A$AP Rocky testified Thursday that he and his entourage did everything they could to “de-escalate” the situation after two young men followed and harassed them on the streets of Stockholm on June 30.
Testifying at his assault trial, the rap star recalled how his bodyguard repeatedly told Mustafa Jafari and his friend to leave them alone.
“After a while, my security guard started pushing him away, begging him to leave,” said A$AP Rocky, according to reports. “Me and my crew told them that, ‘Listen, don’t go where we are going. Go the other way, we don’t want any trouble.’
“I assumed that these guys were under the influence of some kind of drug.”
He said Jafari, 19, picked a fight with his bodyguard.
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A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, has been in custody in Sweden since July 3 and was charged with assault on July 25. He and two members of his entourage are accused of beating Jafari – an assault that was captured on video.
The rapper pleaded not guilty on Tuesday and said he acted in self-defence.
Before he was arrested, A$AP Rocky posted video clips on Instagram that show two young men following he and his entourage. “SO A FEW DRUG ADDICTS ARE NOT MY FANS , WE DONT KNOW THESE GUYS AND WE DIDNT WANT TROUBLE , THEY FOLLOWED US FOR 4 BLOCKS , AND THEY WERE SLAPPING GIRLS BUTTS WHO PASSED , GIVE ME A BREAK,” he captioned the clips. “HITS SECURITY IN FACE WITH HEADPHONES THEN FOLLOW US.”
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The 30-year-old rap star, who was in Sweden to perform at a music festival, faces up to two years in prison but prosecutor Daniel Suneson said he will not seek the maximum.
A$AP Rocky was arrested in 2012 for allegedly attacking two people who were taking pictures of him on a New York City street, according to TMZ. In 2013, he was accused of slapping a woman at a music festival in Philadelphia but the case was later dismissed.