LOS ANGELES —

Rapper A$AP Rocky was charged with two felonies Monday for pulling a gun on a former friend and firing in Hollywood last year, prosecutors said.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged the 33-year-old New York native, whose legal name is Rakim Athelaston Mayers, with two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.

Prosecutors allege that during an argument on Nov. 6, 2021, Mayers pointed the handgun at the victim, then in a subsequent confrontation drew the gun again and fired twice in the direction of the man, who sustained a minor injury. His name has not been released.

Mayers has not entered a plea to the charges. He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday. An email seeking comment from representatives was not immediately returned.

"Discharging a gun in a public place is a serious offense that could have ended with tragic consequences not only for the person targeted but also for innocent bystanders visiting Hollywood," said District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement.

Mayers and two other men fled the scene after he fired the gun, police said. He was first arrested for the incident at Los Angeles International Airport on April 20, and was released on bail the same day.

A member of the Harlem hip hop collective A$AP Mob, A$AP Rocky first made his mark in music with the single "Peso" in 2011. His 2013 debut album, "Long. Live. A$AP," went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, as did its 2015 follow-up, "At. Long. Last. A$AP." He has been nominated for two Grammy Awards.

He is in a relationship with Rihanna, and the two had a son in May.

Mayers released his last studio album four years ago, and like Rihanna has become as known for fashion trendsetting as he is for music.

He was the focus of international attention in 2019 after being detained for nearly a month in Sweden following a street brawl. He was found guilty of assault and given a "conditional sentence" that meant no additional time in jail.

LOS ANGELES —

Coolio, the rapper who was among hip-hop's biggest names of the 1990s with hits including “Gangsta's Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage,” died Wednesday at age 59, his manager said.

Coolio died at the Los Angeles home of a friend, longtime manager Jarez Posey told The Associated Press. The cause was not immediately clear.

Coolio won a Grammy for best solo rap performance for “Gangsta's Paradise,” the 1995 hit from the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film “Dangerous Minds” that sampled Stevie Wonder's 1976 song “Pastime Paradise" and was played constantly on MTV.

The Grammy, and the height of his popularity, came in 1996, amid a fierce feud between the hip-hop communities of the two coasts, which would take the lives of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. soon after.

Coolio managed to stay mostly above the conflict.

“I'd like to claim this Grammy on behalf of the whole hip-hop nation, West Coast, East Coast, and worldwide, united we stand, divided we fall,” he said from the stage as he accepted the award.

Born Artis Leon Ivey Jr., in Monessen, Pennsylvania south of Pittsburgh, Coolio moved to Compton, California. He spent some time as a teen in Northern California, where his mother sent him because she felt the city was too dangerous.

He said in interviews that he started rapping at 15 and knew by 18 it was what he wanted to do with his life, but would go to community college and work as a volunteer firefighter and in airport security before devoting himself full-time to the hip-hop scene.

His career took off with the 1994 release of his debut album on Tommy Boy Records, “It Takes a Thief.” It's opening track, “Fantastic Voyage," would reach No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A year later, “Gangsta's Paradise” would become a No. 1 single, with its dark opening lyrics:

“As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I take a look at my life and realize there’s not much left, ‘cause I’ve been blastin’ and laughin’ so long, that even my mama thinks that my mind is gone.”

Social media lit up with reactions to the unexpected death.

“This is sad news,” Ice Cube said on Twitter. “I witness first hand this man’s grind to the top of the industry. Rest In Peace, @Coolio."

“Weird Al” Yankovic tweeted “RIP Coolio” along with a picture of the two men hugging.

Coolio had said in an interview at the time it was released that he wasn’t cool with Yankovic’s 1996 “Gangsta’s Paradise” parody, “Amish Paradise.” But the two later made peace.

The rapper would never again have a song nearly as big as “Gangsta's Paradise,” but had subsequent hits with 1996's “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New)” (1996), and 1997's “C U When U Get There."

His career album sales totaled 4.8 million, with 978 million on-demand streams of his songs, according to Luminate. He would be nominated for six Grammys overall.

And with his distinctive persona he would become a cultural staple, acting occasionally, starring in a reality show about parenting called “Coolio's Rules,” providing a voice for an episode of the animated show “Gravity Falls” and providing the theme music for the Nickelodeon sitcom “Kenan & Kel.”

He had occasional legal troubles, including a 1998 conviction in Stuttgart, Germany, where an boutique shop owner said he punched her when she tried to stop him from taking merchandise without paying. He was sentenced to six months probation and fined $30,000.

