A$AP Mob co-founder ASAP Bari found himself under the public lens on Tuesday (Aug. 1). A video surfaced showing him in a physical altercation at a basketball court in New York.
The viral clip saw the Harlem native get into a brawl with multiple people. The scene unfolded with Bari squaring off against a smaller man dressed in a white T-shirt and red shorts. Both were surrounded by a crowd of spectators before other parties began jumping in.
Elsewhere in the video, another individual snuck behind Bari and landed several punches to the back of his head. Cornered and outnumbered, the VLONE founder was later assaulted by another person before two people intervened to separate the groups involved.
Reacting to the incident, Bari took to his Instagram Story to respond. He stated that the altercation was incited by him “knocking out” someone who stole his chain years prior.
The streetwear designer shared, “Every day, it’s something new with me, from n**gas hating on me to n**gas [rapping] about me. The best thing to do is have a great meal and get ready for another payday.”
He further clarified in a subsequent post, “This my last time talking about it. A n**ga stole my chain two years ago out [the] car without me knowing, and I seen him, so I knocked him out, and his n**gas jumped in. Would [have jumped] me too after the way I knocked him out. I’m so gangster, I was solo with my jewelry on. These [are] the same n**gas who put money in my pocket. I’m real Harlem.”
One of the men involved in the fight later showed off his minor injuries. He was seen wearing a blood-stained VLONE T-shirt while addressing Bari with a number of insults. The A$AP Mob member responded to the man’s allegations of injury by posting a close-up of his bruised eye. He added, “The glasses not gon’ block the black eye.”
Prior to the street brawl, Bari previously faced another challenge. He was dissed by former friend and collaborator A$AP Rocky during his performance at Rolling Loud Miami last month. Rocky tweaked the lyrics of “Telephone Calls,” taking shots at the designer.
He rapped, “Call up Young Lord ASAP Bari, he a b**ch. And the young boy Ian Connor, he a b**ch.” Fans speculated that Bari’s sexual misconduct allegations may have triggered the lyrical jab.