It’s been a tough year for the hip-hop community when it comes to sudden losses, as a legend like Young Dolph was suddenly taken around Thanksgiving, and the impact of tragic deaths at Astroworld is still lingering. But for Los Angeles, the loss of rising rapper Drakeo The Ruler is one of the hardest to swallow. After being stabbed backstage at the Snoop Dogg-helmed Once Upon A Time In LA festival, Drakeo — real name Darrell Caldwell — later succumbed to his injuries and died.
Considering he was killed backstage at a festival where he was slated to perform, his mother, Darrylene Corniel, has already made it known that she plans to sue the event. “You had more people come in than you were supposed to. And you allowed them to jump my son. You didn’t protect my son,” she said in an interview with Rolling Stone. Drakeo’s brother, Devonte Caldwell, aka Ralfy The Plug, was with his brother when he was attacked and is equally devastated by the loss.
He shared a post of tribute to his brother on Instagram, naming his brother as a self-made boss and his idol. “Name gone forever live on,” the caption began. “Literally was a king that got it out the mud and I watched it all from the start from recording all yo lil freestyle and post ‘‘em on YouTube watching smoking on the porch waking everybody up to spit this hard ass shit you be coming up with in 10 minutes effortlessly to going to camp back to back every time I get out you go back every time you get out I went back to beating indictments starting yo own label and even getting a song with drake biggest artist in game and you did it by yo self you was a self made boss and a leader you was my idol and big brother and I learned a lot from you and I’m definitely gone make sure they still know the truth.”
Rest in peace to a west coast legend.