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In the rap world of today, violence seems to be glorified as well as being part of a set. This set is predominantly gang-related as artists are showcased in videos rocking red or blue rags or heard proclaiming their affiliation. With the history of the Bloods and Crips, it seems weird that such a harsh past would be used to earn stripes for artists as they have alleged tales of how they became part of the set.

In an interview with artist Roccett, who is Crip-affiliated, HipHopWired spoke with him on his perception of rappers that don the flag:

“The bad part about it is that the rappers glorify it and don’t really live it so you don’t understand what you’re glorifying. They just want to pick up a rag and feel like oh I knew this one dude and he was this and that, but that ain’t really what it is because the dude might have just been an imposter. I used to get mad about it and want to be like, ‘Hey where you from or what have you done or what’s your resume,’ but I guess the older you get, you just realize that these dudes are just entertainers and it’s not real life to them. They are like Mr. Potato Heads and just get tattooed up, get a couple of rags and a gun case after they are already rich and good. I just try to stay out the way and just do me.”

To those that watch the antics of those such as Lil Wayne or even Jim Jones and may feel as though gang life is no longer prevalent or has been belittled to a joke, the California-bred Roccett assures those that it is quite the opposite and how, sadly, there might not be any chance of stopping it as long as the world is the way that it is.

“It’s real deal. It ain’t no playing with it. It’s real life and death and once you get put on the hood, it’s on. There’s no questions asked, you have to do what is told and there’s a lot of things. Its kinda one of those things where you hate that it happened, but there’s nothing that you can do about it. You can try to get a couple of kids off the street and try to wish them the best, but at the end of the day, as long as there are people out there that don’t have money and people are struggling with nobody helping them out, someone will look to who is there homie on the street or their homie that got most money whether he is selling or doing whatever. That’s unfortunately what happens with minorities in poor places. The bad part about it, to be 100 with you, is that it’s just going to spread. As long as there are poor places and people aren’t getting money, there is going to be violence and there’s going to be gangs and there’s nothing that anybody can do about it.”

When asked about a possible unity and throwing down arms, the young rapper shares why it is not so easy to embrace one another and push for peace. A wildfire cannot be stopped easily no matter how much water is thrown onto it.

“That’s how I know that nobody is going to stop it. There are too many generations, too many tears that have been shed, too many dead dudes, just too many everything. It’s just way too much history. That’s a reason why I never would go to the police, no matter what happens and I don’t care if one did the best deed ever in life. I have been beat up by them too many times and thrown in the back of the car too many times so I’m never going to like them, no matter what. That’s how the gang is and you put in too much work and there are too many rest in peace t-shirts. We’re never going to like them over there and there is nothing that you can tell me that’s going to make me like them.”