Drakeo the Ruler, who helped define the sound of L.A. hip-hop, dead at 28 in stabbing

Drakeo the Ruler, whose surrealist slang made him one of the most original stylists in Los Angeles hip-hop, died Sunday morning from injuries after a stabbing at the Once Upon a Time in L.A. festival. On 2016’s “Impatient Freestyle,” he began with an evocative boast — “If I could write a movie I would re-create ‘The Exorcist’ / I’m heaven-sent, n— think twice who you messing with” — before quickly turning to the deprivations of jail: “Giving n— hell ‘cause up top they say the beds was full.” Drakeo recorded several popular and acclaimed mixtapes, including 2018’s “Cold Devil” and 2020’s “Thank You For Using GTL.” But his rap success arrived at a difficult time in his young life. He recorded his vocals for “Thank You For Using GTL” via telephone while at Men’s Central Jail in L.A., the title a sly yet bleak allusion to the company that connects phone services in jail. On “GTL,” Drakeo took dark glee in how obsessed prosecutors were with using his rap career as evidence in his trial: “This might sound real, but it’s fictional / I love that my imagination gets to you,” he rapped on album closer “Fictional.” After he was acquitted of felony murder and attempted murder charges, county prosecutors sought to retry Drakeo on conspiracy charges related to the slaying. I can’t be driving around in $100,000 cars on the run, listening to soft-ass.” Drakeo released his most recent studio album, “The Truth Hurts,” in February, with cameos from superstar Drake and Don Toliver.