He was married to Josefa Salinas from 1996 to 2000. They had four children together.

This is a developing story and more information will be added when it becomes available.

Video above: Fans pay respect at Nipsey Hussle memorial in 2019

A man convicted of gunning down rapper Nipsey Hussle in 2019 is likely to get life in prison when he is sentenced Wednesday in a Los Angeles courtroom.

Jurors in July found Eric R. Holder Jr., 32, guilty of the first-degree murder of the 33-year-old Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist outside the clothing store Hussle founded, the Marathon, in the South Los Angeles neighborhood where both men grew up.

Holder was also convicted of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a firearm for gunfire that hit two other men at the scene who survived.

The sentencing has been delayed in part so defense attorney Aaron Jansen could move for Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke to reduce Holder's conviction to manslaughter or second-degree murder, which the judge rejected in December.

Jacke will have a broad range of possibilities when he sentences Holder at the Thursday morning hearing, but the murder conviction alone carries a term of 25 years to life. The other convictions, and special sentencing circumstances that jurors found true, make it almost certain Holder will spend the rest of his life in prison. Holder was not eligible for the death penalty.

"We hope that there is some resounding peace in the fact that his killer will be in prison likely for the rest of his life," the lead prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney John McKinney, said after the verdict.

Actor Lauren London, who was Hussle's partner and the mother of his two young children, did not attend any part of the trial, nor did any of his relatives, and none are expected to give victim impact statements, as often happens at such hearings.

The evidence against Holder was so overwhelming — from eyewitnesses to surveillance cameras from local businesses that captured his arrival, the shooting and his departure — that his attorney conceded during trial that he had shot Hussle.

But Jansen argued to jurors that the heated circumstances of the shooting meant a lesser verdict of voluntary manslaughter was merited.

The jury returned with the first-degree murder verdict after about six hours of deliberations.

Jansen said afterward that he was "deeply disappointed" in the verdict, which they planned to appeal.

He did manage a minor victory for Holder by securing the attempted voluntary manslaughter convictions where prosecutors had sought attempted murder verdicts.

The sentencing, originally scheduled for September but postponed at the request of the defense, brings an end to a legal saga that lasted more than three years and a trial that was often delayed because of the pandemic.

Hussle, whose legal name is Ermias Asghedom, and Holder had known each other for years growing up as members of the Rollin' 60s in South LA. Both were aspiring rappers. But Holder never found the same success as Hussle, who would become a local hero and a national celebrity.

A chance meeting outside the Marathon, in a shopping center Hussle owned, led to a conversation the two men had about rumors that Holder had been acting as an informant for authorities. Jansen argued that being publicly accused of being a "snitch" by a person as prominent as Hussle brought on a "heat of passion" in Holder that prompted the shooting.

A woman who was with Holder that day took a photo with Hussle before becoming Holder's unwitting getaway driver, was a key witness for the prosecution.

After years of devoted work that won him underground acclaim — his nickname was both a play on the name of comedian Nipsey Russell and a nod to the hustle the future hip-hop star showed in making music and selling CDs — Hussle had just released his major-label debut album and earned his first Grammy nomination when he was killed.

A year after his death, he was mourned at a memorial at the arena then known as Staples Center, and celebrated in a performance at the Grammy Awards that included DJ Khaled and John Legend.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. —

Three men were found guilty of first-degree murder on Monday in the 2018 killing of star rapper XXXTentacion, who was shot outside a South Florida motorcycle shop while being robbed of $50,000.

Michael Boatwright, 28, Dedrick Williams, 26, and Trayvon Newsome, 24, were also convicted of armed robbery by a jury that rendered its verdict less than an hour after beginning its eighth day of deliberations.

Their sentencing, which Circuit Judge Michael Usan set for April 6, will largely be a formality; Florida law dictates a life sentence for first-degree murder convictions.

The defendants, two dressed in suits and one in a button-down shirt, showed little emotion as they stood one by one to be handcuffed by a bailiff. There was no audible reaction from family members and other observers in the courtroom. Before the verdicts were read, Usan warned that anyone who caused any kind of disruption would be held in contempt of court.

The Broward State Attorney's Office thanked the jurors and prosecutors in a statement but said it would not comment further until the sentencing.

Williams' attorney, Mauricio Padilla, told The Associated Press that he doesn't feel his client was afforded a fair trial. He noted that a crucial defense witness was stricken and that he was prohibited from deposing a key witness. Phone messages were left with attorneys representing Boatright and Newsome.

