, “I’m getting irritated.”

“You didn’t mean, ‘I’m getting rich?’” Tacopina subsequently asked.

A hearing for further testimony and ponderance of evidence in the case is scheduled for next Monday (November 20). If Rocky’s criminal case goes to trial and he’s convicted of both assault charges, the rapper could spend significant time in prison.

During November 8’s testimony, Tacopina asserted that a plea deal was off the table and Rocky would take the case to a jury trial if Judge Mary Lou Villar allowed it to proceed. He also requested that Villar close the courtroom to the public if a jury trial occurs. She denied such, saying that her courtroom is “an open courtroom,” according to Cuniff.