Civil Rights activist Al Sharpton has shared his thoughts on A$AP Rocky‘s upcoming trial over a 2021 brawl with former friend A$AP Relli.
Rocky (born Rakim Mayers) is currently on trial for two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm following a November 2021 fight where he allegedly fired shots at his former friend Relli (real name Terell Ephron).
Sharpton took to X/Twitter to call out the jury selection process after only four Black people were selected as possible jurors for the New Yorker’s case, writing: “It has been brought to my attention by the [his civil rights organisation] National Action Network’s Los Angeles office that out of 106 people called to potentially sit as jurors in A$AP Rocky’s trial in Los Angeles, there are only four Black people.”
It has been brought to my attention, by the National Action Network Los Angeles office, that out of one hundred and six (106) people called to potentially sit as jurors in A$AP Rocky’s trial in Los Angeles, there are only 4 black people.
I have been closely in touch with A$AP…
— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) January 22, 2025
He continued: “I have been closely in touch with A$AP Rocky’s friends, and – though I do not know the particulars of the trial – I do know he deserves to be judged fairly by his peers, as is his constitutional right.”
“It is absolutely ridiculous that the jury will be not fair and representative, so as to deprive A$AP Rocky of a fair trial,” Sharpton added. “When we have four black people in the city of Los Angeles, out of 106 — and exactly zero within in the first 30 possible candidates for the jury — something appears to be very wrong with the system.”
He concluded by saying he is “monitoring” the trial to “ensure that fair and representative justice is afforded to A$AP Rocky.”
The rapper’s legal team have yet to raise any concerns about the jury selection process.
Rocky’s trial commenced on Friday (January 24) with a jury of seven women and five men, none of whom were Black (per TMZ). The prosecution alleged the rapper “lured” Ephron to a street near the W Hotel Hollywood in November 2021 to discuss a disagreement, leading to a physical altercation where Rocky pulled out a gun and shot at him, grazing his knuckles. The fight was caught on CCTV.
He entered a plea of not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and faces up to 24 years in jail if convicted.
This week, Rocky rejected a plea deal where he – instead of facing 24 years incarcerated – would be sentenced to three years probation, a seven-year suspended prison sentence and 180 days in county jail. At the same hearing, his lawyers also said they believed the gun in the surveillance footage to be a “prop gun.”
In other news, Rocky’s long-awaited fourth album ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ was supposed to be released last August, but is set to come out sometime this year. Reportedly, he has delayed the record due to leaks.