Drakeo The Ruler was laid to rest in his hometown of Los Angeles, California on Tuesday (February 15), almost two months after he was tragically stabbed to death.
Family, friends and fans gathered in numbers to say their final goodbyes to the 28-year-old rapper — real name Darrell Wayne Caldwell — whose funeral was held at Greater Emmanuel Temple Church in Lynwood, not far from the South Los Angeles community where he grew up.
Drakeo’s body was laid in a $36,000 platinum coffin surrounded by life-size images of the beloved Stinc Team rapper and a giant floral arrangement spelling out his name in blue and yellow flowers.
After the service, mourners filed by Drakeo’s open casket. His mother, Darrylene Corniel, wept as she laid eyes on her son for the final time.
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“It really hit me last night. Reality is setting in. This is my baby,” Corniel told Rolling Stone at the funeral. “My son had class, and I wanted him to go out with class.”
Drakeo’s five-year-old son, Caiden, was said to have “darted around the crowd in a tiny black tuxedo and bow tie, not fully comprehending what was going on.” His mother, Tianna Purtue, didn’t let him view her father’s open casket.
“We couldn’t do it. It was just way too hard. I didn’t want him to have any last memories of seeing his father in a casket. I just prefer to keep the memories he has, and the photos,” Purtue said. “Caiden understood he was coming to the church, but I kept having to explain that we were saying our final goodbyes.”
Drakeo The Ruler’s coffin was then carried outside by his Stinc Team crew to a white chariot and fleet of Rolls Royces before being driven to Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills, where his casket was interred in a marble wall.
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Drakeo The Ruler was fatally stabbed backstage at the Once Upon a Time in L.A. festival on December 18. He was taken to hospital in critical condition, but succumbed to his wounds.
While police have yet to name a suspect, a number of Drakeo’s associates — including his mother — have accused fellow L.A. rapper YG of orchestrating the deadly attack.
In Memoriam: Drakeo The Ruler Had A Voice Too Strong For People To Silence
Earlier this month, Drakeo’s family filed a $60 million wrongful death lawsuit against Live Nation and other festival organizers for negligence that they argue led to the rapper’s death.
