Tyler, The Creator couldn’t hold back his emotions when he addressed the crowd at his recent concert while reacting to the not guilty verdict in A$AP Rocky’s gun assault case earlier this month.
The Chromakopia rapper actually revealed to fans that he was in such a state of distress when the ruling in the case was delivered on February 18 that it almost caused him bodily harm. No matter the case, Tyler made it clear that he stood by his longtime friend and collaborator while delivering an impassioned speech, which also doubled as sound advice for his fans to heed.
“I almost passed out when they read the verdict,” Tyler, The Creator started off before sending the crowd into a frenzy of cheers after declaring, “My brother Rocky is not guilty.”
Tyler turned his attention to the dangers of jealousy and disloyalty, warning fans to be mindful of the company they keep. While he didn’t mention him by name, the “Sticky” lyricists rhetoric appeared to allude to the conduct of Relli, who many accuse of pinning the 2021 Hollywood shooting incident on Rocky over a dispute stemming from a funeral he allegedly promised to pay for.
“That’s a testament to watch who y’all keep around you, because n##### be jealous,” he said as he paced around the stage. “Bum-ass, loser-ass, b####-ass n##### are going to take you down.”
He then took a moment to express gratitude for his own circle of close friends, emphasizing the loyalty they’ve shared over the years.
“I’m so grateful for my muthafucking brothers,” he said. I done had the same friends for almost muthafucking 20 years. I love y’all n##### so f###### much.”
Tyler continued, explaining why keeps his distance from people he deems untrustworthy, referencing a familiar line from one of his songs, such as his fan-favorite Call Me If You Get Lost track “DOGTOOTH” on which he describes his loathing of the type of fake friendships prevalent in the music industry.
“I know I say it in any of my songs song, but when I tell n#####, don’t call me brother, don’t call me twin, don’t call me king,” he said. “I’m not friends with these n#####, because they weird and they want to see you f###### down. So shout-out to my m############ brothers out here.”
He closed out his fiery speech with a heartfelt shout-out to A$AP Rocky, telling fans, “I love y’all to death. And shout-out, Rocky. I love you, n####. My n####, Free. Yes, sir.”
A jury cleared A$AP Rocky of all charges in his high-profile assault trial linked to an alleged 2021 shooting involving his Relli, whose real name is Terell Ephron. Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, declined a plea deal that would have included 180 days in jail and was facing over a decade in prison had he been convicted of the crimes he was charged with.
Check out the clip from the concert in the post above.
