The Los Angeles Football Club will remain a defendant in part of a consolidated case filed by relatives and members of the rap collective of Drakeo the Ruler, who was stabbed to death during a star-studded 2021 concert at what was then called Banc of California Stadium in Exposition Park.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James I. Montgomery denied the LAFC’s motion to be dismissed from the section of the lawsuit involving claims brought on behalf of the singer’s son, who is a minor. But the judge did toss the portion of the case against the rapper’s mother, Darrylene Corniel, who prior to the hearing filed a non-opposition to the LAFC dismissal motion.
In his ruling regarding Drakeo’s son, the judge found that the LAFC opposition filed was based on a prior version of the case rather than the latest amended complaint, thus creating triable issues. Regarding Corniel, the judge found that LAFC established that it did not control security at the event and that the company did not have a “special relationship” with the singer or his mother that would have created an obligation for the LAFC to protect them from third-party criminal conduct.
Also on Tuesday, Corniel dropped Snoop Dogg’s company, Snoop Dogg LLC, as a defendant in her part of the case. The request was “without prejudice,” meaning the firm can be reinstated later. The 54-year-old “Gin and Juice” rapper, whose real name is Calvin Cordozar Broadus, was paid $500,000 for a one-hour performance at the festival, according to the SDLLC attorneys’ court papers.
Montgomery granted a previous motion eliminating USC from the case in March.
The 28-year-old Drakeo’s real name was Darrell Caldwell. He was attacked after a fight broke out behind the main stage of the Once Upon A Time in LA music festival on Dec. 18, 2021, and died later at a hospital.
The original complaint was filed in February 2022 and alleges that the defendants failed to provide adequate security at the festival.
“Defendants, and each of them, were completely knowledgeable of the potential dangers posed to both their guests and the performers that they hired based upon numerous past incidents of violence and death at their hip-hop events,” the suit states.
Banc of California Stadium is now called BMO Stadium.
Drakeo was a Los Angeles native who released 10 mixtapes since 2015 and put out his first studio album titled “I Am Mr. Mosely” in April 2017. Critics have cited his unique flow and “oddly expressive, poetic word choices.” The Los Angeles Times called him “the most original West Coast stylist in decades.”
Drakeo recorded the mixtape “Thank You For Using GTL” at Men’s Central Jail while awaiting trial in the 2016 killing of a 24-year-old man, according to The Times, which said he was acquitted of murder and attempted murder charges. Drakeo later pleaded to conspiracy charges in connection with the killing and was released in November 2020.
Trial is scheduled for Nov. 30.