DONKEY: A$AP Relli’s Mistruths Exposed During Felony Assault Trial

Summary

Donkey of the Day: A$AP Relli’s Mistruths Exposed During Felony Assault Trial

Podcast: Donkey of the Day (Power 105.1 FM, The Breakfast Club)
Host: Charlamagne Tha God
Date: February 19, 2025

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Overview

In this episode, Charlamagne Tha God awards the infamous "Donkey of the Day" to Terrell Ephron, aka A$AP Relli, following the conclusion of the felony assault trial against A$AP Rocky. Charlamagne breaks down the trial's outcome, exposes Relli's dishonesty, and uses the ordeal as a lesson about betrayal, the dangers of fame, and the consequences of perjury and attempted extortion. The segment is laced with Charlamagne's trademark humor and blunt analysis.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Case Background and Acquittal

• [02:14] Charlamagne opens by naming Terrell Ephron (A$AP Relli) as "Donkey of the Day" for his actions during the highly publicized trial against A$AP Rocky.
  • Context: A$AP Rocky had been accused of firing a semiautomatic firearm at Relli in 2021, facing potential decades of jail time.
  • Rocky was acquitted of all charges, found not guilty, with the defense establishing that the weapon in question was a prop gun.

2. Scrutiny of Relli’s Motives and Actions

• [03:24–04:13] Charlamagne asserts Relli was motivated solely by money:
  • "ASAP Relly was just trying to get paid, alright? Nothing more, nothing less."
  • Notes the common danger of opportunists targeting celebrities for financial gain.
  • Offers personal advice:
  • "Isolation, right? Put your boundaries up. Stay within your circle. Everybody that's not within that circle is dangerous. And...sometimes people in your circle are dangerous. Most of the time, the most dangerous."
• Relli's betrayal framed as part of a larger trend of "sue-happy" culture targeting successful individuals.

3. Relli’s False Testimony & Perjury

• [04:13–05:42] Detailed breakdown of Relli’s inconsistencies and alleged lies on the stand:
  • Referenced media (TMZ, New York Times) reports of Relli denying incidents under oath, only to be confronted with contradictory evidence (e.g., shooting at a firing range).
  • Rocky’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, is quoted calling out the DA for “embracing perjury.”
  • Notable quote:
    • "[You] got on the stand and just lied, lied, lied every which way you could possibly think of. I'm talking up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right. Press B, press A, press start. Oh, really? You're gonna need all the lives you can get..." [04:41]

4. Recorded Call: The Shakedown Plot

• [05:42–06:04] Charlamagne plays and discusses a recording used as evidence in court, where Relli admits to seeking a payout:
  • Quote from the call:
  • "Already know I'm here 30ms. I walk away, basically. And find me. Because I'm going be on another island, just relaxing..." [05:42]
• Relli's own voice undermined his testimony; when pressed in court, he claimed,
  • "You guys just keep playing fake audio to me, like fake stuff. I never said none of that. To me, it doesn't even make sense." [06:17]

5. Courtroom Consequences and Moral

• [06:24–07:43] Charlamagne highlights how the jurors saw through Relli’s lies, contributing to Rocky’s acquittal.
  • Wonders about the logic of using a prop gun for protection and questions Rocky’s own judgment.
  • Reframes the story as a cautionary tale about watching too much TV drama and being unrealistic.
  • Analogies about lying:
    • "If Relly was a gps, you'd never reach your destination. It'd be just a bunch of wrong turns and detours. He's the friend that tells you he's five minutes away and hasn't even left the house yet. Just lying. No reason." [07:10]
• Issues a final admonition:
  • "You found out firsthand what happens when you put your hand on a bible and lie." [07:22]
  • "Someone's gotta go to jail. Okay, why not the guy who allegedly may have committed perjury?...In the future, that island's gonna be rikers." [07:37]

6. Signature "Hee Haw" and Closing Rant

• [07:43–08:00] Remy Ma’s “biggest hee haw” is awarded to A$AP Relli.
  • "Hee haw, hee haw." [07:43]
• Charlamagne’s parting shots:
  • "Are you dumb, boy? People can lie. He should be prosecuted. That's crazy." [07:44]
  • "N Words can lie for no reason, can't they? Cause people gotta stop that." [07:53]
  • Reiterates the importance of honesty and the inevitability of being exposed.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On failed extortion:
  • "ASAP Relly was just trying to get paid, alright? Nothing more, nothing less." [03:28]
• On courtroom perjury:
  • "You got on the stand and just lied, lied, lied every which way you could possibly think of. I'm talking up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right. Press B, press A, press start." [04:41]
• On boundaries and fame:
  • "Isolation, right? Put your boundaries up. Stay within your circle...Most of the time, the most dangerous." [03:36]
• On being unreliable:
  • "If Relly was a gps, you'd never reach your destination. It'd be just a bunch of wrong turns and detours...Just lying. No reason." [07:10]
• Final call for justice:
  • "Someone's gotta go to jail. Okay, why not the guy who allegedly may have committed perjury? Why not the guy who allegedly was trying to extort their friend for $30 million?...that island's gonna be rikers." [07:37]

