L.A. rapper Drakeo the Ruler left out of the Grammys’ in memoriam segment
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, rapper Young Dolph and legendary Mexican singer Vicenté Ferndandez were among the fallen artists honored during the Grammys’ in memoriam segment Sunday.
One notable omission was Drakeo the Ruler, the acclaimed L.A. rapper who was fatally stabbed backstage at the Once Upon a Time in L.A. festival in December.
His conspicuous absence drew the ire of some on Twitter who had hoped to see the late hip-hop artist honored alongside his peers.
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“Drakeo didn’t make the Grammys memoriam tribute, another reminder why they’re worthless,” tweeted music journalist Jeff Weiss.
“It’s telling that they forgot to do one for the best West Coast stylist since Snoop. Drakeo was genius rapper, and they glossed over it,” tweeted writer Jayson Buford. “Not great. Happy that Mr. Tate and Young Dolph got a shout out though.”
“Noting who was omitted from the In Memoriam segment of an awards show is grim work, but start the Grammys’ list with Drakeo the Ruler, the young L.A. rapper who was killed backstage at a musical festival in December,” wrote Times music critic Mikael Wood.
His peers and associates remember the South Central rapper who was fatally stabbed at a local music festival: ‘There will never be another Drakeo.’
“Drakeo was more than music,” friend and producer JoogSZN told The Times in December. “He was a brother and one of my best friends. He lit up the room, he did things his way and provided for so many people. He was a mastermind. ... There will never be another Drakeo.”
In February, the late rapper’s family filed a lawsuit against Live Nation, the concert promoter that worked on Once Upon a Time in L.A., accusing the company of negligence that led to his killing. The suit seeks $25 million in damages.
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