Drakeo The Ruler Arrested On Gun Charge

Last year, after spending years in jail awaiting trial on various charges, the influential Los Angeles underground rapper Drakeo The Ruler accepted a plea deal and walked free. The whole saga of Drakeo’s stint in jail is long and byzantine, and it involves Drakeo being kept incarcerated even after he was acquitted of murder. Now, it looks like Drakeo is facing new charges under suspicious circumstances.

Pitchfork reports that Los Angeles police arrested Drakeo on Sunday, charging him as an “excon with a gun.” He’s currently out on bail. During his arrest, Drakeo was broadcasting an Instagram Live video in which he appears to be riding in the back of an Uber with his young son, who is never seen on camera. Drakeo films himself expressing confusion and disbelief while the off-camera police try to get him out of the car. In the video, which was widely shared, we can hear a police officer saying, “I’m going to take you out, and then I’m going to take you to jail.” Later, the cop says, “I’m going to take your kid out of the car, OK?” Drakeo eventually gets out of the car, shaking his head.

According to the journalist Jeff Weiss, who has chronicled Drakeo’s imprisonment, Drakeo’s Uber was pulled over for having tinted windows, which sure makes it look like someone has been looking for excuses to arrest Drakeo.

Since his release in November, Drakeo has released four mixtapes and collaborated with a great many other artists, including Drake. Drakeo’s most recent mixtape Ain’t That The Truth came out in July.