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Segment Timestamps

• [02:14] Donkey of the Day Award: A$AP Relli
• [02:47] ABC News: Trial verdict and Rocky’s relief
• [03:24] Charlamagne on Relli’s motives and warnings to celebrities
• [04:13] Exposing Relli’s perjury and inconsistencies
• [05:42] Presentation of the shakedown phone call in court
• [06:24] Reactions to the audio and trial consequences
• [07:10] GPS analogy and continued critique of lying
• [07:43] Biggest Hee Haw from Remy Ma; final moral lesson

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Conclusion

Charlamagne closes with a stern warning about betraying trust, the futility of lying under oath, and the perils that come with celebrity. His commentary is biting but honest, using A$AP Relli’s failed extortion attempt and courtroom theatrics as an example for listeners everywhere. The episode mixes humor, candid life advice, and streetwise common sense; a classic Donkey of the Day.

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Listeners who missed the episode get not just an overview of events, but feel for Charlamagne’s sharp wit and the cultural significance of the trial’s outcome.

Transcript

[Maya]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Enya Umanzor and Drew Phillips]

Hi, my name is Enya Umanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated adhd. Oh, my God, Perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness psychobabble.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Enya Umanzor and Drew Phillips]

Then Emergency Intercom's the podcast for you. Open your free iHeartradio app, search emergency Intercom, and listen Now.

[Lola Blanc and Megan Elizabeth]

Everyone thinks they'd never join a cult, but it happens all the time to people just like you and people just like us. I'm Lola Blanc. And I'm Megan Elizabeth. We're the hosts of Trust Me, a podcast about cults, manipulation, and the psychology of belief. Each week we talk to fellow survivors, former believers and experts to understand why people get pulled in and how they get out. Trust me. New episodes every Wednesday on Exactly right. Listen, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mark Lombardo (narrator for Shock Incarceration)]

What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on Earth? Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He said, you are a number. A New York state number, and we own you.

[Mark Lombardo (narrator for Shock Incarceration)]

Listen to shock incarceration on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Maya]

The Super Secret Bestie Club podcast season four is here and we're locked in. That means more Juicy Cheeseman, terrible love advice, evil spells to cast on your ex.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, no, we're not doing that this season.

[Maya]

Oh, well, this season we're leveling up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Each episode will feature a special bestie, and you're not going to want to miss it. My name is Curly.

[Maya]

And I'm Maya.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Get in here.

[Maya]

Listen to the super secret bestie Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Wherever you get your podcasts. You don't give a damn. Don't throw it up. Hey, give it to him. Give it to him. On the Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne Tha God (additional commentary)]

In the words of Charlamagne, the God, he's a donkey.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That was. Oh, man. Charlamagne. You giving donkey of the day to who now? Donkey of the day for Wednesday, February 19th goes to Terrell Efro and his ASAP rally. Now, I never heard of the brother before this case with ASAP Rocky, if you haven't heard. By the way, ASAP Rocky was facing two felony counts of assault with a firearm in connection with this altercation that happened with ASAP Rally. But yesterday, he was acquitted of shooting ASAP Relly found not guilty on all charges. Let's go to ABC News for the report, please.

[Maya]

A.S.A.P. rocky was looking at more than two decades behind bars if he had been found guilty. So if we put ourselves in his shoes, it's easy. Easy to understand the amount of emotion and joy and relief we saw from him when the verdict was handed down.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Not guilty.

[Maya]

Relief and joy. As A$AP Rocky heard not guilty. The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, literally leaping into the arms of his partner, superstar Rihanna. It was the first of two verdicts handed down in his favor as he faced two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon. Accused of firing a semiautomatic firearm at former friend A$AP Relli in November of 2021.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

This whole experience has been for the past four years, but I'm thankful nonetheless. I'm thankful, and we're blessed to be here right now to be a free man. Talking to y'. All. Thank you all. Praise due to God. Drop on the clues bombs for ASAP Rocky. All praises due to God. Why they keep calling him Rakim? I thought it was Rakim. Ain't he named after Rakim? Rakim. Yeah. Hey, they keep saying Rakim, but let's be clear. ASAP Relly was just trying to get paid, all right? Nothing more, nothing less. And this is the world that we live in. When you are a person of stature, you know, some celebrity people think you got some paper, you will always look like a walking lick to those folks. Which is why my advice to everyone who got something to lose. Isolation, right? Put your boundaries up. Stay within your circle. Everybody that's not within that circle is dangerous. And as we see in this case, sometimes people in your circle are dangerous. Most of the time, the most dangerous. Now, I know this type of betrayal has been going on since the beginning of time, but we really in a su happy world. And you got folks like ASAP Rally who are looking for a quick payday, and they don't care who they lie on to get it. Now, the reason ASAP Rally is getting donkey today is because he can't even rat right. All right. Really, you just on the stand and got caught lying every which way. I mean, you took the stand and just lied, lied, lied every which way you could possibly think of. I'm talking up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right. Press B, press A, press start. Oh, really? You gonna need all the lives you can get. Okay? You got on the stand and tried to take Rocky out, but you're spinning the wind. And now you the one with hawktua on your chin. Okay, According to Rocky's defense, you committed perjury. All right? Allegedly, okay? Some of your mistruths, according to TMZ in the New York Times, included you denying shooting guns at a firing range in la only to be confronted with video of you shooting guns at a firing range in la. Rocky's lawyer, asap, Joe. What's his name? Taco. Tacopina. Asap, Joe. Tacopina. I think Tacopina to. He thinks you're a liar so much that he blamed the LA County's DA office for embracing perjury. Now, what I found interesting was there was these phone calls. And then the phone calls you admitted you just wanted some money, okay? In fact, you said you wanted to try to shake Rocky down for money in a certain way because you didn't want to be accused of extortion. Can we listen to that call?

