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Words from an "OG"

I want to speak out to the youngsters who are reading this right now. I am 44 years old and I grew up in the gang capitol (South Central) Los Angeles in the 1970's. Let me tell you whats going on today is nothing like it was when I was up in it.

We all grew up together and we all knew each other and soon it seemed like everything was changing. Watts riots and then you had the OG's assemble some street clubs which later formed into the so called gangs that exist today (Crips and Bloods). Back then we used our first when we wanted to get down and we never pulled out a pistol like a coward today would. Some things came into play later to cause us to carry the guns but back in the 70's it was about fist.

Like all you you reading this who know your a gangster or think you are I was smoking PCP and I was smoking weed. I would drink on the nights and go to the famous clubs around south central and even go to record hops and dances. Usually we would just have nothing to do so we would just steal people's property. I mean some people have "thangs" in the hood but a lot of us didn't. Some of our parents were together and some not. Some of our moms would get high too. We wanted to fight in the day and battle with chains bats and bumper jacks. There was no "initiations" we just hung out together and took care of one another and thats how we got into the "hood" and how we earned our stripes.

I did a lot of robberies and I went to a lot of juvenile halls. I went to the worst juvenile facilities in Los Angeles like Eastlake and Los Padrinos and camp Munz. By the time I was a teenager people were using guns and shooting all day and everyday. It was Red and Blue.

I was so into it I went to prison and served hard time as a youth for murder and released at 21. It is all over nothing but a "street tough" reputation. Every brother wanted to be famous and ruthless mainly because we grew up in hostile enviroments and we were black. The same would go for any other group living in a bad area.

But I never really made it out. I still live here and work with kids and get very little pay.

The gang banging thing is really over there is something going on today that is different. What we started has grown to astronomical proportions and became nationwide and more violent. Drugs really messed everything up. That crack shit had everybody turning on each other even our own homies.

This life looks very attractive but it is no joyride.

You cant go to school and bang and you cant live without worrying.

Trust me stay away from this lifestyle it will come back and hit you harder than you think.

leon jones
aka
nut