“A$AP Rocky,” or Rakim Mayers in real life, is a notable American songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He is currently formally charged with assault by the Swedish prosecutors, despite the U.S. President Trump himself trying to prevent this from happening and now even taking a swing at Sweden's criminal justice system.
Rapping professionally for over a decade now since 2007 when he joined the A$AP Mob crew, he can certainly be touted as one of the most successful and wealthy rappers in the United States as of the moment.
According to Wealthy Gorilla, ASAP Rocky’s net worth in 2019 can be estimated to be at $6 million. The estimate could still be higher as other sources indicate higher payouts for the "Sundress" singer.
In 2016, ASAP Rocky was also listed thirteenth in Forbes' World's Highest Paid Hip-Hop Acts with $14.5 million.
"The Harlem-born rapper makes his Cash Kings debut thanks to his 62 shows and six-figure nightly gross during our scoring period," Forbes noted.
Wealth and success, however, meant nothing when dealing with the justice system, at least ideally. On July 25, the rapper was formally charged with assault concerning an altercation he had while in Stockholm back in June. Since July 3, he was put under custody.
According to ASAP Rocky’s lawyer Slobodian Jovicic, however, his client is innocent and only defending himself during the incident. Jovicic maintained that the rapper is disappointed that the court is only listening to the other party’s version of events, even though the reality is that it was self-defense.
Court documents seen by the CNN, detailed how A$AP Rocky and two other men assaulted the victim by kicking and beating him using a glass bottle. Swedish public prosecutor Daniel Suneson asserted that claims of self-defense and provocation are not enough to say no crime has happened, especially when there were witness statements involved.
"It is worth noting that I have had access to a greater amount of material than that which has previously been available on the internet. In addition to video material, the injured party's statements have been supported by witness statements," Suneson said.
The rapper’s case has drawn attention not just from his fellow artists but also the U.S. President himself, who expressed his desire to personally vouch for the 30-year-old rapper's bail. The problem is that such a bail system does not exist in Sweden.
Dennis Martinsson, a legal expert in Sweden, explained to CNN: "If you know the Swedish legal system you know that there is no bail system." He added that the justice system in Sweden does not want any minister, even the Prime Minister getting involved in individual court cases at all.
It remains to be seen what the repercussions or impact this could bring to the case or the United States’ relationship with Sweden as a whole.
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