A$AP Rocky Influences Judge To Shut Down Use Of N-Word During Trial

The Harlem rapper asked the court to 'refrain' from using the actual word in court.

A$AP Rocky is on trial for an alleged shooting in Los Angeles, and during court testimony, the N-word has been used throughout the trial. After intervention from the rapper, the judge has instructed that the actual word, n**ga, be replaced by simply saying the “N-word.”

According to Complex, Harlem-raised A$AP Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, objected to the word n**ga being said in court as his attorney read back some text messages from former friend and A$AP Mob group member, A$AP Relli, who Rocky is accused of shooting in Los Angeles in 2021. When Rocky’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, repeatedly said the word as he was reading from the text messages, his client blurted out to Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold, asking that he refrain from using the full word.

The N-word was incessantly mentioned during the trial.

While Tacopina was questioning Relli, the judge interjected and addressed Tacopina and the courtroom about refraining from using the actual word and replacing it with the more politically correct term. The judge did respond by saying, “In the future, and this is for all counsel, if there’s any exhibit or any recording that has the n-word, I want you in court to say ’n-word. I don’t want you to say what it says. It’s the ’n-word’ from now on … That applies to everybody.”

Here is the clip of A$AP Rocky speaking up in trial after repeated use of the n-word by his lawyer and Relli during testimony about text messages, and earlier use by Judge Arnold and Deputy District Attorney John Lewin.

Judge Arnold soon told all counsel to only say “n-word.” pic.twitter.com/LU8bdzTHeo

— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) January 31, 2025

Relli has accused his former friend of firing twice at him in Los Angeles on Nov. 6, 2021, after the two were having a heated dispute on the street. After being arrested for the alleged incident, Rocky pleaded not guilty to the two felony counts related to firing a weapon at the former A$AP Mob group member. Right before the trial started, Rocky reportedly rejected a last-minute plea deal from prosecutors that would have placed him in prison for 180 days. He would have also received a suspended seven-year sentence plus three years of probation. Prosecutors wanted him to enter a guilty plea for one of the two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.