Bloods & Crips

Last updated
Bloods & Crips
Origin Los Angeles County, California, U.S.
Genres
Years active1992–1995 [1]
Labels Warlock Records (U.S.)
Dangerous Records (U.S.)
Past membersDamu Ridas (Bloods)
Nationwide Rip Ridaz (Crips)

Bloods & Crips was an American gangsta rap group from Los Angeles County mostly known for their record-selling song "Piru Love".

Contents

History

The success of N.W.A. had frustrated many in the gang community who saw the group capitalizing on the gang lifestyle. The Bloods & Crips project was originally organized by rappers O.Y.G Redrum 781 and Tweedy Bird Loc. [2] Actual gang members — Crips from Compton, Watts and Long Beach, and Bloods from Inglewood and Los Angeles — auditioned for the group and the best ones were chosen for the album. [3] In 1993, the Bloods & Crips released their debut album entitled Bangin' on Wax for Warlock Records. One year later, the group's second and final studio album, Bangin' on Wax 2... The Saga Continues was released. After Bangin' on Wax 2, the Bloods & Crips parted ways, with the Bloods becoming the Damu Ridas and the Crips becoming the Nationwide Rip Ridaz.

First album

Bangin' on Wax was the first album by Bloods & Crips. The album was released in 1993 under Dangerous Records. Bangin' on Wax was a success, making it to No. 86 on the Billboard 200. [4] Four singles were released "Bangin' on Wax", "Piru Love", "Crip, Crip, Crip" and "Steady Dippin'". The album went on to sell over 500,000 copies, achieving Gold status. Official music videos for "Bangin' on Wax", "Piru Love" and "Steady Dippin'" were made, gaining widespread attention for the group.

On the group's single "Piru Love", the hook is sung by Fo' Clips Eclipse, one of the group's Crip members.

The next single, "Steady Dippin'", was performed by Crip members Do Or Die (a.k.a. A-Love), Miss C-Note (a.k.a. Dannygirl), Sin Loc, and Blue Ragg (a.k.a. The General). They emerged as a group called the Underworld Connection. The Underworld Connection was formed in the early 1990s but was put on hold for projects like Tweedy Bird Loc's "187 Ride By" and the controversial album Bangin' On Wax. It was the first time the group reconnected in the late 2000s since the 1990s. Also DJ Battlecat made an appearance in the "Steady Dippin'" music video as the event's DJ for the intro. The song was produced by him along with QLuso and Ronnie Ron. [5]

Second album

Bangin' on Wax 2... The Saga Continues was the second and last album by the Bloods & Crips. Music videos were made for the album singles "G's & Locs" and "Wish You Were Here". Both videos gained positive reviews. The album was recorded and released in 1994 under Dangerous Records. The album made it to No. 139 on the Billboard 200 and #20 for Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. [6]

Third album

A third album: Bangin’ on Wax Part 3: No Passes was originally recorded in 2004, but not released until 2014. Only a few of the original artists are featured on the album, although it was still distributed through Dangerous Records with the help of Tweedy Bird Loc, following the death of producer Ronnie M. Phillips on November 1, 2003, over a decade prior to release. [7] [8]

Aftermath

Following the end of the project, the two gangs started separate projects, with the Crips releasing albums under the Nationwide Rip Ridaz name, [9] and the Bloods under the Damu Ridas. [10]

Nationwide Rip Ridaz

The Nationwide Rip Ridaz released two albums, the self-titled Nationwide Rip Ridaz in 1995 and Betrayed (Can't Trust Nobody) in 1999. [11]

A notable member of the group was Donald “AWOL” Stallworth from Kelly Park, he was killed by law enforcement on June 4, 1997. [12]

Damu Ridas

Damu Ridas released their own self-titled album Damu Ridas in 1995, followed by How Deep Is Your Hood in 1999. [13]

The core members of the Damu Ridas were from two different Blood gangs: the L.A. Denver Lane Bloods and the Crenshaw Mafia Bloods. The two gangs have been close allies for decades and are still allied today. [14]

B-Brazy, Peanut II and Lil' Laniak II were from the Denver Lanes. Tip Toe, Pimp D, Spyder, O.G Mad Eye, Big Hawk and Lil' Hawk were from the Crenshaw Mafia. Of those 9 members, 7 have been confirmed deceased. [15]

B-Brazy was shot and killed in a set up in 2003. [16] Peanut II was shot 17 times and died in November 1995 by members of the Crips. Lil' Laniak II was with his daughter when he was killed around 1995 by the 83 Gangsters. [17] Tip Toe was killed by a member of the Neighborhood Piru. Spyder was in the neighborhood of the Rollin' 60 Crips when he was shot and killed in 2000. O.G Mad Eye and his little brother Lil' Mad Eye were both killed before 2001. Green Eyez died due to health problems. Big Hawk is deceased [18] and Lil' Hawk was serving a 25 to life prison sentence for murder but was released on parole. [19]

Members

Discography

Bloods & Crips

Damu Ridas

Nationwide Rip Ridaz

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloods</span> Street gang founded in Los Angeles, California, US

The Bloods are a primarily African-American street gang which was founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips. It is identified by the red color worn by its members and by particular gang symbols, including distinctive hand signs.

