Drakeo the Ruler, the famous rapper of Los Angeles, died after being attacked with a knife at a music festival.
His spokesman confirmed his death to the Guardian, but did not provide further details. The 28-year-old, whose real name was Darrell Caldwell, would appear at the Once Upon a Time festival in Los Angeles.
A source told the LA Times that Caldwell was attacked at the festival site by a group of people on Saturday night. He was taken to hospital in critical condition, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The organizer of the festival, Live Nation, said in a statement that "There was a fight on the way backstage. Out of respect for those involved and in coordination with the local authorities, the artists and the organizers decided not to proceed with the rest of the shows, so the festival ended an hour earlier. "
Snoop Dogg's set was canceled because of this. Caldwell was a cult figure for fans of his hometown rap scene. He released his mixtape debut in 2015 and continued with the release of 10 more completed projects.
In 2017 he was sentenced to 11 months in prison for illegal possession of firearms. In March 2018, he was remanded in custody once again, on a charge of homicide for a shooting incident in December 2016.
He continued to record music while in prison. The mixtape Thank You For Using GTL was recorded over the phone by the prison.
He was eventually acquitted of the charges in July 2019. Following an agreement on a criminal conspiracy charge, he was released in November 2020. This was followed by The Truth Hurts album, including the single Talk to Me starring Drake.
Drake was among those who paid tribute, writing on Instagram that Caldwell always raised his spirits with his energy.
Los Angeles-based journalist Jeff Weiss, who had fought for his freedom, paid tribute, calling him "the greatest West Coast artist of an entire generation." A legend who invented a new rap language with "slippery" and nervous rhythms and psychedelic slang ".