"It is obvious from the days the jury was deliberating that they had questions and I only wish I would have been able to properly defend my client," Padilla said in an email.

During the monthlong trial, prosecutors linked Boatwright, Williams and Newsome to the June 18, 2018, shooting outside Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale through extensive surveillance video taken inside and outside the store, plus cellphone videos the men took showing them flashing fistfuls of $100 bills hours after the slaying.

Prosecutors also had the testimony of a fourth man, Robert Allen, a former friend of the defendants who said he participated in the robbery. He pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder. He has not been sentenced pending the conclusion of this trial. He could get anywhere between time served, meaning he could soon be released, and life, depending partly on how much weight prosecutors give to his assistance.

Defense attorneys accused Allen of being a liar who was motivated by his desire to avoid a life sentence. They also said prosecutors and detectives did a poor investigation that didn't look at other possible suspects, including the Canadian rap star Drake; he and XXXTentacion had an online feud.

Video below: More about testimony from Robert Allen

Boatwright was identified as the primary shooter. Twice last week, the jury asked to review 17 text messages that prosecutors said he sent to various people from the time he woke up about 10:30 a.m. until 3 p.m., about an hour before the shooting. He then stopped texting for about two hours.

About an hour after the shooting, Boatwright sent a text saying, "Tell my brother I got the money for the new phone." Minutes after that, he sent someone a screenshot of a news story saying XXXTentacion had been shot, prosecutors said.

XXXTentacion, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, had just left Riva Motorsports with a friend when an SUV swerved in front of him and blocked his BMW.

Surveillance video showed two masked gunmen emerging and confronting the 20-year-old singer at the driver's window, and one shot him repeatedly. They then grabbed a Louis Vuitton bag containing cash XXXTentacion had just withdrawn from the bank, got back into the SUV and sped away. The friend was not harmed.

Newsome was accused of being the other gunman. Williams was accused of being the driver of the SUV, and Allen of being inside the vehicle.

Allen testified that the men set out that day to commit robberies and went to the motorcycle shop to buy Williams a mask. There they spotted the rapper and decided to make him their target. Allen and Williams went inside the shop to confirm it was him. They then went back to the SUV they had rented, waited for XXXTentacion to emerge and ambushed him, according to testimony.

The rapper, who pronounced his name "Ex-ex-ex ten-ta-see-YAWN," was a platinum-selling rising star who tackled issues including prejudice and depression in his songs. He also drew criticism over bad behavior and multiple arrests, including charges that he severely beat and abused his girlfriend.

Part-time employees who worked at Travis Scott's deadly Astroworld Festival may not get paid unless they relinquish the right to sue promoters Live Nation and Scoremore.In an email obtained by Rolling Stone, a manager representing the promoters suggested to a group of workers that they would not receive their paychecks unless they signed an amended employment contract that released Live Nation and Scoremore from any liability.More from VarietyAll 10 Astroworld Victims Died of 'Compression Asphyxia,' According to Medical ExaminerCoachella Promoter Goldenvoice Sues Live Nation for Trademark Infringement Over Competing 'Coachella Day One 22' FestivalTravis Scott Out of Coachella 2022 Lineup Following Astroworld TragedyThe part-time employees, who were paid $7.50 per hour to perform tasks like screening wristbands, signed an original contract before Astroworld started. But in the email, sent Nov. 15, the manager wrote, "Hoping to wrap up payroll and get everyone paid ASAP but I still need a few things from some of you! The first agreement included details from 2018. It has been updated so if you can resign and send back."According to Rolling Stone, the revised contract states, "(Employee) assumes full responsibility for any injuries or damages that may occur to the (employee) in, on or about the festival and its premises and fully and forever releases and discharges the released parties from any and all claims, demands, damages, rights of action or causes of action resulting from or arising out of the (employee's) attending and or providing services at the festival."The contract also clarifies that employees who sign it acknowledge that they are "not covered nor eligible for any employee benefits or insurance coverage provided by the released parties including but not limited to medical, property and liability insurance and workers compensation benefits."An anonymous staffer who received the email, but refused to sign the new contract, told Rolling Stone, "They essentially said, 'You need to sign this new form in order to get paid.' It was clear they wanted legal coverage."He continued, "I definitely thought they were thinking of business first. 'How can we cover ourselves?' I know they weren't thinking about us and how we were feeling, in my opinion. Nobody reached out to me individually to inquire how I was. It was just the paperwork."Reps for Scoremore and Live Nation did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone or Variety's requests for comment.Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.