Rapper A$AP Rockyreal name Rakim Mayers, appeared in court for the start of jury selection in his trial and rejected the prosecution’s plea deal.

The “Praise the Lord” crooner is accused of shooting a gun at his former friend in 2021 and could face up to 24 years in prison if convicted.

A$AP Rocky is dating singer and fashion mogul Rihanna. The pair share two sonsRZA and Riot.

A$AP Rocky appeared in a downtown Los Angeles court on Tuesday for jury selection in his felony assault trial.

According to P.A.he rejected a final plea offer from Los Angeles County prosecutors.

If the rapper had accepted the deal, he would have pleaded guilty to one of the two charges against him and would have had to serve six months in prison with three years of probation and seven years of suspended prison time.

However, A$AP Rocky and his legal team rejected the offer, although his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, hinted at a key defense strategy during the legal proceedings.

Tacopina plans to claim that the firearm in question was a “starter gun,” a non-lethal accessory that the rapper allegedly carried for safety purposes.

More than 100 potential jurors were summoned on the first day of Rocky’s trial.

Presiding Judge Mark Arnold has signaled his intention to quickly assemble a jury, with opening statements expected to begin as early as Wednesday.

Arnold also strictly limits the length of time attorneys can question potential jurors.

Arnold told potential jurors: “Mr. Mayers is an artist. His name is A$AP Rocky. His life partner is also an artist. Her name is Rihanna. Because Mr. Mayers is an artist, a celebrity, It cannot harm him, and it cannot benefit him.”

The judge will also allow media coverage of the trial for the duration of the trial after jury selection.

The charges against Rocky stem from an alleged altercation between him and his childhood friend, Terell Ephron, on November 6, 2021.

Ephron claimed Rocky shot him in the middle of a heated argument near a Hollywood hotel. He also claimed that the bullets grazed his knuckles.

The incident reportedly marked the culmination of a feud between Rocky and Ephron.

A preliminary hearing was held in November 2021, during which then-presiding judge ML Villar ruled that there was sufficient evidence for Rocky to stand trial on the charges against him.

Following Vilar’s decision, Tacopina said“We’re not disappointed or surprised, we expected a trial, we’ve been planning a trial all along. Rocky will be vindicated when all this is said and done, without a doubt.”

A$AP Rocky’s trial comes at a time when his career is thriving despite his legal troubles.

He was named one of the Met Gala’s celebrity chairs in May and will play a major role in a Spike Lee-directed film starring Denzel Washington, which will be released soon.

However, if he is found guilty, his career could be derailed and question marks could remain over his accomplishments.

Meanwhile, Rihanna is yet to appear in court amid her partner’s trial. His presence in court could attract even more attention, but that is unlikely to happen.

Tacopina said the “Umbrella” singer was unlikely to appear in court, but their relationship gave the trial much more media attention.

According to Online speed camerasa source said Rihanna and Rocky “started fighting all the time because he had no patience for anything.”

The source also said that Rocky’s mood had become terrible, adding that the couple’s sex life had deteriorated following his legal troubles.

The source said: “Before this mess with the trial, they could barely stay away from each other, but their sex life is non-existent these days. They’re just too stressed.”

According to our source, Rihanna feared becoming a single mother if Rocky was convicted and had to serve a long prison sentence. Therefore, the possibility of this happening “absolutely terrified” her.