Kiwi rapper denies attacking entourage of A$AP Rocky

A man accused of fighting with the entourage of a US rap star in an Auckland hotel has denied the allegations.

Karlos William Diamond, 35, who raps under the stage name "Mr Sicc", allegedly assaulted A$AP Rocky's producer, Hector Delgado, at the Pullman Hotel in the early hours of February 25.

He appeared in Auckland District Court yesterday also charged with resisting a police officer and injuring him with reckless disregard.

The latter charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail but Diamond pleaded not guilty to all counts.

A$AP Rocky - whose real name is Rakim Mayers - had just performed a one-off show at Vector Arena and was getting into a lift with a group of women when the alleged incident happened, celebrity-gossip website TMZ reported.

Three men allegedly tried to join them and a brawl erupted.

Hotel security intervened until police arrived.

During the melee, witnesses said they heard cries of "F**k A$AP" but Diamond told the Herald he and his friends didn't know the musician and were simply staying at the hotel.
"It was probably over nothing, really," he said.

Diamond, listed in court documents as a bouncer from Clover Park, claimed the tussle had already started before he entered the scene.

"There was no drama, no one trying to get jealous of girls or anything," he said.

Inspector Peter Raines of police northern communications said police were called to the hotel at 3.14am.

An officer suffered a puncture wound to the arm from a broken bottle and was taken to hospital, he said.

Diamond, who calls himself "Otara's favourite son and New Zealand's realest MC" on music websites, will be back in court in May.