Drakeo the Ruler was left out from Grammys' In Memoriam, and his brother quickly responded to the snub.
The 64th Annual Grammy Awards paid tribute to the late musicians and stars that the industry lost in the past months. Drakeo the Ruler, whose real name is Darrell Caldwell, died in December 2021 following a fatal altercation during the Once Upon a Time in L.A. concert.
His family and fans expected his name to appear on Grammys' In Memoriam. But the montage ended without showing a photo of him or even his name.
Following the snub, his brother Ralfy the Plug expressed his dismay to a news outlet, saying that it was a sign that the Academy just disregarded everything they have created to have their own empire.
"It comes off as a spit in the face disregarding the facts that we've created an entire movement that generated the momentum for underground, emerging L.A. artists to have a platform," he said.
As the days go by, the legacy of these great musicians will remain in our minds, in our hearts, and in our community. #InMemoriam #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/StbCf0jTs6
— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) April 4, 2022
Ralfy the Plug added that leaving Drakeo the Ruler from the tribute and not giving him enough acknowledgment already showed what the industry has been trying to do.
The Recording Academy, however, paid tribute to another rapper - Young Dolph - who was also killed last year. DMZ, Biz Markie, and Force MD's Jesse D also appeared in the montage.
Although it was noticeable that they left off Drakeo the Ruler, other noteworthy artists were also omitted from the list, including Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison, Bollywood legend Lata Mangeshkar, and Moody Blues drummer Graeme Edge, and Mick Rock.
The Academy is yet to release a statement about the reported snub.
What's The Latest on Drakeo the Ruler's Case?
The snub came after Ralfy the Plug and the other members of the Stinc Team rap collective filed a new complaint in Los Angeles. In the document, they dropped new chilling details about the stabbing incident that happened in December and left Drakeo the Ruler dead.
According to the new lawsuit, multiple vehicles were admitted to the backstage VIP area without proper screening. The late rapper's entourage was also targeted during the mob attack for 15 minutes, and no venue security helped them out then.
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"Drakeo and his group fought for their lives against insurmountable odds, shocked and horrified at the fact that no security ever materialized to intervene," the lawsuit from lawyer Kellen Davis stated.
With that, they claimed that Live Nation, C3 Presents, Bobby Dee Presents, and Snoop Dogg's LLC, among others, should be held accountable for Drakeo the Ruler's death due to security failures.
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