A$AP Rocky said the stress of his gun assault trial stifled his creativity and revealed he’s channeling the experience into new music.
A$AP Rocky opened up about the emotional weight of his recent legal battle and how it stalled his creativity during a revealing interview published by Variety.
The rapper was acquitted in February by a Los Angeles jury on two felony charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. The case stemmed from allegations that he fired a gun at former associate A$AP Relli during a 2021 confrontation.
Now 36, A$AP Rocky said the trial cast a long shadow over his music.
“I’m writing about these past four or five years that I had this over me, and it’s been kind of handicapping me,” he told the outlet.
He also reflected on how the experience changed his outlook on trust and accountability.
“I can’t necessarily blame it on my last situation. But what I did learn is you’ve gotta accept that everybody’s not good people; you’re not gonna run into a solid person every time. Not everybody’s gonna handle situations like you,” he said. “Once you accept that you’re not responsible for nobody’s actions but yours… That’s where I’m at — like, ‘Yo, focus on your own actions.’ Because I ain’t perfect. I’m human too, and we all f**k up.”
Away from the courtroom, A$AP Rocky has been focused on family and film. He and Rihanna, who began dating in 2020, are parents to two sons — RZA, 2, and Riot, 21 months.
During Monday’s 2025 Met Gala, Rihanna revealed she is pregnant with their third child.
Rocky is also stepping into the film world with a role in the upcoming Spike Lee-directed movie Highest 2 Lowest, starring alongside Denzel Washington.
The film is set to premiere this month at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
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