According to recent court testimony, a former security guard for Drakeo the Ruler says he witnessed YG pull a knife and swing it towards him during the 2021 backstage altercation where Drakeo was ultimately stabbed and killed.
Alrick Cooper III, a security guard who worked with Drakeo at the Once Upon a Time in L.A. festival, testified that YG was directly involved in the fight on December 18, 2021. Cooper stated he saw YG – whose legal name is Keenon Jackson – and two other men wielding what looked like homemade knives. He identified YG by his hazel eyes despite the rapper wearing a ski mask while attempting to defend Drakeo (Darrell Caldwell Jr.). Representatives for YG have not yet responded to requests for comment.
I’ve been following the case closely, and recently some information from a deposition given by Cooper back in March of 2025 came out. It was filed as part of the civil lawsuit Drakeo’s family is bringing against those involved with the festival and its security. This new info sheds more light on what happened right before and after the shooting, especially since police were investigating and even briefly held YG while searching a property in Burbank just yesterday.
YG was temporarily held by the California Highway Patrol, assisted by the Burbank Police Department’s SWAT team, while they searched a location. He was later released without being arrested.
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YG has consistently stated he had no part in Drakeo’s death. In his song “We Know the Truth,” released in June 2026, he refuted claims linking him to the killing and explained that he only found out about the stabbing when he arrived at the festival to perform.
When asked if rapper YG was a suspect in the murder case, the California Highway Patrol stated they couldn’t provide details because the investigation is still active. No arrests have been made yet. According to NBC Los Angeles, officers searched a property as part of this ongoing investigation and confirmed that YG was present during the search but was released afterward.
In February 2022, Drakeo’s family, including his son, and a man named Cooper filed a lawsuit against Live Nation, C3 Presents, Bobby Dee Presents, and the festival’s security companies. They claimed these companies were responsible for Drakeo’s safety at the festival and failed to protect him from an attack that could have been anticipated. YG is not involved in this legal action.
‘Front and center’
Cooper stated that Drakeo’s crew was met by a group of at least 20 to 25 people behind the stage. He identified only YG as someone he recognized from the other group when asked.
“He was directly involved in the fight?” an attorney for Drakeo’s family asked.
“Yeah,” Cooper answered. “Front and center.”
According to Cooper, the attackers split into groups and encircled Drakeo’s group close to where artists entered the festival. Many of them were wearing red clothes, ski masks, or hoodies. Cooper also stated that security didn’t try to stop the attack; instead, they shut two gates that could have been used as an escape.
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It was terrifying. They literally locked us in – we couldn’t get out. I heard Cooper say that security blocked one of the exits, and then attackers started flooding the other side of where we were backstage. We were completely trapped.
Cooper stated that he first hit one of the men coming towards him, causing him to stumble briefly. He then ended up fighting both YG and what he believed was YG’s bodyguard, while Drakeo stood a short distance behind and to his right.
Cooper stated in court that YG suddenly pulled a knife out of his left hand – it looked like the knife came from inside Jackson’s sleeve. Cooper said he immediately stepped back when he saw the weapon.
The argument escalated, and according to Cooper, the attackers surrounded Drakeo. Police arrived around the same time and quickly started to disperse the crowd and stop the fight.
Three men with knives
Cooper said the weapon YG supposedly had was a silver blade about three to four inches long. He described it as lacking a handle and resembling a homemade prison shank.
Cooper testified that the person was swinging the object at him, attempting to scare him and make him retreat. He stated he wasn’t actually stabbed.
Cooper stated he witnessed two other men with weapons near YG. He explained one was right next to YG, while the other stood behind and between them. Cooper realized they were armed because their movements weren’t like normal punches.
Cooper testified that after seeing someone make quick, stabbing motions, he attempted to move away from them.
Cooper identified one of the men as a bald Black man around 5’9″ to 5’10”, with light brown or hazel eyes and wearing a blue patterned crew-neck shirt. He described another as a Black man of similar height with dreadlocks, but couldn’t recall what he was wearing. Cooper estimated YG’s height to be approximately 6’1″ or 6’2″.
Identifying YG behind a mask
Cooper stated that the person he recognized as YG was wearing a black ski mask that only showed the area around their eyes. He also described the individual as wearing a black bomber jacket, black pants with red stripes, and shiny black shoes.
When asked how he could identify the man despite much of his face being hidden, Cooper explained that he’d met YG many times before and recognized him by his eyes, build, height, the way he walked, and his overall mannerisms.
Cooper also testified that members of the attacking group taunted Drakeo during the confrontation.
He remembered hearing people say things like “Is that Drakeo?,” “Is that who I think it is?,” “What do you want?,” and “We finally got him.” Cooper also said he heard phrases associated with the Bloods gang, such as “soo whoop” and “Sup, Blood,” and saw people pounding their chests.
During my testimony, I mentioned that I’d stepped in before when those two rappers had a run-in outside the studio. It was a tense situation, and I just tried to de-escalate things before it got out of hand. As a longtime fan of both artists, I really didn’t want to see anything happen to them.
Cooper stated that YG confronted Drakeo, questioning him about online drama. Cooper then intervened to calm the situation down.
As a long-time follower of West Coast hip-hop, I remember things starting to heat up between Drakeo and YG’s crews back in 2021. The prosecutor, Cooper, pointed to Drakeo’s track “IngleWeird” and other music from both sides as proof that tensions were rising. He even brought up a summer interview from that year with YG and a couple of his guys where someone basically threatened physical retaliation instead of online beef – saying something like, ‘We handle things in person, not on the internet,’ which really stuck with me.
As a big fan of both artists, it really struck me when Cooper said he’d actually warned Drakeo before the festival. He felt there was a real possibility of a confrontation – either between Drakeo and the other artist, or their crews – as Drakeo was leaving the stage or the festival itself, so he pushed for more security. It just shows how seriously he took the potential for trouble.
The legal teams involved will return to court on August 13th for the first of two hearings regarding requests to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Bobby Dee Presents and Live Nation.
2026-07-25 04:32