Rapper A$AP Rocky has pleaded not guilty to two felony charges stemming from an alleged confrontation in Hollywood last November.
The American music star, real name Rakim Mayers, was charged on Monday with two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Mayers, 33, who recently welcomed his first child with superstar Rihanna, appeared in person in an LA court on Wednesday 17 August to enter the pleas.
Mayers wore a dark suit, tie and glasses for his first appearance and stood with his new lawyer, Sara L. Caplan, at the far end of a hallway behind his private security detail before the courtroom opened.
Caplan later entered the not guilty plea on her client’s behalf as Mayers spoke only to agree that his next court date will be Nov. 2.
Mayers allegedly pointed a semiautomatic handgun at his former friend, Relli, during a heated discussion on November 6th last year following a confrontation between the pair.
Los Angeles police said the man "sustained a minor injury from the incident and later sought his medical treatment.''
Mayers was arrested April 20 at Los Angeles International Airport after arriving on a private plane from Barbados, where he had been on vacation with his then-pregnant girlfriend, singer Rihanna.
Relli, real name Terell Ephron, is a former friend of Mayers, but filed a lawsuit against him last week.
At the plea hearing, lawyers for Relli accused the rapper’s conduct of being “extreme and outrageous” in legal documents and had caused their client to suffer “extreme emotional distress”.
Ephron has requested damages of 25,000 dollars (£20,600) over the incident, plus additional damages to cover his medical bills.
Following the Harlem rapper’s plea, the judge then launched into the protective order requested by prosecutors that bars Mayers from contacting or approaching Ephron.
“We request that the protective order be mutual, your honor, because my client does not pose a danger,” Caplan told Judge Victoria Wilson.
“As the case now stands, there is a case against Mr. Mayers. If one is subsequently filed against Mr. Ephron, we could deal with that then,” Judge Wilson said.
Caplan then asked if Mayers would be permitted to travel for work, with Judge Wilson saying he should “clear dates” with prosecutors.
Mayers could face up to nine years in prison if convicted as charged.
The rapper remains free on $550,000 bail.
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