<i>Bangin on Wax</i> 1993 studio album by Bloods & Crips

Bangin' on Wax is the debut album by American hip hop group Bloods & Crips. The album was released in 1993 by Dangerous Records. Bangin' on Wax peaked at No. 86 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Four singles were released: "Bangin' on Wax", "Piru Love", "Crip, Crip, Crip", and "Steady Dippin'". Music videos were made for "Bangin' on Wax", "Piru Love" and "Steady Dippin'". The album was produced by Ronnie Phillips, DJ Battlecat, Big Qluso, Siilski, Tweedy Bird Loc, and J. Stank. To minimize conflict, Phillips decided to use gang members from geographically separate areas of Los Angeles.

Richard Johnson, better known by his stage name Tweedy Bird Loc, was an American rapper. Johnson and producer Ronnie M. Phillips organized the hip hop project Bloods & Crips, a collaboration between members of the California-based Bloods and Crips street gangs. Johnson was a Crip himself, affiliated with the Kelly Park Compton set.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crips</span> Street gang from Los Angeles, California

The Crips are a primarily African-American alliance of street gangs that are based in the coastal regions of Southern California. Founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969, mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams, the Crips began as an alliance between two autonomous gangs, and developed into a loosely connected network of individual "sets", often engaged in open warfare with one another. Its members have traditionally worn blue clothing since around 1973.

The Watts truce was a 1992 peace agreement among rival street gangs in Los Angeles, California, declared in the neighborhood of Watts. The truce was reached just days before the 1992 Los Angeles riots and, although not universally adhered to, was a major factor in the decline of street violence in the city between the 1990s and 2010s.

<i>Nationwide Rip Ridaz</i> (album) 1995 studio album by Nationwide Rip Ridaz

Nationwide Rip Ridaz is the debut album by the American rap group Nationwide Rip Ridaz released in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pirus</span> Street gang alliance in Los Angeles

The Pirus are a subset of the larger Bloods gang alliance, an organized crime group in the United States.

<i>Betrayed (Cant Trust Nobody)</i> 1999 studio album by Nationwide Rip Ridaz

Betrayed (Can't Trust Nobody) is the second and last album by the American rap group Nationwide Rip Ridaz released in 1999.

<i>How Deep Is Your Hood</i> 1998 studio album by Damu Ridas

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<i>Bangn on Wax: The Best of the Damus</i> 1997 compilation album by Damu Ridas

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<i>Bangn on Wax: The Best of the Crips</i> 1997 compilation album by Nationwide Rip Ridaz

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<i>Bangin on Wax: Greatest Hits</i> 1996 greatest hits album by Bloods & Crips

Bangin' on Wax: Greatest Hits is a compilation album by American rap group, Bloods & Crips. The album was released on August 27, 1996, by Dangerous Records. The album was produced by Ron "Ronnie Ron" Phillips and written by Bloods & Crips members.

RedruM 781 was an American rapper from Inglewood, California. RedruM 781, Tweedy Bird Loc and producer Ronnie Phillips organized the hip hop project Bloods & Crips, a collaboration between Bloods and Crips members. He was a Piru gang member himself. redruM 781 is also known for his key role on "Bangin' on Wax", he and his fellow female MC Bloody Mary were the two key players for getting this particular Bangin' on Wax project off the ground. He was the cousin of the rapper Kurupt, with whom they had a long-time beef.

O.F.T.B. was an American hip hop group from the Watts district of Los Angeles, California. The group O.F.T.B. consisted of three founding actual gang members Kevin "Flipside" White, Sammy "Bust Stop" Williams, and Ronald "Low M.B." Watkins, who grew up in Nickerson Gardens Project, which is home to the notorious gang Bounty Hunter Bloods. They were signed to Big Beat Records where they released their debut album Straight Up Watts in 1992 with the hit single "Slangin' Dope".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fruit Town Piru</span> Gang in Los Angeles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crenshaw Mafia</span> Subgroup of Bloods street gang

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piru Love</span> 1993 song by Bloods & Crips

"Piru Love" is a song from the 1993 album Bangin' on Wax by the gangsta rap group Blood & Crips. It was subsequently released as a single, along with several alternate versions of the song. It is the group's most popular single.

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References

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  5. "Steady Dippin'" by Bloods & Crips WhoSampled.com 2014-05-19 Retrieved. 2014-05-19
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