In gang terminology, a set refers to a subgroup within a larger gang alliance. Sets vary in size and internal structure, [1] and different sets within the same gang are known to fight one another. [2] [3]
A large gang alliance, such as the Crips or Bloods, is usually composed of many smaller subgroups known as "sets". [2] Despite being part of the same gang alliance, sets differ from one another in terms of internal structure, membership, and gang symbols. [1]
Within the same gang alliance, different sets have been known to have varying levels of hierarchy. For example, some Bloods sets have been noted for having various ranks within the set, while other Bloods sets have little to no hierarchy. [1]
Sets vary considerably in membership size. For example, some of the larger Crips sets, such as the Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips have over 1,000 members and are present in multiple cities across the United States. In comparison, smaller sets such as the Butler Block Crips have 8-10 members and are limited to a particular neighborhood. [4]
Sets within the same gang alliance may differ in their gang sign and colors. [1] For example, even though Bloods sets will often used red as a gang color, some Bloods sets use other colors, such as the Lime Hood Piru, who use green. [5]
Each set in a gang has a unique relationship with every other set within the overarching gang. Sets within the same gang have been known to fight one another. For example, the Rollin 60's Neighborhood Crips and the Eight Trey Gangster Crips have been rivals since 1979, despite both being Crip sets. Furthermore, the relationship between two sets from the same gang can change over time. For example, the Mob Piru Bloods and the Lueders Park Piru Bloods were allies until April 2009, when a feud erupted between the two Bloods sets. [6]
In some cases, a set from one gang may form an alliance with a specific set from a rival gang. For example, the PJ Watts Crips are known for their alliance with the Bounty Hunter Watts Bloods. [7] This alliance formed due to mutual opposition to the Grape Street Watts Crips set. [7]
Conflict between rival sets is referred to as "set tripping". [8]
Rappers often make references to sets when describing gang activities in their music. For example, Tupac Shakur's Hail Mary (1997) makes references to "set tripping". [3]
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.
The Rollin 60s Neighborhood Crips is a "set" of the Crips street gang alliance based in Los Angeles, California, originally formed around Hyde Park, Los Angeles in 1976 from the Westside Crips and having since spread to other cities in the United States. Membership is estimated to be around 1,600 people, making it one of the largest gangs in the Los Angeles area.
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 Jungles faction of the Black P. Stones street gang is a "set" of the Bloods gang alliance in Los Angeles. Originating in Los Angeles' Baldwin Village neighborhood in the 1960s, the Black P. Stones became one of the largest gangs in the city. The gang has been linked to various crimes, including murders, assaults, robberies, narcotics violations and firearms violations, and has been the subject of numerous FBI and LAPD investigations.
The Pirus are a subset of the larger Bloods gang alliance, an organized crime group in the United States.
Bloods & Crips was an American gangsta rap group from Los Angeles County mostly known for their record selling song "Piru Love".
The United Blood Nation, also known as the East Coast Bloods, is a street and prison gang active primarily in the New York metropolitan area. It is the east coast faction of the California-based Bloods street gang. Their main source of income is the trafficking and sale of illegal drugs.
Gang activity and associated crime is a long-standing concern in Denver, Colorado. The city's street gang activity received statewide attention in 1993 when a "Summer of Violence" increased public awareness of gang-related violence and led the state to enact harsh penalties for crime by juveniles. From 1992 to 1995, Denver had 331 murders: 95 in 1992, 74 in 1993, and 81 each in 1994 and 1995 In 1997 The first Gang to ever be indicted out of Colorado was the West Side Ballerz Posse WSBP a Chicano gang that resided in West Denver & branched off in surrounding Adams county in cities such as Commerce, Thornton, Brighton, and Westminster. In 1996, members of the FBI's Metro Gang Task Force (“MGTF”) were investigating suspected gang-related drug activity in Denver, Colorado. Specifically, MGTF was investigating members of the West Side Ballerz Posse whom it suspected were selling controlled substances and engaging in gang-related violence. As part of this investigation, a series of wiretaps were authorized in late 1996 against suspected members of this drug conspiracy. Gang-related crime has continued, as shown by the New Year's Day 2007 drive-by shooting of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams by members of the Tre Tre Crips, an East Denver street gang. The Crips in the city have several sub-sets such as Tre Deuce (DOD), Tre Foe, 35 Outlaws and the Tre Tre Gangstas. In 2017, the city's police estimated that there were 38,000 gang members in Denver, affiliated with 220 gangs. The Rollin 30s or Tre Tre Crips still have a powerful presence in the Denver area. In 2017 there were an estimated 2000 Bloods and Crips from Denver. These gangs are in various locations including Five Points, East Denver, Commerce City, Englewood, Aurora, North-East Park Hill and Federal Heights. Crips and Bloods have been commonly sighted almost all over Denver, even in the suburbs outside the city.
The Bounty Hunter Watts Bloods, also known as the Bounty Hunter Bloods, is a "set" of the Bloods gang alliance situated in the Nickerson Gardens public housing projects in Watts, Los Angeles.
The Rollin' 30s Harlem Crips are a "set" of the Crips alliance of street gangs. The gang was formed by Belizean American Crips who had moved from South Los Angeles to Belize and then to Harlem, New York.
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.
The Mob Piru are a "set" of the Piru gang alliance, which is itself part of the larger Bloods alliance. Suge Knight, the co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records, is an affiliate.
The Crenshaw Mafia Gangster Bloods are a "set" of the Bloods gang alliance. The gang is depicted in several movies, including Boyz n the Hood and Straight Outta Compton.
The Rollin' 90s Neighborhood Crips are a "set" of the larger Crips gang alliance, located on the west side of South Los Angeles, California. The gang has since spread to other parts of the United States.
The Crips and the Bloods, two street gangs founded in Los Angeles, California, have been engaged in a gang war since the 1970s. The war is made up of smaller, local conflicts perpetrated by chapters of both gangs, and has mostly taken place in major cities in the United States, especially Los Angeles (L.A.). It is also present in other countries, including Belize. The gangs often identify themselves using clothing colored blue for Crips and red for Bloods; people wearing those colors in gang territory are often targets of violence.
The Lueders Park Piru are a "set" of the Piru gang alliance, which itself is part of the larger Bloods alliance. The Lueders Park Piru has its origins in the Lueders Park Hustlers, an independent street gang which was instrumental in the formation of the Bloods gang alliance in 1972.