YG Drakeo knife claim emerges in security guard deposition
Drakeo the Ruler’s security guard alleged in a deposition that he saw YG with a knife during the 2021 festival brawl.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
A new YG Drakeo knife claim has surfaced in court filings, with a security guard for Drakeo the Ruler alleging under oath that he saw YG holding a knife during the 2021 brawl in which Drakeo was killed, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Alrick Cooper III, who said he was part of Drakeo’s security team at the Once Upon a Time in L.A. festival, made the allegation in a March 19, 2025 deposition, the Los Angeles Times reported. The festival took place on Dec. 18, 2021.
Cooper testified that YG was “front and center” during the fight, according to the Los Angeles Times. He also alleged that YG was among three men he saw carrying what he described as short, improvised knives.
The allegation is not a criminal finding, and TMZ reported that YG has repeatedly denied any involvement in Drakeo’s stabbing. TMZ said it reached out to YG about Cooper’s specific claims and had not received a response.
What did Drakeo the Ruler’s security guard claim about YG?
Cooper claimed in the deposition that he recognized the person he identified as YG even though he could not see the man’s face, the Los Angeles Times reported. According to the report, Cooper said the man was wearing a ski mask, but he identified him by traits including hazel eyes, height and demeanor.
The claim adds a new, disputed detail to the legal record around the fatal backstage violence at the Los Angeles festival. Drakeo the Ruler, a Los Angeles rapper whose real name was Darrell Caldwell, died after the brawl.
Because Cooper’s account was given in a deposition, it is sworn testimony in a legal proceeding. A deposition is not a verdict or a charge; it is testimony taken before trial or during litigation, often with attorneys questioning a witness under oath.
How does this connect to the Burbank police activity involving YG?
The deposition became public through recent court filings not long before police executed a search warrant at a Burbank home connected to YG, TMZ reported.
TMZ reported that YG was detained by police around 7 a.m. Thursday morning. He was not arrested, according to TMZ.
Later that same day, YG took part in a Verzuz battle against The Game, TMZ reported. The appearance came after the morning police encounter and kept him in the public eye as the new court-filed allegation began drawing attention.
No charge against YG is stated in the reports tied to Cooper’s deposition. The central facts now on the record are Cooper’s sworn allegation, YG’s prior denials of involvement in Drakeo’s stabbing, and the recent police search reported by TMZ.
The Los Angeles Times reported the contents of the deposition, while TMZ reported the Thursday detention, the lack of an arrest and its request for comment from YG. As of TMZ’s report, YG had not responded to the specific allegation.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.