Darrylene Corniel, the mother of slain rapper Drakeo the Ruler, has reached a conditional settlement with Live Nation and several other companies over the fatal December 2021 backstage stabbing of her son at the Once Upon a Time in L.A. music festival, Rolling Stone reported.
The Settlement Details and Unresolved Claims
- Darrylene Corniel and Caiden Caldwell, the son of the rapper, reached conditional settlements with Live Nation, C3 Presents, Black Tide Events, Bobby Dee Presents, and Hollywood Elite Security, with terms filed in court on October 9 and October 14.
- The agreements remain contingent on the satisfactory completion of unspecified terms, and lawyers for the parties did not respond to requests for comment from Rolling Stone.
- Separate negligence claims brought by the rapper’s brother, DeVante Caldwell, and his bodyguard, Alrick David Cooper III, remain scheduled for a November 30 trial in Los Angeles.
Court Filings and Conditional Terms
The terms of the settlements were not disclosed in separate notices filed with the court, though the agreements were described as conditional. Final dismissals are contingent on the satisfactory completion of unspecified terms. This language suggests that certain obligations remain outstanding, potentially including financial payments. Lawyers for the parties did not respond to requests for comment from Rolling Stone.
Corniel, who serves as the administrator of her son’s estate, filed a lawsuit claiming that Darrell Caldwell—professionally known as Drakeo the Ruler—died at the hands of a violent mob that gained access to an area that should have been secured backstage. The companies tied to the new settlements include C3 Presents, Black Tide Events, Bobby Dee Presents, and Hollywood Elite Security alongside Live Nation.
The Fatal Backstage Incident
Drakeo the Ruler was stabbed in the neck by an unidentified assailant on December 18, 2021, shortly before he was scheduled to perform at the festival. He was backstage with his younger brother, Devante Caldwell—known as rapper Ralfy the Plug—alongside a personal security guard and several members of his Stinc Team music collective. Rolling Stone previously learned from statements given by Corniel that a group of people hemmed in her son around the period when fellow rapper YG appeared backstage.
No arrests have been made in the homicide investigation, which stalled for years under the California Highway Patrol because the stabbing occurred on state-owned property. During the month of July, CHP authorities carried out a search warrant at a Burbank commercial site linked to the homicide. A CHP source confirmed to Rolling Stone that YG, whose legal name is Keenon Daequan Ray Jackson, was affiliated with the property and was detained during the search before being released.
Upcoming November Trial
The new settlements do not resolve all pending litigation stemming from the festival tragedy. Separate negligence claims brought by DeVante Caldwell, bodyguard Alrick David Cooper III, and several friends who were backstage that night remain active. Those consolidated claims are set to go to trial on November 30 in Los Angeles.
In written statements provided for the civil lawsuit and initially brought to light by the Los Angeles Times, Cooper asserted that he observed Jackson “front and center” in the middle of the backstage altercation. Cooper testified that despite the man wearing a face mask, he recognized his eyes and was confident in the identification. Cooper alleged in the deposition transcript obtained by Rolling Stone that Jackson produced a knife from his left hand during the altercation. Attempts to reach representatives for Jackson were unsuccessful, and authorities have not identified Jackson as a suspect or person of interest in the killing.
