Update (February 4, 2022): Tianna Purtue has filed a $60 million wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Caiden Caldwel, Drakeo the Ruler's five-year-old son.
The suit, presented by Caiden's mother, named Live Nation, C3 Presents, Bobby Dee Presents, Major League Soccer LLC aka Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) and Jeff Shuman as defendants for negligence, wrongful death, and premises liability.
Attorney James Bryant argues Mr. Caldwell is bringing the suit to hold everyone involved with the music festival accountable for his father's slaying.
"This never should have happened, and it wouldn't have happened had proper security measures been put into place," said Bryant. "We aim to hold the defendants accountable, seek maximum justice for our client, and help prevent a tragedy like this from happening again."
The lawsuit comes less than a week after the "Talk To Me" rapper's family spoke on a similar case against the concert promoters. Drakeo's mother, Darrylene Corniel, and his brother, Devante Caldwell, aka rapper Ralfy the Plug, are presently preparing for his funeral and are not involved in the lawsuit filed on Wednesday. Additionally, they have not begun "any other legal proceedings of their own," nor is Attorney Bryant representing them at this time.
Update (January 31, 2022): Drakeo the Ruler's family announced they would file a wrongful-death lawsuit against several concert promoters, including Live Nation, Bobby Dee Presents and C3 Presents, over his fatal backstage stabbing last month at the Once Upon a Time in LA Music Festival.
The family's attorneys said the wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against the festival's promoters would be filed today, with the family seeking at least $20 million in damages.
Twenty-eight-year-old Drakeo the Ruler, whose real name is Darrell Caldwell, was stabbed to death after a brawl broke out backstage at Exposition Park near the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Dec. 18. The lawsuit argues that the festival organizers failed to provide sufficient security backstage in the time leading to the prison-style attack.
"A lack of security allowed dozens of men to ambush rapper Drakeo the Ruler, who was beaten and stabbed to death backstage at a Los Angeles music festival," the family's Attorney James Bryant said.
Cell phone footage played during the press conference that stressed the moments leading up to the stabbing, which his attorneys called a "targeted assassination." The clip showed men in red pouring into the fenced-off backstage area and attacking Drakeo and his "small entourage." Additionally, zero security guards or police officers are seen in the video.
"His life was taken way too soon," the attorney revealed, arguing Drakeo had "no security" and that physical barricades had been insufficient.
The confrontation before #DrakeoTheRuler was stabbed in the neck. He has passed away aged 28 Rest In Peace Drakeo the ruler. pic.twitter.com/UxGY0u5CEM
— 4TheCultureBlog (@4CultureBlogger) December 19, 2021
Bryant said Drakeo had been "essentially lynched" because the organization had not taken enough precautions to protect him.
"Mr. Caldwell was lynched by 40 to 60 people," Bryant said. "This would never have happened if those promoters had the proper security protocol. The world lost an amazing artist, a beautiful human being, a father."
"Those who failed Drakeo, the Ruler, they're going to be held accountable," he affirmed.
Police are investigating Drakeo's slaying, but no arrests have been made or suspect publicly named in the five weeks since.
"There was an altercation in the roadway backstage. Out of respect for those involved and in coordination with local authorities, artists and organizers decided not to move forward with remaining sets so the festival was ended an hour early," Live Nation disclosed to the Los Angeles Times following the fatal stabbing.
In 2019, Drakeo was found not guilty in a murder and attempted murder case involving gang members. The family lawyers discussed the victory as a possible motive for the stabbing, pointing out "Flu Flamming" rapper faced threats to his life following his acquittal.
"Even where a person is proven innocent, he's exonerated, there is fallout from that and that was known to all of the promoters," Attorney Kellen Davis said during the news conference.
On Friday, the festival organizers issued a statement to CBSLA regarding the ongoing murder investigation.
"Once Upon a Time in LA joins Drakeo's family, friends and fans in grieving his loss. The festival is continuing to support local authorities in their investigation as they pursue the facts," the festival organizers said.
The family's lawsuit comes just over a month after Drakeo's mother, Darrylene Corniel, told Rolling Stone she intended to hold those who contributed to her son's death accountable.
"This happened backstage at an event. Someone has to be held accountable," Corniel said.
"They let all these people in and you're not supposed to have all these people backstage. And your security is supposed to be in place," Corniel continued. "The whole program should have been orchestrated a lot better than what it was. And there should have been more protection. Even if you have metal detectors, even if you pat them down, you let those people come in there. You had more people come in than you were supposed to. And you allowed them to jump my son. You didn't protect my son."
Drakeo The Ruler was well-known in the West Coast rap community highly regarded for his psychedelic wordplay and unique flow. Over his career, the Stinc Team artist released 10 mixtapes and one studio album, his debut The Truth Hurts, released last year.
