Drakeo The Ruler’s Brother Files Lawsuit against Live Nation Over Deadly ‘Mob Attack’
3 min read
Image via Wyatt Winfrey
Rapper Drakeo the Ruler’s brother is suing the organizers of the music festival where he was fatally stabbed. He says concert promoters failed to keep the L.A. rapper safe.
TMZ reports that Drakeo’s brother claims the rapper was threatened the moment he arrived at the Once Upon a Time festival in December. His brother claims insufficient security led to the incident.
Drakeo’s brother wrote in the docs that the rapper was attacked within minutes of arriving. According to him, a “violent mob attack” broke out backstage and lasted up to 15 minutes. Apparently, the all-access area should have been a safe place. His brother is complaining about the promoters’ “lax, to the point of being completely lacking,” security measures.
We spent the hardest two years together fighting for his freedom, facing life, before walking out a free man just over a year ago. Through it, we became friends and then like family. I don’t even know how to start processing this. Thanks for the kind messages 💔 https://t.co/A2KoyxqDdZ
— John Hamasaki (@HamasakiLaw) December 19, 2021Advertisement
The suit is being brought by whom?
Tianna Purtue is suing on behalf of Caiden Caldwel, Drakeo the Ruler’s son. Both Drakeo the Ruler’s mother, Darrylene Corniel, and his brother, Ralfy the Plug (a.k.a. Devante Caldwell), are not parties to the suit.
Lawyers for Live Nation, Bobby Dee Presents, and C3 Presents alleged to the Los Angeles Times that the companies provided inadequate security at the event. If the promoters had followed the right security protocol, this would not have happened. According to James Bryant, the death was preventable.
According to him, a lawsuit against the promoters will be filed next week for upwards of $20 million.
Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival in Houston was also co-sponsored by Live Nation, one of the biggest concert promoters in the US.
“The concert promoters should have braced themselves for the worst”
Drakeo’s bro argues that promoters should have been prepared for the worst. Because Exposition Park, where the concert was held, is in a gang-infested neighborhood. And Drakeo had already received threats from gangs before the concert.
According to his brother’s documents, Drakeo entered the festival grounds through two “checkpoints”, which were far from secure. As long as an all-access pass was flashed, anyone could enter the first booth with two unarmed staffers.
Drakeo’s brother claims the second “checkpoint” had a metal detector, a dog that smelled drugs, and a few security guards. Although he claims not every car was searched, and that cars that passed through without being searched chanted gang chants.
Drakeo’s brother claims that his brother was attacked by a mob of 50 to 100 people, some armed with knifes. Resulting in Drakeo’s group fighting for their lives in the open without adequate security.
During the chaos, Drakeo was stabbed. He says it took emergency personnel up to 30 minutes to reach Drakeo, who eventually died in the hospital.
Ankita Khanrah
Ankita Khanrah is a second-year student of the Master of Communication and Journalism (Integrated) programme at the School of Mass Communication, KIIT Deemed University, Bhubaneswar.