[Charlamagne Tha God (additional commentary)]

Already know I'm here 30ms. I walk away, basically. And find me. Because I'm going be on another island, just relaxing. You get what I'm saying? They're going to be scrambling to find me because now they have to go against Rocky, the state and nearly have evidence and standing there. But it's not going to be the same when you present it to a jury. You don't have a complaining witness.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Now, this call was presented in court. And listen to what really said about the call. You guys just keep playing fake audio to me, like fake stuff.

[Charlamagne Tha God (additional commentary)]

I never said none of that. To me, it doesn't even make sense.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It was in that moment that the jurors made up their mind, okay? Between this and the fact that the weapon Rocky had was a prop gun. By the way, Rocky don't ever do that. Why you walking around with a prop gun? For protection, okay? How is that gonna scare somebody, all right? Especially somebody with a real gun. What if they quicker on the draw than you? What if they pull theirs while you pull yours? Then what? You rich. Higher armed security. But listen, Relly, the moral of the story is y' all Negroes watch too much power, okay? Matter of fact, you not even power. You Empire. You wasn't even trying to be realistic, Relly, okay? If Relly was a gps, you'd never reach your destination. It'd be just a bunch of wrong turns and detours. He's the friend that tells you he's five minutes away and hasn't even left the house yet. Just lying. No reason. And really, you found out firsthand what happens when you put your hand on a bible and lie. Rocky found not guilty. But you. Oh, no, no, no. You wasted the DA's time playing around. Somebody gotta go to jail. Okay, why not the guy who allegedly may have committed perjury? Why not the guy who allegedly was trying to extort their friend for $30 million? Really? You said they was gonna be scrambling to find you on an island. Well, I think that in the future, that island's gonna be rikers. Okay? Please let Ribby Ma give Terrell Efren, AKA ASAP Relly the biggest Hee haw. Hee haw. Hee haw.

[Maya]

You stupid mother.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Are you dumb, boy? People can lie. He should be prosecuted. That's crazy. If he was found perjuring, prosecute N Words can lie for no reason, can't they? Cause people gotta stop that.

[Enya Umanzor and Drew Phillips]

What?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right, well, thank you for that donkey today. Oh, yeah. I tell you I'm lying, though. And I tell you, trust me, even though I'm lying. Okay? And I tell you that you should believe me even when I'm lying. The moral of the story is, I'm telling you I'm lying. All right. Donkey of the Day is sponsored by renowned personal injury attorney Michael the Bull Laminster. Don't be a donkey when you need a fighter on your side. If you're ever injured, go to Michael the Bull dot com. That's Michael the Bull dot com. And when you mess with the bull, you get the horns. Wake that ass up early in the morning. The Breakfast Club.

[Enya Umanzor and Drew Phillips]

Hi, my name is Enya Umanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips, and we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you, but if you have unmedicated adhd. Oh, my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness psychobabble.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes. Yes.

[Enya Umanzor and Drew Phillips]

Then Emergency Intercom's the podcast for you. Open your free iHeartradio app. Search emergency Intercom and listen.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Now, I just normally do straight stand up, but this is a bit different.

[Maya]

What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? A new podcast called Wisecrack, where a comedian finds himself at the center of a chilling true crime story.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Does anyone know what show they've come to see? It's a story. It's about the scariest night of my life.

[Maya]

This is Wisecrack, available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mark Lombardo (narrator for Shock Incarceration)]

What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on earth. Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He said, you are a number, a New York state number, and we own you.

[Mark Lombardo (narrator for Shock Incarceration)]

Listen to shock incarceration on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lola Blanc and Megan Elizabeth]

Hi, I'm Jenica Lopez, and in the new season of the Over Comfort podcast, I'm even more honest, more vulnerable, and more real than ever. Am I ready to enter this new part of my life? Like, am I ready to be in a relationship? Am I ready to have kids and to really just devote myself and my time? Join me for conversations about healing and growth, all from one of my favorite spaces, the kitchen. Listen to the new season of the Overcomer podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Maya]

This is an iHeart podcast.