7 ms·

How Drakeo the Ruler recorded an album from jail

83 points by firloop 6y ago

genieyclo 6y ago
This interview hints at it, but the much bigger story is LASD & the DA’s insane crusade against Mr. Mosely https://www.thefader.com/2019/07/11/drakeo-the-ruler-murder-trial-los-angeles-report https://www.thefader.com/2019/07/11/drakeo-the-ruler-murder-... https://www.thefader.com/2019/09/03/drakeo-the-ruler-charges-refiled https://www.thefader.com/2019/09/03/drakeo-the-ruler-charges... Acquitted of all counts pertaining to murder and attempted murder and still remains incarcerated in solitary confinement inside the COVID-wracked county jail — without the option to post bail.
- cocaracer 6y ago
  I actually served on the jury panel for this case. I would agree that his solitary confinement is excessive and cruel, but that article is incredibly biased. He's still incarcerated because there's a fairly strong case for the two remaining charges he faces .. has nothing to do with a vindictive crusade.
  - devin 6y ago
    I knew nothing about the case before reading this. Could you post a link that you think better represents the facts?
    - genieyclo 6y ago
      Why Drakeo The Ruler Is On Trial for The Same Murder Twice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsEhLikmkPw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsEhLikmkPw
    - cocaracer 6y ago
      There aren't any articles I'm aware of that are written neutrally on the case. The media I've seen is either from rap news sites or his defense attorney .. both of which have obvious bias. The public record from the case would probably be the best source. There seems to be a concerted effort to push the narrative that Drakeo is a victim in all of this. That wasn't true from my perspective (and I think for most of the Jury). The issue we had with the case was that the facts didn't rise to the level that the DA was charging. I can try to shed some light on the other side of the argument that seems to be missing. This is by no means a complete summary .. there were over 46 charges in the case including murder, burglary and witness intimidation. Drakeo ran what was referred to as the "burn house" for the 2Greedy group. Apartments that were used as a gang house. Notable to the case, these apartments had communal guns that were furnished by the group for anyone to use. Solo confirmed this via testimony. The murder weapon Boyd used was one of these communal guns. There was also video evidence of Drakeo and his brother stealing guns from businesses on separate occasions for communal use (note neither was the murder weapon). The second iteration of this burn house was raided by the police. They recovered around 8 or 9 illegal weapons (including an AK variant). Then there were the group text messages found during discovery. Drakeo sent explicit messages calling on 2Greedy members to bring guns with them and to be ready to use them when they were with him. He called for members to "step up" and be proactive. There were lists of core gang members, the criteria seeming to be who was willing to proactively commit crime. The night of the murder, there did appear to be a plan to go to a party with the express intent of killing another rapper. This was confirmed by Boyd (shooter #1) in jailcell recordings. Solo, Drakeo and Kellz (shooter #2) were in one of the cars. Boyd had his own car. Cell phone tower records, testimony, and video surveillance all corroborate. The video evidence taken from the parking lot where the murder occurred shows coordination between the group to position themselves strategically near the only exit. In the video, they wait around .. a group from a rival gang of Kellz's walks by .. Kellz and Boyd open fire. The general consensus of the Jury was that this was a case of Drakeo "playing at being a real gangster" without the actual intent to kill. One of the reasons being that they were targeting someone (another rapper) who was very clearly not going to be at the party. Given that the person who was murdered was not the person who was intended to be the target, we couldn't find the intent to kill prong of murder applicable for Drakeo. The two remaining charges he faces are Gang Conspiracy and Shooting From a Motor Vehicle. Gang Conspiracy because he very clearly contributed to, if not created, the environment in which the murder took place. Shooting From a Motor Vehicle because he was in the car that one of the shooters shot out of. The law is incredibly broad on that second one .. he doesn't actually have to fire the gun. The DA overreached with the charges, but make no mistake these guys are criminals ..
      - sneak 6y ago
        So, to be clear, Drakeo didn’t shoot or otherwise harm anyone? And he’s being held in solitary awaiting a second trial after already being acquitted?
