Drakeo The Ruler has died following a backstage altercation at the Once Upon a Time in LA festival on Saturday, 18th December. He was 28 years old.
Drakeo was scheduled to perform at Once Upon a Time in LA, a major one-day festival at the Banc of California Stadium in LA’s Exposition Park. The festival was co-presented by Snoop Dogg, Live Nation and Bobby Dee. The headliners included Snoop, Al Green, 50 Cent, Ice Cube and Cyprus Hill.
Drakeo was rushed to hospital after the incident, but a spokesperson for the rapper later confirmed his death. TMZ reports there are unverified claims he was stabbed in the neck. Snoop cancelled his performance after learning of the stabbing, which ultimately led to the entire event being shut down.
“I’m not with anything negative and as one of the many performers, I was there to spread positive vibes only to my city of LA,” Snoop said in a message posted to social media. “Last night I was in my dressing room when I was informed about the incident and chose to immediately leave the festival grounds.”
Snoop concluded, in all caps, with the message, “IM PRAYING FOR PEACE IN HIP HOP.”
Born Darrell Wayne Caldwell, Drakeo the Ruler released a series of mixtapes dating back to 2015’s I Am Mr. Mosely. His latest mixtape, So Cold I Do Em 2, came out just a couple of weeks ago. His most celebrated work was 2020’s Thank You For Using GTL, which was recorded over the phone while Drakeo served time in Men’s Central Jail, located just outside of Downtown LA.
