Drakeo the Ruler was a rising star in the West Coast rap scene when his life was tragically cut short in December 2021. The 28-year-old rapper, whose real name was Darrell Caldwell, was fatally stabbed backstage at the Once Upon a Time in LA festival. His murder sent shockwaves through the hip hop community and left many fans wondering – who did Drakeo have beef with that could have led to this?
Drakeo’s Feud with YG
One of Drakeo’s most public rap beefs was with fellow LA rapper [YG]. The bad blood between these two West Coast artists reached a boiling point in early 2021 after Drakeo threatened [YG] in an Instagram video, saying he would kill him for disrespecting him in interviews.
This beef stemmed from comments [YG] had made about Drakeo on the No Jumper podcast. Drakeo took offense and called out [YG] for “speaking on my name” and said he would shoot him. Their back-and-forth spilled onto social media, with Drakeo warning [YG] to stop mentioning him or there would be consequences.
The online feud raised alarm bells within the California rap scene. Some fans even speculated that the September 2021 murder of [Slim 400], a close affiliate of [YG’s], may have been related to the ongoing tensions between the two rappers’ camps.
Bad Blood with the Inglewood Family Gang
Prior to his hip hop career, Drakeo had been associated with a Bloods gang called the Inglewood Family Gang (IFG). However once he started releasing mixtapes the IFG apparently took issue with Drakeo using the gang’s name in his music.
According to Drakeo, his former associates felt he needed their permission to keep repping IFG in his lyrics When he refused to bend to their demands, it created bad blood between Drakeo and his old crew
In 2016, Drakeo was even [shot at] while driving on the 110 Freeway in Los Angeles. He believed members of IFG were behind the attempted hit, citing his soured relationship with them. These tensions persisted up until Drakeo’s death.
Drakeo’s Release from Prison Angered LA Rappers
In 2019, Drakeo spent nearly 3 years in jail awaiting trial on criminal gang charges. Prosecutors tried to use his rap lyrics against him in court as evidence of gang activity. However, in 2019, the charges were dismissed and Drakeo was released.
Many established LA rappers apparently felt some type of way about Drakeo beating his criminal case. They thought he “snitched” to get out of jail. Drakeo firmly denied those allegations, but it still created resentment among his peers.
Notable rappers like [The Game] criticized Drakeo upon his release from prison, doubting his street credibility. [Drakeo] hit back at the “fake love” from fellow LA artists during an interview, saying he didn’t care what they had to say about him beating his case.
Confrontations at No Jumper with LA Rappers
The popular hip hop podcast No Jumper, hosted by Adam22, was the setting for several of Drakeo’s public spats with LA rappers.
In February 2021, Drakeo got into a heated exchange with rapper [Ralfy the Plug] during an interview at the No Jumper studio. The dispute stemmed from Ralfy’s association with Drakeo’s rivals. [The two nearly came to blows on camera] before it was broken up.
Just weeks later in March 2021, Drakeo’s appearance on No Jumper sparked more drama when [AD] pulled up to confront him about talking to AD’s ex-girlfriend. The conversation quickly escalated into AD challenging Drakeo to fight outside.
These incidents demonstrated that Drakeo had ongoing beef with multiple figures in the LA rap scene that may have turned violent. His stabbing death came just 9 months later.
Other Rappers Drakeo Had Beef With
In addition to the rappers mentioned above, Drakeo also had minor feuds and exchanges with other West Coast artists:
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[03 Greedo] – In 2016, Drakeo and Greedo released diss tracks aimed at each other, apparently sparking from a dispute over payment for a song collaboration.
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[Blueface] – Drakeo called out Blueface in 2020 for claiming he runs LA and threatened to smack him on sight.
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[Frostydasnowmann] – After Drakeo’s death, Frosty indicated in a tweet there was unresolved tension between them stemming from 2019.
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Cardi B – In 2018, Drakeo insulted Cardi on Twitter in response to her stating that she runs LA along with YG.
While none of these rose to the level of Drakeo’s beef with YG, it highlighted his willingness to call out fellow artists over perceived slights and disputes. His confrontational attitude earned him no shortage of enemies.
What was the beef between Drakeo the Ruler and YG?
The two rappers had bad blood that escalated earlier this year after Drakeo threatened to kill YG in a viral social media video if he didn’t stop disrespecting him in interviews.
