A$AP Rocky Tapped As Ray-Ban’s First-Ever Creative Director
The rapper, entrepreneur and partner of Rihanna scored the endorsement days after beating gun charges.
A$AP Rocky is having one hell of a week. On Tuesday, the rapper and entrepreneur shouted “Thank y’all for saving my life!” to jurors after they quickly returned not guilty verdicts on two counts of felony assault with a semiautomatic handgun. Instead of leaving a Los Angeles courtroom in handcuffs and serving a long prison sentence, Rocky instead embraced his superstar partner Rihanna in joyous celebration.
And the good news just keeps on coming. Today, Ray-Ban officially announces Rocky as the eyewear brand’s first-ever Creative Director. “Known for his trendsetting influence in both the music and fashion industries, Rocky will bring his distinctive vision to Ray-Ban Studios, guiding creative projects and shaping the future of the brand’s image & design,” Ray-Ban said in a statement. “He kicks off the appointment with the Blacked Out Collection, a redesign of the Mega Icons with a brand new lens type, expected for release in April 2025.”
Rocky added: “I’ve always admired Ray-Ban’s ability to stay true to its roots while constantly evolving. I’m excited to be part of the strong heritage and develop the next chapter for an iconic brand like Ray-Ban.”
The Ray-Ban gig is just the latest honor bestowed upon Rocky’s white-hot career. He’s set to headline the Rolling Loud music festival next month, is co-chairing the Met Gala long with Pharrell Williams and LeBron James in May, and stars opposite Denzel Washington in the upcoming Spike Lee film, Highest 2 Lowest.
The Associated Press reports that the Harlem-born Rocky, 36, turned down a relatively cushy pretrial offer of only six months in jail, along with probation and other conditions, for a guilty plea to one count. But the hip-hop star refused and went to court over the incident that stemmed from a beef between other rappers.
“He turned down a plea for almost no jail time because he was innocent,” said Rocky’s high-powered defense attorney, Joseph Tacopina. “They’re gonna move on. they have a lot of great things professionally going on. Rocky’s really at the height of his career. Rihanna’s on top of the world. They have two beautiful children. They have a family.”
The AP has further details on the incident that could have sent Rocky behind bars for many years.
Prosecutors and their witnesses said Rocky was beefing with a former friend, A$AP Relli, with whom he had been in a crew who called themselves the A$AP Mob since high school. They said the two men met up in Hollywood on Nov. 6, 2021, and after a scuffle that also included their high school mates A$AP Twelvyy and A$AP Illz, Rocky pulled the gun and fired twice at Relli, who said one of the shots grazed his knuckle but was not seriously hurt.
Rocky’s lawyers and witnesses they called said Rocky had shot a prop gun that only fires blanks, which he had been carrying for security since taking it from a music video set months earlier. They cast Relli as a lying opportunist who had only gone to police because he was seeking Rocky’s money. He has filed a separate civil suit that is pending.
Rocky said outside court that after getting him off, Tacopina, whose famous clients have included baseball star Alex Rodriguez and President Donald Trump, should join his crew. “A$AP Joe!” he shouted, per the AP.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said he respected the jury’s decision. “Our office remains committed to seeking accountability for those who break the law, no matter their status or influence,” Hochman said in a statement. “Fame does not place anyone above the law, and we will not waver in our pursuit of justice for victims and the community.”
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