Nobody is above the law — not even those of celebrity status — yet the consequences of breaking society’s rules do not seem to apply to the rich and famous. After all, it is ultimately about who one knows.
Rapper A$AP Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, was acquitted of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic weapon. Rocky’s defense argued that he fired a prop gun filled with blanks at childhood friend, A$AP Relli.
There was no substantial evidence that the gun Rocky shot was a prop outside of two testimonials from Rocky’s inner circle.
A$AP Twelvyy who has appeared in Rocky’s music videos and onstage at Rocky’s concerts as a hype man testified to Rocky’s gun being filled with blanks. However, the testimony in support of Rocky seems to be the equivalent of getting a friend, perhaps even an employee, to lie on one’s behalf.
“Rocky was setting up a whole new life for me. He was saying, ‘I’m going to pay for your passport. I’m going to pay for your travel,’” Twelvyy told REVOLT. “At this time, I was still learning how to be an artist. I knew how to rap, but he showed me how to be a showman. We were learning together.”
The interview conducted by REVOLT occurred while Twelvyy was touring with Rocky. Twelvyy alludes to Rocky being responsible for the new life he was living. This makes Twelvyy have a deep obligation and loyalty to Rocky.
There is a possible way Twelvyy could pay his life debt: testifying on Rocky’s behalf. Relli’s attorney should have quickly brought up the dynamic between Twelvyy and Rocky to question the validity of the supposed witness.
Rocky’s financial power over Twelvyy may have been enough to get a testimonial in his favor. It pays to have friends in higher places, especially when one pays those friends.
The power celebrities hold is widespread. As a result, the court system must do a better job of widening its scope when trying celebrities. Failure to do so erases a large nuance of a celebrity’s life and character. It continues to perpetuate a cycle of celebrities getting away with a crime through the power of their wallets.
