Los Angeles, CA

[Update: Drakeo The Ruler passed away on December 19 at a Los Angeles hospital following the stabbing incident. Read more here.

The Once Upon A Time in L.A. Festival at Exposition Park in Los Angeles was forced to shut down early on Saturday night (December 18) after Drakeo The Ruler was reportedly stabbed in the neck.

An Instagram post from the festival organizers explained simply, “The Once Upon A Time In LA Fest is ending early. All performances are now over. Please head to the closest exit and head eastbound on MLK.”

No Jumper initially claimed Drakeo The Ruler was stabbed in the neck, but there were conflicting reports online. As two helicopters circled the concert site, a witness at the scene cast doubt on whether it was actually Drakeo who was injured.

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“Mixed reports about incident at the #onceuponatimeinLA,” the person wrote. “Some say it was an artist sent to the hospital others say it was a fight between a member from an entourage. Prayers up. Video shows helicopters flying over crowd.”

According to the Los Angeles Times, Drakeo The Ruler is, indeed, in critical condition at a local hospital. Public information officer for the Los Angeles Fire Department Margaret Stewart said paramedics responded to a call about a stabbing around 8:40 p.m. local time in the 3900 block of South Hoover Street, and one person was transported to a hospital in critical condition.

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A person with direct knowledge of the incident confirmed Drakeo The Ruler was “attacked by a group of people at the music festival and seriously injured.”

Drakeo The Ruler was expected to perform alongside Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent and dozens of other artists as part of the event. But around 9:20 p.m. local time, the festival appeared to come to a halt as yellow police tape was put up behind the main stage.

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Drakeo The Ruler Arrested On Instagram Live After His Uber Driver's Stopped For Tinted Windows

Drakeo had just been getting back to his normal life. After being acquitted of felony murder and attempted murder charges in relation to the 2016 shooting death of a 24-year-old man. Los Angeles County prosecutors retried him on conspiracy charges. Drakeo ultimately struck a plea deal and was released from custody in November 2020.

HipHopDX sends our support to Drakeo The Ruler and his loved ones. This is a developing story.