*A$AP Rocky is speaking out about former President Donald Trump’s involvement in his arrest in Sweden in 2019.
Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was arrested in Stockholm in July 2019 after he and two members of his entourage got into a street brawl with 19-year-old Mustafa Jafari. The case attracted widespread attention, with Kim Kardashian, singer Rod Stewart and Trump even calling on Swedish authorities to release the rapper at the time, claiming he was being treated unfairly.
The U.S. government went so far as to warn Sweden of “negative consequences” if Rocky wasn’t released.
A judge ultimately ordered the Harlem-born artist and his co-defendants released from custody pending the verdict of the trial. They were also allowed to leave the country, and once the guilty verdict was handed down, the court determined the crime did not warrant any further time served and noted that Rocky would not have to do community service.
READ MORE: Trump ‘Left Angry’ After ASAP Rocky Declined to Thank Him Following Swedish Brawl Case
A$AP Rocky becomes the latest investor in the $31 billion fintech platform Klarna https://t.co/JIXSTcHbvU #ForbesUnder30 pic.twitter.com/3wYZk6fIJr
— Forbes (@Forbes) June 1, 2021
Whether or not Trump’s influence had any impact on the case, his administration was reportedly pissed that the hip-hop star didn’t thank Trump for his efforts.
“I was kinda scared that Trump was going to f— it up,” A$AP Rocky says in the new documentary, Stockholm Syndrome, which premiered Sunday at the Tribeca Film Festival.
“But on the other hand, I kinda was like ‘that’s what’s up,’ ” the rapper says, according to The Daily Beast. “I mean, you want the most support you [can]. When the president supports you, I felt good. For the most part, I don’t think he ever knows what’s going on in the urban communities or the urban divisions of this political s—.”
While A$AP Rocky is “thankful” for Trump’s support, he admits he was nervous that Trump’s involvement would hinder his release from jail.
“I was also scared that it was going to jeopardize me being in there longer,” he says in the new doc.
When A$AP Rocky was granted release ahead of his trial, Trump tweeted: “It was a Rocky Week, get home ASAP A$AP!”
Yahoo ran a piece suggesting Trump got involved with Rocky’s case as part of his effort to boost his image among Black voters.
The rapper describes Trump’s role as a “chess move.”
“They tried to strong-arm a lot and in reality, I had no problem saying ‘thank you’ to the man, especially if he helped me, but that was the narrative they were pushing – that he got me out,” A$AP Rocky says. “He didn’t free me. If anything, he made it a little worse.”
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