A$AP Rocky (Rakim Mayers) has been found not guilty on both counts in the shooting case involving his former friend and associate A$AP Relli (Terrell Ephron).

The verdict, which the jury reached after about three hours, according to The Associated Press, was read in the downtown Los Angeles courtroom at 4 p.m. PT on Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 18).

Upon the reading of the verdict, wild cheers of celebration broke out and an ebullient Rocky jumped over the railing toward his partner Rihanna, who was seated in the audience and has attended multiple dates during the trial, along with Rocky’s mother and sister. After taking his place back at the defense table, the emotional rapper embraced his attorneys and later folded his hands in prayer.

Rocky, who was arrested in April 2022 at Los Angeles International Airport after being accused of firing a handgun twice at Relli near a Hollywood hotel in November 2021, faced two felony counts of assault with a firearm and a maximum of 24 years in prison if convicted. The 36-year-old pleaded not guilty to all charges in August 2022. Last month, he turned down a final plea deal prior to the start of the three-week trial that would have landed him 180 days in county jail. On Feb. 11, the Harlem rapper waived his right to take the stand and testify.

Rocky’s legal team, led by attorney Joe Tacopino, had argued that the weapon in the case was a prop gun filled with blanks, which the rapper fired in an effort to defuse an escalating situation.

This is a developing story.

Nick Cave is standing firm on his admiration for Kanye West’s music, even as the rapper continues to stir controversy with his inflammatory remarks and actions.

The legendary Australian singer-songwriter addressed his stance in response to a fan letter on his Red Hand Files blog, following his recent revelation that he wanted West’s “I Am a God” played at his funeral.

Since Cave’s initial comments, West has reignited outrage by doubling down on anti-Semitic remarks, openly declaring himself a Nazi, and selling a swastika-branded T-shirt on his website. One fan bluntly questioned Cave: “How the hell can you listen to the song without seeing the scum of a human being that Kanye has become?”

In response, Cave acknowledged the controversy while making it clear that he does not condone West’s actions. “Numerous letters have come in expressing, in no uncertain terms, disapproval of my fondness for Kanye West’s music,” Cave began.

“A lot of time and energy has been spent explaining the evil of Nazism, the harm of antisemitism, why it is wrong to sell t-shirts emblazoned with swastikas, and why it is unacceptable to coerce one’s girlfriend into standing naked on the red carpet at the Grammys.” he continued. “On that matter, it seems, we can all find some common ground. I agree.”

However, Cave pushed back against the idea of fully dismissing an artist’s work due to their personal failings. “The idea of an artist being divorced from their art is absurd,” he explained.

“However, the great gift of art is the potential for the artist to excavate their interior chaos and transform it into something sublime. This is what Kanye does. This is what I strive to do, and this is the enterprise undertaken by all genuine artists. The remarkable utility of art lies in its audacity to transfigure our corrupted state and create something beautiful.”

Cave went on to describe West as “an exemplar par excellence” of this concept, stating that despite his “brokenness,” the rapper’s music embodies the tension between “sin, transcendence, and genius.”

Still, he did not shy away from condemning West’s actions. “As odious and disappointing as many of Kanye’s views are, and as sickening as antisemitism is – in its sadly always-present, ever-morphing forms – I endeavour to seek beauty wherever it presents itself,” he wrote. “In doing so, I am reluctant to invalidate the best of us in an attempt to punish the worst. I don’t think we can afford that luxury.”

Cave’s comments come years after he previously referred to West as “our greatest artist,” praising his fearless creative approach. However, even then, he admitted that West’s troubling rhetoric made it difficult to listen to his music without hesitation.

As West’s latest actions spark further backlash—including his recent suspension from X (formerly Twitter), Shopify shutting down his Yeezy store, and his talent agency dropping him—many in the music industry continue to distance themselves from him. Ty Dolla $ign, West’s Vultures collaborator, has publicly condemned hate speech, while Charlie Puth and David Schwimmer have called for further consequences against the rapper.

Despite numerous controversies over the years, West’s music has long had a presence on the Billboard charts. His 2013 album Yeezus—which includes “I Am a God,” the song Cave wants played at his funeral—debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum has dismissed suggestions that Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler will ever return to the touring circuit.

Sorum’s claims arrived just weeks after Tyler made a return to the stage as part of his sixth annual Jam for Janie Grammy Awards Viewing Party. With Sorum serving as Musical Director, the event was only the second time that Tyler had performed live since a 2023 vocal injury which halted Aerosmith’s touring schedule, and the first time since the band announced their formal retirement in August of 2024.

Performing alongside Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt, Tyler sung covers of songs by Extreme and Led Zeppelin, and four Aerosmith staples, which saw the musician joined by the likes of Mick Fleetwood, Lainey Wilson, the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson, Jessie J, and Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton. However, despite the positive response from fans, Sorum told Joe Rock of Long Island radio station WBAB (via Blabbermouth) that the strain of global touring would prevent Tyler from performing on a large scale once again.

“Some fans were a little bit, like, ‘Well, he can sing.’ Well, let me just explain what’s happening with Steven Tyler, ’cause he’s a really good friend,” Sorum explained. “He went out and sang. And it was a really big moment for him because he hurt himself bad. Now, is he gonna tour again? No, he’s not. Because, and I explained this to people, Steven cannot put himself under the rigors of doing a full worldwide tour because there’s a lot of pressure. 

“And if you’re not a singer, you wouldn’t understand what he goes through, but he’s 77 years old and he’s a perfectionist. And if he doesn’t sing correctly, it bothers him. And he’s not gonna put it on tape, like 80 percent of the people that are out there taking your money. He will not be on tape, and he won’t change the keys of the song. That’s just who he is. He’s, like, ‘I’m an artist. I’m a singer. This is my band. I’ve been doing this for 50 years. And if I can’t do it perfect, I can’t do it.’ And I respect that. 

“I talked to him about it multiple times,” added Sorum. “I said, ‘So, just sing four or five songs tops.’ He says, ‘I can do that.’ And that was just one time. Maybe down the line, he’ll do it again and possibly do the same amount of songs.”

Initially, early reports of Tyler’s recent live appearance claimed that the performance would in fact be an Aerosmith reunion. If it were true, it would have been the group’s first live show since Sept. 2023.

While performing in Elmont, NY on Sept. 9 of that year, Tyler fractured his larynx, necessitating the postponement of shows on their Peace Out tour. Ultimately, these shows were canceled entirely when the band announced their retirement from touring in August 2024.

In January, Hamilton spoke to Boston’s WBUR to provide an update on Tyler’s health status, and to provide an insight into future Aerosmith activity. “Maybe Aerosmith will do something in the future, but it’s a big if and the last thing I want to be doing is to try and push Steven in that direction,” he explained. “If we do anything in the future, it would come from him.”