There is ongoing strife in the Harlem-bred A$AP Mob collective. According to TMZ, a defamation lawsuit has been filed against hip-hop recording artist A$AP Rocky and his attorney, Joe Tacopina.
The suit was brought by A$AP Relli (real name Terell Ephron), a former friend of the rapper, who was a part of the A$AP Mob collective. It’s based on comments and statements Relli said Tacopina told media outlets about a 2021 incident when Rocky was accused of shooting Relli.
Relli alleges that Tacopina called him a liar, a money grabber, and an extortionist at the direction of Rocky. In the legal paperwork, he stated that Tacopina told TMZ and other outlets that “Rocky didn’t commit a crime. It was an extortion attempt by a former associate, who threatened to make false, criminal accusations if Rocky didn’t pay him.”
The rapper stated he has received numerous death threats and has been ridiculed for the alleged attack on him. He is seeking unspecified damages.
“This is actually nothing more than a publicity stunt which is going to backfire badly,” Tacopina told TMZ in a statement. “I more than welcome this lawsuit, especially because the resolution of the criminal case has not happened yet. This opens up this extortionist to depositions under oath now before the resolution of the criminal case. It will expose the fraud he committed, and unfortunately for his lawyers, it will cause them to be responsible for legal fees in this case. They don’t know the facts of this case or the actions taken by their client. But, I will be more than happy to educate them.”
Last summer, Rocky was charged with two felonies for an incident involving Relli that took place two years ago in Hollywood. The 33-year-old father of two, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, allegedly pulled out a gun on his former friend.
Prosecutors claimed on Nov. 6, 2021, Rocky pointed his weapon at Relli, and during the confrontation, Rocky allegedly fired his gun twice in the direction of Relli. He reportedly suffered minor injuries.
Rocky’s charges were two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm with allegations of personally using a firearm.
