Atlanta rapper Ralo faces serious backlash after his controversial moves at fellow rapper Rich Homie Quan’s funeral on September 17, 2024. The incident has stirred a strong emotional storm within the music fraternity and the fan base as Ralo chose to livestream portions of the service, raising extensive outrage online.
The funeral for beloved hip-hop icon Rich Homie Quan was intended to be a very private, low-key affair. And it was appreciated as crossing the line when Ralo decided to stream the entire ceremony on Instagram Live. According to numerous reports, aside from Ralo livestreaming the event, he was reportedly disruptive throughout the service, doing quite a lot of loud talking and even blowing his nose during key ceremony moments.
This behavior felt profoundly disrespectful to many attending and others who watched the event. DJ Pretty Boy Tank, an attendant at the funeral, even went as far as to call Ralo out online for being “weird” and “talking the whole time.” Accusations surfaced on the web. The backlash against Ralo started to build and then spread on social media, saying his actions were attention-seeking and uncalled for.
Speaking up during service wasn’t an option for Pretty Boy Tank, the DJ. When asked why he didn’t confront him then, he explained he was too emotional, given the situation at hand. “Bruh, if you’re sitting inside a funeral service for your brother, you’re automatically mourning and not in a mood to say anything,” he shared. Tank added that for him at the time, it was about listening to the speakers and reflecting on his friend’s life, not Ralo’s antics.
In a follow-up post, DJ Tank seemed willing to talk about the situation now that the funeral was off his back. “I’ll talk my grievances with a buddy now that my mood isn’t as bad,” he revealed, insinuating that things aren’t cool between the two artists.
Criticism mounted, and Ralo did not go down without fighting his corner. Immediately on the defense, Ralo took to social media, stating that anybody on his back should “get off the internet” if they didn’t want to see him.
“Not one person on this earth can show Wea [where] I pulled a phone out inside that man’s funeral,” Ralo said. He then went further to say everybody at the gravesite had their phones out, yet only he was held accountable for it. “Matter fact, what other rappers were there other than me and Boosie????, ” he further said, trying to take the arrow of suspicion from himself.
Unfortunately, Ralo’s comments about non-attendees-he appeared to shift blame onto those who weren’t present rather than address the core issue of what his behavioral actions had done- really struck a sour note with many. He placed their not being there as more disrespectful than what he had done during the service and only fanned the ire. First, he did not formally apologize, which infuriated the people even more.
The aftermath of Ralo’s actions has caused an immense uproar within the hip-hop community. As to be expected, Rich Homie Quan fans are very angered by the mere fact that Ralo’s interference took away from what was supposed to be his idol’s special day.
This act, from being a fellow artist as well, proves to most that he should be well aware of the respect the event required and called for. On the other hand, some fans support Ralo on the basis that pressure from life in the limelight can cause misunderstandings at times. To them, his presence at the burial is enough to prove he cared, though people are blowing the situation out of proportion.
This recent controversy marks far from the first time Ralo has landed in the hot seat of public controversy. His career has experienced sharp highs and lows. Back in 2015, he gained momentum with the single “Can’t Lie,” featuring Future, followed by sealing a deal with Birdman’s Cash Money Records within that time period.
In contrast, things took a whole different turn when, in 2018, he got arrested for attempting to transport a large quantity of marijuana on his private plane.
After serving five years in prison, Ralo resurfaced with a fresh outlook on the music game and giving to his community. He went as far as to make headlines for buying an entire block of property in Atlanta, promising to fix up the area and give back to his hometown. His fans thought this could be the new chapter he was hoping for, but the situation at the funeral has somewhat hampered his efforts to rehabilitate.
