A West Coast rapper known for his distinct delivery, offbeat cadence, and coded vernacular, Drakeo the Ruler has been called one of the most singular rap artists to come out of Los Angeles since Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar. Born Darrell Caldwell, Drakeo was raised in the Hundreds section of South Central by his preschool teacher mother — he had little to no interaction with his father. Arrested at the age of 12, he spent much of his youth in and out of correctional facilities due to a fondness for guns and burglary. Rapping was a way to earn legal money and stay out of jail, and with some help from his brother, who raps under the moniker Ralfy the Plug, Drakeo began shaping his signature style, which pairs jerky, counterclockwise rhythmic shifts with syrupy smooth rhymes filled with cryptic and esoteric colloquialisms — money is referred to as "Uchies" and extended rifle clips are "Pippi Longstocking." In 2017 Drakeo, along with fellow Stinc Team affiliates Ralfy the Plug, Bambino, Sayso the Mac, and Ketchy the Great, were arrested on a slew of charges ranging from gun possession to conspiracy to commit murder, putting a hold on Caldwell's ascension to West Coast rap royalty — the crew did manage to issue a five-song EP while incarcerated, Free the Stinc Team: Not Guilty!!!. Drakeo was released in February 2018 and wasted little time getting back to business by issuing a 16-track mixtape, Cold Devil.