      - devin 6y ago
        I appreciate a really thorough reply, but I did ask for a link.
- trabant00 6y ago
  > LASD & the DA’s insane crusade against Mr. Mosely What's insane is sheep shouting "we caught guard dogs doing bad things, we should make it right by letting wolves roam free in the pen!".
  - gnu8 6y ago
    That is a very black-and-white metaphor. I agree that letting the wolves roam free is a naive and unworkable solution, but something needs to be done about the guard dogs eating the black sheep all the time, and the white sheep who think this is their proper function.
apalmer 6y ago
I mean a lot of this seems to be human creativity... Wasn't so much they were able to record cleanly or clean up the vocals afterwards as applying effects that really distorted his voice but in an enjoyable way.
hnzix 6y ago
In a similar vein, Vybz Kartel (who's worked with Diplo in the past) has been releasing music from jail since 2011. https://www.dancehallmag.com/2020/06/25/news/just-how-does-vybz-kartel-record-music-from-prison.html https://www.dancehallmag.com/2020/06/25/news/just-how-does-v...
pessimizer 6y ago
What's the earliest example of this? I remember being astounded when I heard that "Sacred Love" by Bad Brains was recorded the same way in 1986. https://dangerousminds.net/comments/sacred_love_the_bad_brains_song_that_was_recorded_over_the_phone_from_priso https://dangerousminds.net/comments/sacred_love_the_bad_brai...
- 3131s 6y ago
  Drakeo probably got this idea from Mac Dre, an earlier California rapper who also recorded an album from prison. Drakeo talks about Mac Dre in his lyrics and both share some stylistic tendencies like creating their own lingo.
  - Ccecil 6y ago
    Yeah...I was thinking the same thing. "Romper Room Gang" Mac Dre got a lot of respect due to his refusal to inform on the others (even though supposedly he had nothing to do with it). Sad story. He died in a car which was shot at after a show. Very ahead of his time musically.
3131s 6y ago
Wow! Do HN people actually know Drakeo? I never expected to see this here. Free Drakeo! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lzAefl8KIs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lzAefl8KIs
- lsh 6y ago
  Speaking for all HN people, yes we know Drakeon. It evolves from an Eevee using a Rainbow Stone.
- mrslave 6y ago
  The social values promoted in this video are appalling. I'd like to see viewer's age demographics but I'm afraid I already know the answer. (Also anticipating downvotes. Hopefully the set of those interested in this article can withhold downvoting-for-disagreement.)
  - hi5eyes 6y ago
    its west coast trap music what do you expect
  - 3131s 6y ago
    Ha! The video I posted is tame for gangster rappers. What exactly are you outraged by in the video? Crashing cars? Guns? Drinking lean? The lyrics? What's really appalling is that Americans enacted stupid policies that pitted the police in war against the gangs over drug profits. The part of Watts where these rappers like Drakeo and 03 Greedo grew up is absolutely brutal, but the Crip set there is well connected after 50 years of activity. I guarantee these guys don't care whether you like it or not... but it's reality until you can overcome your outrage and legalize the things that make gang life so potentially lucrative.
    - gridlockd 6y ago
      > ...legalize the things that make gang life so potentially lucrative. Oh, you mean legalize robbery, extortion, theft and burglary too? What do you think gang members are going to do if just one of their most lucrative streams of money dries up, get a job at McDonalds?
ghostcluster 6y ago
It's not amazing sounding. Sounds like phone-quality audio like you would expect, and the production isn't very good either. Find myself in disagreement with Pitchfork on this one.
- devin 6y ago
  Strongly agree. Nothing remarkable, not even a little bit. It doesn't even sound _good_.
  - 3131s 6y ago
    It's like some forms of metal and punk, being raw is part of the appeal. When most of your songs feature long interludes of "mud"-induced rambling, it's not that important than your prison-phone vocals sound pristine.
    - devin 6y ago
      Aesthetically, I understand what you're saying. I like muddy stuff, but this is just poorly mixed IMO. Not like in an audiophile "but the compression!" way or something, it just sounds like garbage.
- deleted 6y ago
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- dang 6y ago
  Ok, we've taken the amazing sounds out of the title above.
Hasz 6y ago
03 Greedo is apparently also releasing music from jail.
- deleted 6y ago
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- deleted 6y ago
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deleted 6y ago
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83 points by firloop 6y ago

