Rap music and gang culture have always been closely associated.
While not every artist in hip hop is affiliated,
the genre is based around street culture
and gangs play a major role in that world.
Here is a look at some of the most famous artists who have been affiliated with gangs
from the Bloods to the Crips
to the Black Disciples.
Blood Rappers
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Carter, better known as Lil Wayne,
was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on September 27th, 1982.
He grew up in the Hollygrove area of Uptown,
a neighborhood associated with crime and violence.
The Bloods were not as common in New Orleans in the ’80s and ’90s
and growing up Wayne was associated with local neighborhood crews,
more so than the Bloods.
But in the early 2000s after Cash Money signed popular West Coast artist Mack 10,
both Wayne and his mentor Birdman started repping the Bloods
and carrying around red bandanas.
A song on his 2007 mixtape, Da Drought 3
called “I’m Blooded” confirmed his affiliation
and the rapper has made other references to gang culture in songs.
He also famously pulled out a red bandana in a 2016 interview with Nightline,
in response to questions about Black Lives Matter.
As one of the biggest stars in modern hip hop,
Lil Wayne most likely isn’t still active in the streets.
However, he does continue to rep the Bloods and the culture that he came from,
making him one of the most famous artists to do so.
YG
Keenon Dequan Jackson better known as YG
was born in Compton, CA on March 9th, 1990.
YG’s father served time in jail for tax fraud when he was young,
and he and his family moved all over LA during his childhood.
He joined the Westside Tree Top Piru set of the Bloods in 2006 when he was 16.
In an interview with DJ Vlad in 2018, YG spoke about his early days gang banging
and rapping at the same time.
He talks about dealing with shootouts at some of his early shows
and getting locked up for armed robbery at 19.
Most of YG’s music is inspired by blood culture
songs like Bicken Back Bein Bool
and Twist My Fingaz deal directly with common Blood practices
like throwing up gang signs and replacing C’s with B’s in words.
YG claims that Blood culture is central to the identity of his neighborhood in California
he is simply shedding light on the area he came from and the people he grew up around.
Although YG is one of the hottest artists in the game,
he is still closely affiliated with the Pirus.
He was arrested on January 28th, 2020 on armed robbery charges
and held on a $250,000 bail.
His home was also raided in July 2019 in connection with a shootout
where a police officer was killed.
So, despite all his fame and success,
YG has had a difficult time leaving the streets behind.
Crip Rappers
Tay K
Taymor Travon McIntyre was born on June 16th, 2000 in Long Beach, CA.
His father, who was born in Compton, CA,
was a member of the Baby Insane Crips in Long Beach
and his mother had affiliations with the gang as well.
Tay-K’s father was in jail for most of his youth.
His mother moved him and his sister to Las Vegas when he was eight.
When his father was released from prison, the family moved once again to Arlington, TX.
Tay-K’s first album #SantantaWorld is a reference to his Crip association.
The title refers to the Santana Blocc Compton Crips,
one of the oldest Crip gangs in Long Beach,
and he is pictured on the cover wearing a blue shirt.
His music contains several references to gang culture
and his family ties confirm his association.
Tay-K’s criminal activity has been well documented.
In 2016,
Tay-K was arrested along with six other people for the capital murder
of 19-year-old Zachary Belote.
Belote was allegedly a drug dealer who Tay-K and associates planned to rob.
The robbery leads to a confrontation during which Belote was killed
and Tay-K was later arrested and put on house arrest to await trial.
While on house arrest, Tay-K cut off his ankle monitor
and fled Arlington, TX to hide out in New Jersey.
There he recorded and released “The Race”, the popular viral hit that made him famous.
He was apprehended by US Marshalls in New Jersey
and brought back to Texas shortly after.
While on the run, it’s been alleged he was involved in two other crimes.
One was an armed robbery of 65-year-old Owney Pepe in Arlington
and the other was the murder of 23-year-old Mark Saldivar in San Antonio.
In 2019,
Tay-K was sentenced to 55 years in jail for the murder of Belote
and was found guilty by a grand jury of killing Saldivar.
He will not be eligible for parole for at least 27.5 years.
Nipsey Hussle
Ermias Joseph Asghedom aka Nipsey Hussle
was born in the Crenshaw neighborhood of South Central, Los Angeles on August 15th, 1985.
The area he grew up in was known being a hub of crime and violence
and his block was a territory of the Rollin 60’s Crips
one of the larges Crip sets in Los Angeles.
At age 14, Nipsey left home and joined the gang.
In an interview with DJ Vlad, Nipsey claimed that music was his first passion.
But frustration with lack of opportunity and ability to make money,
lead him to join the Rollin 60’s as a way to support himself and follow his passions.
Nipsey’s father, who was an African immigrant,
took the family on a trip to his homeland of Eritrea when he was 19
a trip that reportedly inspired Nipsey to pursue a life of activism and entrepreneurship
and look beyond the streets.
Although his association with the Rollin ’60s was never something he turned his back on,
he began to use his neighborhood connections and music talent
to build a business empire.
He spoke openly about gang culture
and used Crip themes like repping blue bandanas in his music and videos.
However later in his career, he denounced gun violence
and many of the negatives associated with gang banging.
Yet, despite his community activism
and commitment to be a positive force in the neighborhood,
Nipsey never fully escaped the streets.
On March 31st, 2019
Nipsey Hussle was gunned down outside of Marathon Clothing in South Central,
a store the rapper owned.
Two days later, a suspect named Eric Holder was arrested.
Holder also grew up in the Crenshaw neighborhood
and had known Nipsey and his crew for years.
It’s been alleged by witnesses and those close to the rapper,
that Holder had been accused of snitching on someone in the neighborhood.
Holder came by the store that day
and the Nipsey refused to associate with him based on these allegations.
Holder, feeling disrespected, went and got a gun
and returned to kill the rapper in cold blood.
Eric Holder has been charged with one count of murder
and two counts of attempted murder for shooting two other witnesses
who were standing next to Nipsey at the time.
His trial is still ongoing.
Black Disciple Rappers
Chief Keef
Keith Cozart better Known to the world as Chief Keef
was born in the Parkway Gardens Houses in the South Side of Chicago
on August 15th, 1995.
Parkway Gardens part of a territory known locally as O’Block
is notorious for its association with drugs and crime.
The neighborhood is a major hub for the Black Disciples.
Chief Keef, who was born to a 15-year-old single mother
and was raised by his grandmother, fell in love with the gang from an early age.
Keef has had run-ins with the law since he was a teenager.
When he was 15,
he was arrested for the manufacture and distribution of heroin
and put on house arrest.
Later that same year,
he was confronted by police
for carrying a pistol while leaving his grandmother’s apartment complex.
He allegedly pointed the gun at officers but did not shoot.
The officers returned fire and missed but apprehended Keef with a loaded pistol.
He was charged with aggravated assault and unlawful use of a weapon for this incident.
He was also questioned in connection with the murder of Lil Jojo,
a rival rapper who Keef and fellow BD member Lil Reese had been taunting online.
Keef was never charged with a crime concerning the killing of Lil Jojo,
due to lack of evidence.
But Lil Jojo’s family members insist that Keef had something to do with the killing.
Chief Keef has had numerous other run-ins with the law,
mainly for violating his parole by carrying weapons or possessing drugs.
Today, he lives more under the radar than he did when he first blew up.
But his public persona
has always revolved around being a figure who doesn’t care about the law
or the industry and he has never fully turned his back on that lifestyle.
Lil Durk
Durk Derrick Banks known as Lil Durk was born in the Englewood area of Chicago,
around 64th and Normal Boulevard.
This area is not far from the Parkway Gardens Houses,
where Chief Keef and his associates grew up
and it is considered to be a part of the infamous O’Block.
Durk’s father was sentenced to life in prison when the rapper was only 7 months old.
Durk had to take on many adult responsibilities from the time he was young
and recalls times growing up when the family was too poor to afford food.
Durk joined the Black Disciples when he was a teenager
and was a part of the OTF300 set that Keef was also in.
Durk has had numerous incidents with the law.
In 2011,
he was arrested on weapons charges for carrying a handgun
with the serial number scratched off and served 3 months in prison.
In 2013,
he was arrested for another weapons charge for allegedly throwing a .40 caliber handgun
into his car when approached by police.
He was held on a $100,000 bond
but later had the charges dropped after 9 witnesses testified on behalf of his innocence.
In 2015,
his tour bus was shot up in Philadelphia before a performance at the Theatre of Living Arts,
leaving one man dead.
Durk was not arrested or charged with this incident,
although the shooting was attributed to gang activity.
Despite his criminal past,
Durk has spoken out against gang culture and gun violence.
He has made it clear to his fans that while he lived the life he describes in his music;
he urges others to find a different path.
There is a brief look at the most famous Blood Rappers vs Crip Rappers
vs Black Disciple Rappers.
Each of these artists has a different relationship with gang culture,
however it has inspired all of their music
and gangs continue to have a major influence in hip hop.
Well, that's all for today!
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