Rapper YG detained amid Drakeo the Ruler murder probe
Rapper YG was briefly detained Thursday morning in Burbank, California, while California Highway Patrol and Burbank SWAT executed a search warrant tied to the 2021 murder of Drakeo the Ruler. Officials say he was not arrested and is not a suspect or person of interest.
Key Takeaways
- CHP led a Thursday morning search warrant in Burbank, with Burbank SWAT assisting on the operation.
- Rapper YG was detained during the warrant service, then released without being arrested.
- CHP told NBC Los Angeles he is not a suspect or person of interest in Drakeo the Ruler’s killing.
- The warrant was served on Moss Street near Magnolia Boulevard at a property connected to YG.
- YG was still expected to face The Game in a VERZUZ battle later Thursday night.
What happened when police detained the rapper?
According to NBC Los Angeles, California Highway Patrol said officers served a search warrant Thursday in Burbank amid the ongoing probe into Drakeo the Ruler’s 2021 death.
TMZ reported the SWAT response began around 7 a.m. PT. CHP was the lead agency, with Burbank SWAT assisting. NBC said the warrant was executed on Moss Street near Magnolia Boulevard off the 5 Freeway.
YG was detained during the search and later released. A CHP official told TMZ he was not arrested. For more coverage like this, follow our celebrity breaking news hub.
Is YG a suspect in Drakeo the Ruler’s murder?
No. CHP told NBC Los Angeles that YG is not a suspect or a person of interest in the murder investigation. The agency did not explain why he was detained during the warrant service.
Drakeo the Ruler, born Darrell Caldwell, was stabbed at the Once Upon a Time in LA festival in December 2021. He was 28. Artists including 50 Cent, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg were set to perform, and YG was also among those billed to headline the event.
TMZ reported the property is connected to YG, who had beef with the late rapper but has denied any involvement in the killing.
Did the detention affect YG’s VERZUZ battle with The Game?
Sources close to VERZUZ told TMZ that Thursday night’s “Compton Forever” event would continue as planned. The hit-for-hit West Coast showdown against fellow Compton star The Game was slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. PT.
TMZ also noted this was not YG’s first Burbank police encounter. He was arrested there in October 2024 for misdemeanor DUI after officers found him outside his car, which had gone over a curb.