Source: Scott Dudelson / Getty
Drakeo the Ruler endured several legal troubles en route to becoming one of the notable Hip-Hop acts of his generation of Los Angeles rappers, including a stint in jail. On Saturday during a music festival, Drakeo was fatally stabbed backstage in Los Angeles as investigators are still seeking answers.
According to The Los Angeles Times and several other outlets, Drakeo the Ruler, given name Darrell Caldwell, was among several acts at the Once Upon A Time In L.A. concert featuring headliners Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, and Ice Cube among others. The incident took place at the Banc of California Stadium in Exposition Park around 8:40 p.m. local time and ended the Live Nation event earlier than intended.
The Times added that Drakeo was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition and that an eyewitness or source to the outlet stated that the rapper was attacked by a number of people. Drake was slated to perform at the event but it isn’t known what took place behind the stage that lead to the fracas.
As the show ended and patrons were instructed to leave, LAPD and CHP officers were on the scene to assist with the investigation. The Times said that the show was running late with Snoop Dogg scheduled to perform at 8:30 p.m. local time with a DJ filling time for 45 minutes prior to the stabbing.
“There was an altercation in the roadway backstage. Out of respect for those involved and in coordination with local authorities, artists and organizers decided not to move forward with remaining sets so the festival was ended an hour early,” read a statement from Live Nation.
Drakeo just celebrated his birthday on December 1 and just dropped a mixtape, So Cold I Do Em 2, on December 7.
Drakeo The Ruler was 28.
On Twitter, fans and fellow artists alike are sharing their thoughts. We’ve collected a handful below.
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Photo: Getty
3.
Drakeo was killed while working. Was there for a performance. All these get out the streets tweets/leave your city tweets. Shut the fuck up. No reason why a knife should be able to be snuck into a music festival. Especially since the Travis Scott shit. Rip Drakeo hope his fam sue
— JOEY FATTS (@JoeyFatts) December 19, 2021
8.
Rip Drakeo and all of them all Hate from your very own people is something I’ll never understand
pic.twitter.com/5QBt6FrgGW
— raphousetv (@raphousetv2) December 19, 2021
9.
You just had to be there…
RIP Drakeo The Ruler
#Classics pic.twitter.com/j3YSuOJumm
— Real Nigga Quezzy
(@QuezzyQuez707) December 19, 2021
10.
RIP Drakeo, the greatest West Coast artist of a generation, a legend who invented a new rap language of slippery cadences, nervous rhythms, and psychedelic slang, who beat life twice only to suffer the most tragic fate conceivable. The Ruler, once, always, and forever.
pic.twitter.com/WKKjMV9PML
— Otto Von Biz Markie (@Passionweiss) December 19, 2021
11.
Bro I fucking hate this world we live in.
Rip drakeo . Beat two life cases just to die in his city . Just seen him Septemberpic.twitter.com/KS50r4r0AC
— Cesar Barreto (@superking408) December 19, 2021
12.
RIP Drakeo. It hurts even more knowing what he had to go through with our fucked up legal system to come out and only have a short time to experience freedom again. Another absolute visionary gone too soon.
— The First Noel DeLesseps (@LanePiffin) December 19, 2021
13.
Detroit to LA RIP DRAKEO pic.twitter.com/50O7cjPqC0
— ethiopian women simp account (RIP DRAKEO) (@blkcreatchcargo) December 19, 2021
14.
Drakeo was so happy to be at Rolling Loud and to see all his fans last weekend just to get stabbed and killed at Once Upon A Time festival in LA this weekend
Life really is short man
RIP Drakeo
@IamMRMOSELY
— 𝙷𝚘𝚘𝚍𝚒𝚎𝙻𝙱𝙹 (@HoodieLBJ) December 19, 2021
15.
RIP Drakeo
Our hearts go out to his family and friends pic.twitter.com/UZO2J9IepS
— RapCaviar (@RapCaviar) December 19, 2021
16.
Beating charges that would have given him life in prison only to be killed doing what he loved. It’s a twisted world. RIP Drakeo
— Ty (@TJonesNL) December 19, 2021
17.
Man, it’s crazy to continually wake up to tragic news of artists dying.
RIP Drakeo, pushed the needle for the whole sound on the West Coast. Gone too soon.
— Noah Miller (@iamnoahmiller) December 19, 2021






(@QuezzyQuez707)
RIP Drakeo 