Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more!
A$AP Rocky Will Not Be Performing At The Swedish Jail Where He Was Imprisoned
The rapper previously said that he was interested in playing a show at the Kronoberg prison where he was kept in custody following his assault arrest.
A$AP Rocky won’t be performing at the Swedish jail where he was kept in custody for weeks, despite his reported willingness to do so.
The 31-year-old rapper, born Rakim Mayers, was arrested back in July over a street fight that he and two members of his entourage got into with two locals. He was charged with assault, to which he pleaded not guilty; he was found guilty in August, but avoided further jail time, with a judge instead placing him on probation for two years and ordering him to pay the alleged victim’s legal fees.
A judge ordered him released following his trial, allowing the rapper to await the verdict as a free man, but during his time behind bars, his lawyer claimed that the conditions of the facility were inhuman. Still, speaking to TMZ last month, Rocky remarked that he “would love to” put on a show at Kronoberg prison, the facility where he was held, though he theorized that it wouldn’t actually be possible.
“But being that it’s a maximum-security lockdown detention center, we gotta stay in a room for 23 hours a day, I doubt they’ll let those people get a performance,” he explained.
In response to the news that Rocky was considering the idea, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service told TMZ late last month that they were open to it. However, Vilhelm Grevik, section manager at Sweden’s Prison and Probation Service, told Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet on Wednesday that such a performance is not possible due to a variety of issues, including time constraints. There are also logistical and security issues, Grevik said.
Rocky is scheduled to return to Stockholm next week on Dec. 11 for a performance at the Ericsson Globe, Billboard reports. Live Nation, who are organizing the show, said in a statement, “After an outcry of support from his Swedish fans, he will return to Stockholm to deliver a triumphant show for all his supporters.”
Rocky’s Swedish saga attracted the attention of numerous high-profile celebrities, including Kim Kardashian West and President Donald Trump, all of whom lobbied for his freedom.
Following his release from jail, he performed for the first time at the Real Street Festival in Anaheim, California, where he addressed the situation while speaking to the crowd, according to USA Today.
“I just want to say what I experienced was so crazy,” he said. “I'm so happy to be here right now. That was a scary, humbling experience but I'm here right now. God is good.”
Following the judge’s ruling, Rocky said on Instagram that he was “disappointed,” but would be “moving forward.”
