Troy Ave was arrested for attempted murder and illegal weapon possession for a shooting at a T.I. concert at NYC’s Irving Plaza in 2016. Seven years later, he’s finally taking the stand against podcaster/alleged shooter Taxstone. On Monday (March 13), the Brooklyn rapper shared an Instagram post featuring a meme of JAY-Z in court. The text read: “No f### n-ggaz formed against me shall prosper. #FREETROYAVE.”
Troy Ave explained in the caption: “To all my real ones that been riding with & for me, today is the day I finally get to clear my name. It’s been almost 7 years since I lost one of my closest friends #RIPBANGA. 7 years of a narrative about it being my fault, 7 years of my character being assassinated all the while trying to defend myself without saying much! I took it all on the chin, never complained about the stress even tho I felt it. Never complained about the pain even tho it hurt! Never shed a tear even tho my heart was crying!
Troy Ave continued, “At my weakest points I drew strength from GOD! Drew strength from my children & drew strength from y’all‼️ But today … ya boi is strong! Today is our day! We in court & the facts will speak louder than any words! It’s time to get this false narrative off my name and dark cloud off my head.
“To all my supporters today is the day you can tell whoever went against Us ‘eat a D! I told you so.’ Let’s continue to spread love and destroy hate! Whether u sending prayers or pulling up to the court today with positive energy, I dead ass appreciate it all! #FREETROYAVE #SelfDefense.”
The shooting incident saw four people shot, one fatally. The victim, Ronald McPhatter, was Troy Ave’s bodyguard. Troy Ave was initially taken to NYU Langone Medical Center and then transferred to nearby NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue where he was arrested as a primary suspect.
Troy Ave pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defense. He say he and McPhatter were shot by an unnamed assailant. Meanwhile, Taxstone remained in jail. After hearing of Troy Ave’s plan to testify last week, Taxstone tweeted, “Can’t wait for this delusional lying ass bozo to testify on Monday!!” Stay tuned for updates.