LA rapper Drakeo the Ruler is currently awaiting trial on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and several counts of conspiracy to commit murder. According to a recent profile in Tablet Magazine, the district attorney is attempting to use Drakeo’s lyrics from “Flex Freestyle” to help make a case for a lifetime sentence. The diss track served as the culmination of Drakeo’s feud with fellow Mustard rapper RJ, whom Drakeo is accused of plotting to murder.
On the track, which is taken from 2016’s So Cold I Do Em, Drakeo raps:
"Sheesh, everything I state is facts
I’m not these other street niggas, bitch I can really rap
I’m ridin' round town with a tommy gun and a Jag
And you can disregard the yelling, RJ tied up in the back"
For his part, RJ has made multiple public statements that he doesn’t believe the conspiracy accusations. RJ also DM’d Drakeo to check in with the rapper and even showed support for Drakeo’s videos on Instagram.
The actual murder case being made against Drakeo isn’t even tied to an attempt against RJ’s life. It’s centered around the murder of 24-year-old alleged gang member Davion Gregory on Dec. 10, 2016. According to the district attorney’s version of that evening, Drakeo supplied guns to Jaiden Boyd and Mikell Buchanan (a member of Drakeo’s Stinc Team crew) in order to take out RJ. The trio then went to a warehouse party to lie in wait for RJ, but when he didn’t show up, Buchanan allegedly shot and killed Gregory while injuring two others.
According to Drakeo and his attorney, prosecutors have branded Stinc Team as a gang and will try to frame the rapper’s lyrics as “recruiting advertisements” for the crew. This would make him guilty of any crime anyone in Stinc Team commits. Nearly the entirety of the crew is being held on charges ranging from murder to commercial burglary to vandalism.
Drakeo’s trial will begin May 20.
Genius previously broke down how prosecutors are using rappers' lyrics against them in court: