THOMAS MORTON: While Chicago's horrific and ever increasing
gang violence hasn't done wonders for the South side's
reputation or the well being of its residents, it has
fostered a vibrant rap scene.
The breakout star is Chief Keef, whose raps about the
daily brutality his witnessed and potentially took part in
as a gang member, netted him a $1 million contract with
Interscope this year.
His success encouraged many young South siders to rap
their way out of the ghetto, or at least turn a buck on the
horrors wherein.
We met up with one group of new rappers, Global Gangsters,
to see how music's helping them deal with the violence of
life outside the studio.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
PISTOL P: Hey, Go back on that track, Joe.
Press that space bar.
-Go back, [INAUDIBLE].
PISTOL P: (RAPPING) To know how to win, just
do what I do, nigga--
street key.
I know a lot of skills to get some dollar bills.
Ice flood my neck.
Imagine how my collar feel.
A nigga gotta live.
I do it large, though.
I hustle hard always, hustle smart though.
At any narcotic, I get it off, boy.
Conserve [INAUDIBLE], boy.
The price is sky high.
This shit cost boy.
And you a worker.
I'm a motherfucking boss, boy.
THOMAS MORTON: I'm here and just trying to learn as much
as I can about what's going on in Chicago--
who's got fights with who and why, especially through music,
because that's all the way I hear about it, is through some
Chief Keef songs and stuff.
VEEZY: Just because I got dreads I'm
nothing like Chief Keef.
I'm just from the east side of Chicago--
73rd.
If you're from there, you know there.
If you ain't from there, don't come there.
RIO G: You can't walk down no block after 12 o'clock if
you're not from around that block.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
PISTOL P: We come from [INAUDIBLE].
A lot of them motherfuckers ain't never been downtown
Chicago that come from my neighborhood.
They come from the projects.
And we migrated back in the '80s.
All they ever knew was inside this building.
At night, people are coming on the blocks hustling.
But you've got people territorial over that block.
So now, it's lot of street vibes.
There's a lot of young guys coming up.
Basically, to just survive in Chicago period it's a jungle.
So we try to make it positive and flip it and do this rap
shit and show other kids that they can reach their goal and
they ain't got to fall victim, like so many Chicago youth is
doing still today and will do in the future and have done
and rest in peace, all my niggas.
VEEZY: Real [INAUDIBLE] and I'm back down.
Everybody get clap now.
Niggas say they who now?
All I know, it's called retail, [INAUDIBLE]
and [INAUDIBLE].
[INAUDIBLE], he know.
Brought it back like free throws.
Call [INAUDIBLE] my big bro.
It be [INAUDIBLE]
though.
All these niggas, they beat hos.
-It's the youth that's dying, that's bringing
that worldwide attention.
Other than that, they're just going to call us a bunch of
thungs and gangbangers and they ain't gonna really care.
I actually lost my son to gun violence.
[INAUDIBLE] got shot nine times.
-How old was your son when he was shot?
-15.
15 year old, got shot nine times.
You feel me?
So he had his own little crew and his own little team.
About a year or so later, he lost his life to the streets.
VEEZY: It's a very tense city.
Every time that I meet new person on the street, I
automatically think that they're first words to me or
conversation's going to be a lie or something like that.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
VEEZY: I grew up in a gangster disciple area.
A rite of passage, you feel me, was to just walk across
State Street.
If I cross State Street, that's an instant fight.
If we go outside of our area alone, it's just like any
nature show.
When they catch you alone, you're definitely going to be
viewed as weak.
And they're going to pounce on the weak.
In Chicago, things get loud, no barking,
hardest in my squadron.
And God is so heartless when dough running them faucets.
Broads give knowledge.
They learn.
They're so conscious.
Dummies get their nog and egg nog for slow talking.
Gotta a bad bitch women complexion of brown
[INAUDIBLE]
don't dare to try and share me.
I'm smoking on the charger pack came with the hit me.
[INAUDIBLE] off of the hills because my game got it dizzy.
I'm the protector of my city.
Veezy the king is a [INAUDIBLE].
No matter, cut the chatter.
I'm on my way up money ladders.
My niggas is hungry panthers.
Don't trip or trying manners if you ain't pussy to man up.
Stand up and get your [INAUDIBLE] up.