In the video, Drakeo the Ruler said, “A rap n***** going to get swiss cheesed he say one more thing, and they know that. I don’t want no friends.”
Rival rappers YG and Drakeo the Ruler were two rappers set to perform at the concert alongside stars such as Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and 50 Cent.
To date, there’s nothing to suggest YG was involved in the incident that led to Drakeo, 28, being fatally stabbed.
The California Highway Patrol, leading the investigation, told The Sun Sunday night, “there’s nothing credible” to suggest any other performers were involved.
MOST READ CELEBRITY FEUDS
Drakeo the Ruler, real name Darrell Caldwell, was raised in Los Angeles and attended Washington High School in Westmont.
The rapper’s fourth mixtape, Cold Devil, was released in 2017 and has been streamed over 10 million times.
His most popular track on Spotify is the Drake-assisted song, Talk To Me, which has more than 32 million streams.
He dropped his first studio album, The Truth Hurts, on February 24, 2021.
On Saturday, December 18, Drakeo the Ruler was scheduled to perform at Snoop Dogg’s Once Upon A Time in L.A. music festival.
Following his performance, he was reportedly stabbed backstage.
The L.A. police department confirmed that he was stabbed multiple times.
The 28-year-old died on Saturday, December 18, at 9pm EST.
At this time, authorities have not publicly announced if a suspect is in custody or if police know who allegedly stabbed Drakeo, the Ruler.
YG, an abbreviation for ‘Young Gangsta,’ is an American rapper from the Compton area of Los Angeles, California.
He released his debut album, My Krazy life, on March 18, 2014.
The rapper has two daughters with his former girlfriend, Catelyn Sparks.
Y.G. also dated singer Kehlani from September 6, 2019, to May 2020.
DRAKEO THE RULER vs LA, California’s Top Opp
FAQ
What happened with Remble and Drakeo?
On December 18, 2021, Drakeo was stabbed during a backstage altercation at the Once Upon a Time in LA festival. He died the following morning. Remble learned of his death via a text message.
Where was Drakeo buried?
But on a dreary Sunday afternoon last fall, bouquets of white roses and blue hydrangeas enlivened the Spanish marble columbarium where Drakeo the Ruler is interred. About two dozen friends and family members gathered at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills to commemorate what should have been his 31st birthday.
Did Drakeo have a son?
Drakeo the Ruler’s son has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Live Nation—the organizer of the music festival where the Los Angeles rapper was fatally stabbed during a backstage altercation at Once Upon a Time in L.A. Caiden Caldwell, who is 5 years old, filed the suit through his mother Tianna Purtue.
Is Drake’s beef a real thing?
It was customary for rappers to claim that they were the best and attempt to outshine their peers with their lyrical finesse. However, over the years, the beef between rappers has become personal, and unfortunately, even fatal. Let’s unpack ten of Drake’s most-publicized beef.
Did Tyga & Drake have a beef?
According to Vibe, the two squashed their beef. At a point in time, Drake and Tyga were both signed to Young Money Entertainment. People reported that Tyga did not like Drake, he found him fake, and that the label forced their friendship.
Who was Drakeo the Ruler?
Drakeo the Ruler, a legendary West Coast artist, was known for his inventive rap language of ‘slippery cadences, nervous rhythms, and psychedelic slang’. Jeff Weiss wrote: ‘He was special, a legit genius, and a kind, caring friend.’
What happened to Drakeo the Ruler?
Drakeo the Ruler gained widespread critical acclaim after releasing a 16-track mixtape called Cold Devil in December 2017. News of his death emerged, and Drake paid tribute on Instagram: “Nah man this sh*t isn’t right for real wtf are we doing always picked my spirit up with your energy RIP Drakeo.
Why does Drakeo call Stinc Team a queef team?
RJ caught feelings, dashed off a few subliminal diss songs that no one cared about (the D.A. also shows these to the jury), and then tries to call the Stinc Team “the queef team.” In the interview, Drakeo brushes off the notion of real enmity, playfully grinning at the camera and telling them that RJ is really a back-up dancer from Redondo Beach.
Did Drakeo stab YG before he died?
DRAKEO the Ruler was involved in an ongoing feud with fellow rapper YG and even threatened to kill him just months before he was himself stabbed to death. Drakeo – whose real name is Darrell Caldwell – was allegedly stabbed to death during a backstage melee at the Once Upon a Time LA concert Saturday night.