Drakeo The Ruler was one of the most essential artists in the development of the modern-day L.A. hip-hop scene. He tragically passed away in 2021, after being stabbed during an altercation prior to a YG concert. His death sent shockwaves through the community, and his influence is felt today.
Drakeo's father recently stopped by No Jumper to sit down with Adam22 for a wide-ranging interview. One of the topics that came up had to do with Kendrick Lamar's GNX. The album, which released in November 2024 after his highly publicized battle with Drake, paid tribute to the modern West Coast.
There are several tracks on the album (and "Not Like Us" before it) that fans cited as cuts that sounded like something inspired by Drakeo, such as "peekaboo" or "squabble up." Adam22 pointed out that other California rappers have directly shouted him out when they do something inspired by his music. He also noted that Lamar didn't. When asked how that made him feel, Drakeo's father offered an interesting response.
Kendrick Lamar "Not Like Us"
"I'm not a big Kendrick Lamar listener to his music, I'm really picky with music. I heard this one song of his, and I'm like 'wait.' I didn't know if I was listening to a Drakeo song that I just didn't hear yet. "I'm like, 'oh, this is one of my son's songs that I haven't heard yet.'" He didn't name the song in the interview, but recalled being shocked to learn that it was from Lamar.
"The rhyme pattern, the syncopation, all of that was the same [...] As far him giving him the props, maybe it was a politics thing [...] At some point, you gotta keep it real."
Kendrick Lamar has paid a lot of tribute to other fallen West Coast acts, perhaps most notably 2Pac and Nipsey Hussle. However, it is surprising that he has not named Drakeo as one of those artists. Drakeo was also not honored at The Pop Out in June 2024, a surprising omission. At this point, it sems that all Drakeo's father wants is for his son to receive some credit.
