DrakeO The Ruler

Drakeo the Ruler stood out among West Coast rappers through an unusual flow, irregular rhythmic timing, and specialized street slang that marked him as one of Los Angeles’ most distinctive hip-hop figures after Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar. His tracks paired abrupt, reverse-beat patterns with glossy verses dense in obscure local expressions, resulting in a long run of mixtapes highlighted by Cold Devil (2017), Thank You for Using GTL (2020), and The Truth Hurts (2021). An assault in Los Angeles ended his life on December 19, 2021.

Born Darrell Caldwell and raised in South Central’s Hundreds section by his mother, a preschool teacher, he gravitated toward rap to steer clear of neighborhood hazards. His brother, recording as Ralfy the Plug, helped refine the emerging style. In 2015 DJ Mustard reworked the newcomer’s “Mr. Get Dough,” whose official video quickly surpassed four million YouTube views, and hosted the project I Am Mr. Mosely, Drakeo’s first widely noticed release.

Subsequent years brought a follow-up to I Am Mr. Mosely along with So Cold I Do Em and Cold Devil; the last two contained early standouts “Impatient Freestyle” and “Flu Flamming.” While locked up in 2020—having already been cleared of a murder charge yet still held on gang-conspiracy and drive-by-shooting counts—he released #FreeDrakeo, a collection of loose tracks, and Thank You for Using GTL, named for the phone service that allowed him to record. A plea deal freed him that November; he stated that the outgoing Los Angeles district attorney had targeted him personally. He then delivered We Knew the Truth, Because Y'All Asked, and The Truth Hurts in rapid succession from late 2020 into early 2021, the final tape featuring appearances by Drake and Don Toliver.

Stabbed backstage at the Once Upon a Time in L.A. Festival on December 18, 2021, he died the next day at age 28.