A$AP Mob rapper A$AP Press tragically passed away in 2018 following complications from being shot in the head a year and a half prior, and the two suspects in the case have now been brought to justice.
On Friday (September 8), Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. announced that Chester Taylor (37) and Darius Hastings (37) have been sentenced to 20 years-to-life in prison for the crime. Press (real name Pressie Taylor Jr.) did survive the initial attack in 2016, but subsequently succumbed to a fatal seizure caused by the injury.
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“Chester Taylor and Darius Hastings shot and killed a young Harlemite with great ambitions, talent and a bright future,” said Bragg. “Although Pressie Taylor Jr. miraculously survived the shooting in its initial aftermath, his life was forever changed. He made a valiant attempt at resuming his life and music career, but unfortunately, he succumbed to the effects of his serious injuries, depriving his family and community of a promising star.
“Thanks to the jury’s careful review of the evidence, both defendants were found to be responsible for his murder, and I hope that the sentences imposed today bring the victim’s family some form of peace.”
Meanwhile, A$AP Rocky was recently honored as the recipient of the Virgil Abloh Award in his hometown of Harlem, during which he recalled how the late design dignitary was among the first people to recognize A$AP Mob’s value.
Last week, the “Fashion Killa” rapper stepped up to the podium at the HFR 16th Annual Fashion Show & Style Awards, which went down at the famed Apollo Theater. In his speech, he made it a point to show a ton of love to Abloh and credit him for discovering the collective.
“Virgil discovered A$AP as a bunch of kids before I got my record deal and any of that. We wasn’t old enough to get into this club called Le Bain. We were sneaking in type shit,” he began.
He continued: “Virgil peeped us and unbeknownst to us, he was like, ‘Wait, y’all are those Harlem kids. The trendy ones.’ We was tripping like, ‘Wait, Virgil know about us. The fashion world know about us.’ A year later, I become A$AP Rocky.
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“Virgil went on to design my first album cover and my first tour. It’s crazy because to be a trendsetter, it takes a lot of balls… The reason I can talk in front of y’all today is because of Harlem. Thank you Harlem fashion, bro.”
