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Drakeo the Ruler endured several legal troubles en route to becoming one of the notable Hip-Hop acts of his generation of Los Angeles rappers, including a stint in jail. On Saturday during a music festival, Drakeo was fatally stabbed backstage in Los Angeles as investigators are still seeking answers.

According to The Los Angeles Times and several other outlets, Drakeo the Ruler, given name Darrell Caldwell, was among several acts at the Once Upon A Time In L.A. concert featuring headliners Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, and Ice Cube among others. The incident took place at the Banc of California Stadium in Exposition Park around 8:40 p.m. local time and ended the Live Nation event earlier than intended.

The Times added that Drakeo was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition and that an eyewitness or source to the outlet stated that the rapper was attacked by a number of people. Drake was slated to perform at the event but it isn’t known what took place behind the stage that lead to the fracas.

As the show ended and patrons were instructed to leave, LAPD and CHP officers were on the scene to assist with the investigation. The Times said that the show was running late with Snoop Dogg scheduled to perform at 8:30 p.m. local time with a DJ filling time for 45 minutes prior to the stabbing.

“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,” read a statement from Live Nation.

Drakeo just celebrated his birthday on December 1 and just dropped a mixtape, So Cold I Do Em 2, on December 7.

Drakeo The Ruler was 28.

On Twitter, fans and fellow artists alike are sharing their thoughts. We’ve collected a handful below.

Photo: Getty

Drakeo the Ruler Fatally Stabbed At Once Upon A Time In L.A. Concert #RIPDrakeo  was originally published on hiphopwired.com

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