Guess West Coast solidarity has some chinks in the armor. The father of late Los Angeles rapper Drakeo the Ruler has called out Kendrick Lamar, accusing him of adopting elements of his son’s sound without proper acknowledgment.
During a recent appearance on No Jumper with Adam22, Drakeo’s father said that while he is not usually a Kendrick listener, he could not ignore the resemblance between Kendrick’s newer music and Drakeo’s signature style. “I’m not a big Kendrick Lamar person listening to his music, I’m really picky with music just being a musician and all that. But 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 explained.
He went further, breaking down what he saw as direct similarities, particularly on Kendrick’s GNX project. “The rhyme pattern, the syncopation, all of that was the same; the flow, everything was the same. Now, as far as him giving him the props, maybe it was a politics thing,” he said.
Drakeo’s father speculated that Kendrick might have avoided giving his son credit for strategic reasons. “You know what I’m saying? ‘I can’t be trying to go on that bandwagon right now with what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to make this positive movement, you know, right now with these rappers and this rap stuff.’ He added, “And if I, you know, shout out Drakeo, you know, and just let people know I’m using this flow, that might be bad for what I’m trying to do.’ So, I can understand it on that level, but at some point, you got to keep it real.”
Fans online have echoed these claims, pointing out that Kendrick’s GNX album showcases elements Drakeo was known for, including unconventional rhyme schemes, flat-toned delivery, and distinct L.A. slang.
Drakeo the Ruler, born Darrell Caldwell, carved out a unique lane in West Coast rap, reshaping the Los Angeles street sound with projects like Cold Devil and Thank You for Using GTL. Despite frequent run-ins with the law, his creativity and influence earned him a loyal following. His career was tragically cut short in December 2021 when he was fatally stabbed backstage at the Once Upon a Time in LA festival. He was 28.