Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Bloods and Crips: Devaluing Strangers and a Musical Alternative to Bangin'

https://www.youtube.com/Bloods-and-Crips-G'z-and-Locc's


           Above is the link to a song from the experimental record label, Bangin' on Wax, which was the first album where Crips and Bloods came together to make music. Released in 1993 following the riots and during the active treaty between the two gangs, both were working together, but still rapped about how one gang is the best. It sort of becomes an impersonal rap battle, and it was supposed to be an alternate way for the gangs to get their ill feelings towards one another out, but it sort of functioned as a battle soundtrack for many gang-bangers to come, especially after the treaty's ideas were unfunded and forgotten on the streets. When they say "Bangin' on Wax," it means they're musically gang-banging, and the wax refers to the record it was made on.


           All through out the song, the Bloods refer to the Crips as crabs, and the Crips refer to the Bloods as slobs, both terms, til this day, that each side takes major offense towards, and are often used derogatorily towards one another. These words function to dehumanize each party. Similarly to the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese enemies were referred to as Gooks. It's significantly easier to kill a stranger if they are already dehumanized and therefore devalued in one's mind. That person is just a crab or a slob, so it doesn't matter if you kill them, because they are the archetypal enemy that's been so defined in one's mind. This mindset is adapted as a murderous psychological technique. Interestingly, the Bloods got their name from the Vietnam War as well--a Blood is a black soldier, fighting the front lines.        
-Govinda Tulsiram

Image result for bloods and crips treaty la riots

1 comment:

  1. It's terrible that even though they made peace with each other because of the riots that they still slandered each other as well as the Vietnamese. All people's lives matter, and this dehumanization through song is just rubbing salt on the wounds of the riots.

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