Rapper and Death Row owner Snoop Dogg has filed a motion to be removed from a negligence lawsuit regarding Drakeo the Ruler’s death.
The rising rapper was murdered at the “Once Upon a Time in L.A.” festival in December of 2021. Snoop Dogg claims he should not be held liable for the stabbing that happened in the backstage area of the concert venue.
According to Rolling Stone, Snoop’s lawyer, who is also representing another defendant, Bobby Dee Presents, has filed an objection to his clients being named in the legal action.
Snoop’s legal team says his clients were hired to help promote the festival and should not bear the responsibility as actual producers. Furthermore, they should not owe any punitive damages to the estate of the late rising star.
As AllHipHop.com reported, Drakeo’s brother Devante Caldwell aka Ralfy the Plug, filed the lawsuit in February of 2022 with members of the Stinc Team rap collective.
“Drakeo and his group fought for their lives against insurmountable odds, shocked and horrified at the fact that no security ever materialized to intervene,” the lawsuit states.
It also stated that the concert producers, including Live Nation, did not stop the “ongoing mob attack that lasted up to 15 minutes or more.” Their lack of intervention caused their team “severe physical and emotional harm.”
The lawyers claim, all parties named, including the “Gin and Juice” chart-topper, “had a duty to implement and execute a security plan” to keep attendees, artists, entourage, and guests “safe” and “provide adequate security to detect and prevent violent incidents.”
Attorneys on Snoop’s side argue, “While the allegations surrounding the death of Darrell Caldwell are tragic,” and the circumstances around Drakeo’s death were not “foreseeable.”
“If no similar, third-party criminal conduct is alleged to have previously occurred at the relevant premises during a music festival like the one in this case, demurring defendants had no duty to do more than they are alleged to have already done, regardless of the outcome,” the filings state.
“We’re very confident that we’re going to prevail in opposing the demurrer because our complaint does state several legal bases for them to be liable,” Kellen Davis, the plaintiffs’ lawyer said.
“The parties that are named are the people that we know were involved in creating and promoting the event. It’s our position that this was essentially a joint venture between the various entities that we named, and as such, we believe they were responsible for preventing something like this from happening.”
Two other wrongful death lawsuits were filed this year: One from the rapper’s mother Darrylene Corniel and the other on behalf of his only child.