“One of the West Coast’s most exciting and innovative rappers.” – Pitchfork
“Character building is an important part of rap that doesn’t get talked about enough. Rappers are storytellers and their stories have characters — the strength of their writing and their songs depends on how well they craft these characters. In Drakeo The Ruler’s songs, he’s the only character that really matters: the Maison Margiela-wearing protaganist, mud-walking into Neiman Marcus and flu-flamming through the streets of Los Angeles.” – The FADER
“In the brief span since regaining his freedom, the 24-year-old christened Darrell Caldwell has already recorded and released a 16-song mixtape, Cold Devil, with more than 7.5-million SoundCloud listens, headlined a sold-out show at the Observatory in Orange County and been hailed as the most original West Coast stylist in decades — that is if one can unravel his absurdly singular slanguage, cadences and cosmology.” – L.A. Times
“An ascendent star in his native Los Angeles, whose 2017 album Cold Devil is one of the decade’s most striking rap records” – Vulture
“Drakeo’s music is an exercise in restraint and matter-of-factness. Employing an icy monotone, Drakeo embeds his lyrics with seldom-seen subtext while delivering death threats with an alarming nonchalance and an off-kilter flow.” – XXL
Respected nationwide for his inimitable flow, gripping narratives, and dark humor, Drakeo The Ruler is a peerless rap stylist. Valiantly defying the forces that look to silence his formidable voice, Drakeo announces Thank You For Using GTL, his upcoming mixtape. Recorded over the phone in a period of two weeks, with the assistance of Drakeo’s close friend and producer JoogSzn, Thank You For Using GTL (GTL is the inmate telecommunications system of choice for L.A. County) provides a release valve for music’s most unfairly-detained talent, allowing Mr. Mosley to re-insert his irreplaceable voice into the national conversation.
Spanning 18 tracks, Thank You For Using GTL proves that The Ruler hasn’t lost a step, flexing his songwriting muscles as he slings his slang, laments the loss of his favorite department stores, and takes aim at snitches and fakes. His first full-length of entirely new material since 2017’s cult-beloved and critically acclaimed Cold Devil, Thank You For Using GTL is coming soon via Stinc Team Records.
“I’m still the same Drakeo, jail hasn’t changed me or my lyrics,” says Drakeo The Ruler. “People should be able to say anything in their lyrics without them being used against them. I’m not involved in the sh*t I’m on trial for. They are using their wild imagination against me. On top of that, they actually let the snitch out, the one who was involved in the stuff I was rhyming about.”
Along with the announcement, Drakeo partners with Complex to share two new singles: “Backflip Or Sumn,“ and “GTAIV.” Produced by Thank You For Using GTL architect JoogSzn, “Backflip Or Sumn” is a slinky, bass-heavy bit of neo-West Coast heat. Taking aim at fakes who post empty flexes on Instagram, Drakeo delivers a detailed account of how a real boss lives: “I could never pay for an exotic dancer/Keep playing with the smoke, next time it’s cancer/You put on a good show, and now it’s cancelled.” The new single is an immersive re-introduction into Drakeo’s world, packed with his signature hypnotic hooks and ending with a monologue from The Ruler himself.
A pitch-black West Coast slapper with rattling shakers and ominous electric keys courtesy of producer LD Tha Monsta, “GTAIV” is a reference-heavy missive aimed at who think life is just a game. In the first verse, Drakeo offers a stern warning to reckless wannabes who don’t realize that real g’s move in silence: “You think you John Gotti, huh?/You wanna hit him in his brain/And go and get a change of paint/He think this Grand Theft Auto/He steady actin’ like a boss/N****, you only half a star.” The back half of the song flips the script, as the Cold Devil shows us how he lives: “My life’s Grand Theft Auto/I’m a rock star/Just crashed another Bentley into a wall.”
Currently pending re-trial for a crime for which he was already acquitted, Drakeo’s legend grows larger by the day. The 26-year-old has kept his name in the headlines with a torrent of remixes, recruiting the likes of Earl Sweatshirt, Danny Brown, OhGeesy, Lil Yachty, and others to put a new spin on career highlights like “Ion Rap Beef,” “Out The Slums,“ and “Flu Flamming.“ In March, Drakeo shared Free Drakeo, a compilation of loose singles and unreleased material with appearances from 03 Greedo, Maxo Kream, SOB X RBE, Rio Da Young OG, Desto Dubb, and more. Most recently, Drakeo recorded a remix of his own, talking his smack for six-and-a-half minutes over the beat from Shordie Shordie’s Platinum-selling “Bitchuary.”
“My message to fans is that I’ll be out soon,” says Drakeo. “I’m not guilty and I’ll keep putting music out till out I’m out. I’m going to always be myself regardless of the situation I’m in. I’m just going to get better and better.”
Read about Drakeo’s continuing legal struggle in The Guardian, Genius, The FADER, Dazed Digital, and Tablet Mag.
Pre-order Thank You For Using GTL: https://empire.ffm.to/thankyouforusinggtl
Buy/Stream “Backflip Or Sumn”: https://empire.ffm.to/backfliporsumn
Buy/Stream “GTAIV”: https://empire.ffm.to/gtaiv
Check out the Complex premiere: https://www.complex.com/music/2020/05/drakeo-the-ruler-drops-2-new-songs-from-forthcoming-thank-you-for-using-gtl-project
Drakeo The Ruler & JoogSzn – Thank You For Using GTL tracklist:
Please contact Michelle or Erin for more info.
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Thank You For Using GTL: https://empire.ffm.to/thankyouforusinggtl
“Backflip Or Sumn”: https://empire.ffm.to/backfliporsumn
“GTAIV”: https://empire.ffm.to/gtaiv
“Betchua” (Freestyle): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BdmxGyS4ds
Free Drakeo: https://open.spotify.com/album/5uY0270CjyUtlCOvWJlvvO?si=OsskAOsaQj6R5RCYHXYoag
“Ion Rap Beef” (Remix) ft. Earl Sweatshirt & 03 Greedo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WGeofLZAS4
“Out The Slums” (Remix) ft. Danny Brown & 03 Greedo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZyWah6bA5I
“Flu Flamming” (Remix) ft. Lil Yachty & OhGeesy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ClUUVkfZEg