This interview hints at it, but the much bigger story is LASD & the DA’s insane crusade against Mr. Mosely https://www.thefader.com/2019/07/11/drakeo-the-ruler-murder-trial-los-angeles-report https://www.thefader.com/2019/07/11/drakeo-the-ruler-murder-... https://www.thefader.com/2019/09/03/drakeo-the-ruler-charges-refiled https://www.thefader.com/2019/09/03/drakeo-the-ruler-charges... Acquitted of all counts pertaining to murder and attempted murder and still remains incarcerated in solitary confinement inside the COVID-wracked county jail — without the option to post bail.

cocaracer 6y ago
I actually served on the jury panel for this case. I would agree that his solitary confinement is excessive and cruel, but that article is incredibly biased. He's still incarcerated because there's a fairly strong case for the two remaining charges he faces .. has nothing to do with a vindictive crusade.
- devin 6y ago
  I knew nothing about the case before reading this. Could you post a link that you think better represents the facts?
  - genieyclo 6y ago
    Why Drakeo The Ruler Is On Trial for The Same Murder Twice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsEhLikmkPw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsEhLikmkPw
  - cocaracer 6y ago
    There aren't any articles I'm aware of that are written neutrally on the case. The media I've seen is either from rap news sites or his defense attorney .. both of which have obvious bias. The public record from the case would probably be the best source. There seems to be a concerted effort to push the narrative that Drakeo is a victim in all of this. That wasn't true from my perspective (and I think for most of the Jury). The issue we had with the case was that the facts didn't rise to the level that the DA was charging. I can try to shed some light on the other side of the argument that seems to be missing. This is by no means a complete summary .. there were over 46 charges in the case including murder, burglary and witness intimidation. Drakeo ran what was referred to as the "burn house" for the 2Greedy group. Apartments that were used as a gang house. Notable to the case, these apartments had communal guns that were furnished by the group for anyone to use. Solo confirmed this via testimony. The murder weapon Boyd used was one of these communal guns. There was also video evidence of Drakeo and his brother stealing guns from businesses on separate occasions for communal use (note neither was the murder weapon). The second iteration of this burn house was raided by the police. They recovered around 8 or 9 illegal weapons (including an AK variant). Then there were the group text messages found during discovery. Drakeo sent explicit messages calling on 2Greedy members to bring guns with them and to be ready to use them when they were with him. He called for members to "step up" and be proactive. There were lists of core gang members, the criteria seeming to be who was willing to proactively commit crime. The night of the murder, there did appear to be a plan to go to a party with the express intent of killing another rapper. This was confirmed by Boyd (shooter #1) in jailcell recordings. Solo, Drakeo and Kellz (shooter #2) were in one of the cars. Boyd had his own car. Cell phone tower records, testimony, and video surveillance all corroborate. The video evidence taken from the parking lot where the murder occurred shows coordination between the group to position themselves strategically near the only exit. In the video, they wait around .. a group from a rival gang of Kellz's walks by .. Kellz and Boyd open fire. The general consensus of the Jury was that this was a case of Drakeo "playing at being a real gangster" without the actual intent to kill. One of the reasons being that they were targeting someone (another rapper) who was very clearly not going to be at the party. Given that the person who was murdered was not the person who was intended to be the target, we couldn't find the intent to kill prong of murder applicable for Drakeo. The two remaining charges he faces are Gang Conspiracy and Shooting From a Motor Vehicle. Gang Conspiracy because he very clearly contributed to, if not created, the environment in which the murder took place. Shooting From a Motor Vehicle because he was in the car that one of the shooters shot out of. The law is incredibly broad on that second one .. he doesn't actually have to fire the gun. The DA overreached with the charges, but make no mistake these guys are criminals ..
    - sneak 6y ago
      So, to be clear, Drakeo didn’t shoot or otherwise harm anyone? And he’s being held in solitary awaiting a second trial after already being acquitted?
    - devin 6y ago
      I appreciate a really thorough reply, but I did ask for a link.
trabant00 6y ago
> LASD & the DA’s insane crusade against Mr. Mosely What's insane is sheep shouting "we caught guard dogs doing bad things, we should make it right by letting wolves roam free in the pen!".
- gnu8 6y ago
  That is a very black-and-white metaphor. I agree that letting the wolves roam free is a naive and unworkable solution, but something needs to be done about the guard dogs eating the black sheep all the time, and the white sheep who think this is their proper function.

