A$AP Rocky, one of hip-hop's most recognisable names, is in the spotlight for reasons beyond his music.
The rapper is on trial in Los Angeles for allegedly firing a gun at his former friend, A$AP Relli during a 2021 confrontation.
Here's what we know about the alleged incident as the jury considers its verdict.
Why is A$AP Rocky in court?
A$AP Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Athelaston Mayers, is accused of firing shots at A$AP Relli, a friend from his teenage years, on the streets of Hollywood in November 2021.
Prosecutors allege tensions between the two had escalated after a fallout over their personal and professional relationship, leading to a physical confrontation.
A$AP Relli, whose real name is Terell Ephron, claims Mr Mayers pulled out a gun from his waistband and pointed it towards him, saying "I'll kill you right now".
Court documents allege Mr Mayers shot at him twice, with one bullet grazing Mr Ephron's knuckles.
However, the rapper's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, said he was carrying a prop gun from a music video set that was incapable of firing real bullets.
During the trial, the defence cross-examined a police officer who searched the scene.
Tacopina asked Sergeant Thomas Zizzo whether any blood, bullet holes, shell casings or any physical evidence were found at the scene, to which he responded: "No".
Two days later, Mr Ephron reportedly brought two shell casings to the police, which he claimed to have retrieved from the scene.
What exactly is A$AP Rocky charged with?
A$AP Rocky has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
He rejected a prosecution plea offer on January 21 that included six months in jail and three years of probation.
He also rejected a seven-year suspended sentence.
Who is A$AP Relli?
Mr Ephron and Mr Mayers were high school friends who were part of the same A$AP Mob music collective.
A$AP stands for Always Strive And Prosper.
The two remained friends for years, but Mr Ephron testified they began to drift apart after his friend "got famous".
He also said he started calling Mr Mayers "Mr Six Month Man" as he would only see or hear from him every six months.
"It's really hard having a relationship with Rocky, he lies a lot," he told the court.
What did the jury hear?
A lot.
But here's a recap of the main arguments we've heard.
Mr Ephron said he was "furious" and flabbergasted when Mr Mayers pulled a gun on him on the streets of Hollywood.
"I told him to use it. Because mentally I couldn't believe it," he told the court.
"I physically couldn't believe there was a gun in my face. That was the breaking point for me."
Mr Ephron testified that he was shouting and walking towards Mr Mayers after their confrontation, which is when he said the rapper pulled the gun and held it in the air.
"He turned around and then it was like boom," he told the jury.
"The whole thing was like a movie, he kind of pointed down and he shot the first shot.
"I felt my hand hot. I was hit or grazed. I didn't have a hole or nothing."
But Mr Mayers's lawyer said the shots fired weren't from a real gun. Instead, he told the court they were blanks from a starter pistol he carried as a prop to ward off would-be attackers.
The jury also heard from the rapper's longtime friend and collaborator A$AP Twelvyy, who said Mr Ephron knew the pistol wasn't real.
"He told him to shoot that fake-ass gun," Twelvyy said under defence questioning.
His tour manager also testified that he carried the phoney gun.
Lou Levin said he told the rapper it made sense to carry it after his house had been broken into by a stalker and others.
"Security and I thought it would be a good idea, because of the prior violence," Levin said.
"It's just a nonlethal form of self-defence."
The defence said in its opening statement that Mr Ephron was acting so fearlessly — walking toward Mr Mayers and daring him to shoot — because he knew the rapper carried phoney guns.
Mr Ephron testified that he had never heard of such a thing, and he didn't know Mr Mayers to carry guns of any kind.
Mr Tacopina also accused Mr Ephron of being driven by "jealousy, lies and greed," alleging he fabricated parts of his claims for money.
During the trial, Mr Ephron angrily declared that recordings of phone calls the defence played for him about getting money from Mr Mayers were faked.
The man who recorded those calls, Wally Sajimi, took the stand as an out-of-order witness for the defence, and the jurors heard the recordings themselves.
In one of them, a voice resembling Mr Ephron's says he'll stop participating in the criminal case as soon as he gets paid.
"Once I walk away, when I get my cash, the case will get way weaker," says the recording that Sajimi testified he made in 2022.
There were also tense moments during cross-examination.
During a court session, Tacopina cross-examined the victim about his allegations, leading to an outburst from Mr Ephron who accused the lawyer of being "slick".
From the witness box, he shouted: "I'm on to you. You're not going to keep tripping me up."
The judge was then forced to restore order in the courtroom, even instructing Mr Ephron to cease speaking.
"Don't insult any lawyer that's asking you questions. You're not doing yourself any good by doing that," judge Mark Arnold said.
He was also told not to shout at the defendant.
Other key points of contention in the case also include that Mr Ephron took multiple days to report the incident to police and did not immediately go to hospital after the alleged shooting.
Could A$AP Rocky face jail time?
Yes.
He could face up to 24 years in jail if convicted on two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
Has Rihanna appeared in court?
Yes.
Rihanna, A$AP Rocky's partner, has appeared multiple times at his Los Angeles trial.
She has been seen sitting between Mr Mayers's sister and mother.
Though Rihanna did not testify, she was mentioned several times in the lead-up to the trial.
During jury selection, prospective jurors were asked if their neutrality in deciding the case would be affected if the singer were to attend the trial.
AP reported one woman answered "yes" to the question after a long pause.
Meanwhile, others reportedly described themselves as Rihanna fans, but said that would not influence their decisions.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky started dating in 2019 and have since had two children, aged two and one.
ABC/AP
