Drakeo The Ruler, born Darrell Caldwell, is dead at 28 after he was fatally stabbed at Los Angeles’ Once Upon A Time Festival on Saturday night. The stabbing was initially reported by the Los Angeles Times, who said Drakeo was attacked by a group of people backstage at the showcase. The story was then confirmed by Rolling Stone. He was quickly transported to a local hospital and initially listed in critical condition, but hours later, he succumbed to his injuries.
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.
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— Otto Von Biz Markie (@Passionweiss) December 19, 2021
I’m devastated. Going to log off for a while and try to process this. My love to his friends, family, and anyone who understand the struggle that he endured and loved his music. He was special, a legit genius and a kind, caring friend. There are no words to convey the grief.
— Otto Von Biz Markie (@Passionweiss) December 19, 2021
Drakeo’s death is an unfortunate ending to a promising career that was often halted and disrupted by numerous roadblocks. He earned his breakout moment after DJ Mustard remixed his track “Mr. Get Dough” in April 2015. Months later he released his debut mixtape, I Am Mr. Mosely, under Mustard’s 10 Summers record label. He released numerous mixtapes over the next few years, but run-ins with the law, which often proved to be controversial, disrupted his upward trajectory.
In March 2018, Drakeo was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder in relation to a December 2016 shooting in Carson, California. He faced life in prison, but a year later, he was acquitted of the murder and attempted murder charges. Despite this, the district attorney decided to re-file charges of criminal gang conspiracy and shooting from a motor vehicle in August 2019, as both charges resulted in a hung jury during the first trial. In November 2020, he was released from jail after the district attorney suddenly offered him a plea deal for time served after he spent three years behind bars.
Despite his time behind bars, Drakeo released a pair of projects, Free Drakeo and Thank You For Using GTL, with the latter receiving high praise from critics. After his release in November 2020, he went on to release four mixtapes (We Know The Truth, Because Y’all Asked, Ain’t That The Truth, and So Cold I Do Em 2) as well as his debut album The Truth Hurts.