apalmer 6y ago

I mean a lot of this seems to be human creativity... Wasn't so much they were able to record cleanly or clean up the vocals afterwards as applying effects that really distorted his voice but in an enjoyable way.

hnzix 6y ago

In a similar vein, Vybz Kartel (who's worked with Diplo in the past) has been releasing music from jail since 2011. https://www.dancehallmag.com/2020/06/25/news/just-how-does-vybz-kartel-record-music-from-prison.html https://www.dancehallmag.com/2020/06/25/news/just-how-does-v...

pessimizer 6y ago

What's the earliest example of this? I remember being astounded when I heard that "Sacred Love" by Bad Brains was recorded the same way in 1986. https://dangerousminds.net/comments/sacred_love_the_bad_brains_song_that_was_recorded_over_the_phone_from_priso https://dangerousminds.net/comments/sacred_love_the_bad_brai...

3131s 6y ago
Drakeo probably got this idea from Mac Dre, an earlier California rapper who also recorded an album from prison. Drakeo talks about Mac Dre in his lyrics and both share some stylistic tendencies like creating their own lingo.
- Ccecil 6y ago
  Yeah...I was thinking the same thing. "Romper Room Gang" Mac Dre got a lot of respect due to his refusal to inform on the others (even though supposedly he had nothing to do with it). Sad story. He died in a car which was shot at after a show. Very ahead of his time musically.

3131s 6y ago

Wow! Do HN people actually know Drakeo? I never expected to see this here. Free Drakeo! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lzAefl8KIs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lzAefl8KIs

lsh 6y ago
Speaking for all HN people, yes we know Drakeon. It evolves from an Eevee using a Rainbow Stone.
mrslave 6y ago
The social values promoted in this video are appalling. I'd like to see viewer's age demographics but I'm afraid I already know the answer. (Also anticipating downvotes. Hopefully the set of those interested in this article can withhold downvoting-for-disagreement.)
- hi5eyes 6y ago
  its west coast trap music what do you expect
- 3131s 6y ago
  Ha! The video I posted is tame for gangster rappers. What exactly are you outraged by in the video? Crashing cars? Guns? Drinking lean? The lyrics? What's really appalling is that Americans enacted stupid policies that pitted the police in war against the gangs over drug profits. The part of Watts where these rappers like Drakeo and 03 Greedo grew up is absolutely brutal, but the Crip set there is well connected after 50 years of activity. I guarantee these guys don't care whether you like it or not... but it's reality until you can overcome your outrage and legalize the things that make gang life so potentially lucrative.
  - gridlockd 6y ago
    > ...legalize the things that make gang life so potentially lucrative. Oh, you mean legalize robbery, extortion, theft and burglary too? What do you think gang members are going to do if just one of their most lucrative streams of money dries up, get a job at McDonalds?

ghostcluster 6y ago

It's not amazing sounding. Sounds like phone-quality audio like you would expect, and the production isn't very good either. Find myself in disagreement with Pitchfork on this one.

devin 6y ago
Strongly agree. Nothing remarkable, not even a little bit. It doesn't even sound _good_.
- 3131s 6y ago
  It's like some forms of metal and punk, being raw is part of the appeal. When most of your songs feature long interludes of "mud"-induced rambling, it's not that important than your prison-phone vocals sound pristine.
  - devin 6y ago
    Aesthetically, I understand what you're saying. I like muddy stuff, but this is just poorly mixed IMO. Not like in an audiophile "but the compression!" way or something, it just sounds like garbage.
deleted 6y ago
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dang 6y ago
Ok, we've taken the amazing sounds out of the title above.

Hasz 6y ago

03 Greedo is apparently also releasing music from jail.

deleted 6y ago
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