LOS ANGELES (AP) — A$AP Rocky’s longtime associate and collaborator, known as A$AP Twelvyy, provided pivotal testimony during his trial on Friday, asserting that the hip-hop artist discharged a starter pistol he employed as a prop during a confrontation with a former acquaintance on a Hollywood street in 2021.

Twelvyy, who has been part of the A$AP Mob collective alongside both the accuser and the defendant since their high school days, plays a crucial role in bolstering Rocky’s defense against two felony charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, which could ultimately result in a maximum sentence of 24 years in prison.

“He carried a prop, a starter pistol,” Twelvyy stated, addressing the jury. “I witnessed it on multiple occasions.”

For the second consecutive day, Rocky’s partner, the internationally acclaimed singer Rihanna, returned to court and, for the first time, left the courthouse alongside him. The couple departed arm-in-arm, navigating past a small gaggle of cameras to reach a waiting SUV.

Twelvyy’s accounts suggested that their mutual friend, known as A$AP Relli, recognized the pistol as a fake when Rocky initially displayed it. “He urged him to fire that fake gun,” Twelvyy explained when queried by the defense.

According to Twelvyy, the act of firing the weapon was intended solely to prevent Relli from assaulting another crew member, A$AP Illz. This assertion was scrutinized during cross-examination by Deputy District Attorney John Lewin.

“How could brandishing a prop gun that Relli knew was fake deter anyone?” Lewin challenged. To which Twelvyy responded, “The sound.” Lewin, incredulous, reiterated, “The sound? How does the sound of a known fake weapon instill fear?” Twelvyy maintained, “Its volume is such that it would be mistaken for a real gunshot, prompting a retreat.”

The A$AP Mob, a collective of musicians and creators, originated from a New York high school nearly two decades ago. While many members are active, Rocky is the sole one who has achieved significant mainstream success since the early 2010s, earning multiple Grammy nominations and becoming a notable figure in fashion alongside his relationship with Rihanna, with whom he shares two young sons.

Twelvyy, known legally as Jamel Phillips, has performed as Rocky’s hype man and appeared in several of his music videos. He recounted seeing Rocky with the starter pistol on three separate occasions: first during a New York music video shoot in July 2021, then at a Harlem block party that September, and finally in Los Angeles shortly before the November 6 incident.

“At that time, due to the ongoing COVID era, he did not have security,” Twelvyy remarked. “That weapon effectively served as his line of defense.”

When Lewin probed whether Twelvyy could definitively ascertain that the pistol was indeed a prop, Twelvyy asserted, “He informed me and I witnessed it.”

Rocky and Relli’s relationship had grown increasingly volatile before their street encounter occurring shortly after Rocky’s performance. Accompanying Rocky were Twelvyy and Illz.

Twelvyy refuted Relli’s claims that Rocky instigated the physical confrontation, asserted that Rocky had aimed the gun at Relli himself, and denied ever brandishing a knife.

Both parties agree on the sequence of events: following the initial altercation, Rocky and his companions began to depart, with Relli pursuing, after which shots were fired. Relli testified that although his knuckles were grazed during the shooting, he did not sustain any serious injuries.

The revelation that Rocky had employed a fake gun only emerged on the trial’s jury selection day two weeks prior, unbeknownst to both the judge and prosecution. Law enforcement could not locate the weapon in question, and the defense asserted that they do not possess the prop. After an immediate investigation of the scene revealed no signs of a shooting, Relli claimed to have discovered two shell casings himself shortly thereafter, which he later reported to authorities two days post-incident.

Twelvyy was the first witness for the defense called after the prosecution concluded its case on Thursday.

During his questioning, Lewin referenced Rihanna, inquiring whether she and Rocky could potentially jeopardize his career should he deviate from their preferred narrative.

“Do you assert that even if the defendant and his significant other, Rihanna, were displeased with you, they would have no capacity to influence your career?” Lewin asked. Twelvyy responded, “I am an artist; I could embark on a new career path tomorrow. I could take up painting.”

He denied any assertion that he was testifying to benefit Rocky’s case. “I am not aiming to assist him,” he clarified. “I was indeed present. I know the truth.”