Rap, gangs and carnage - the true story behind GTA San Andreas (Topic)

GTA V continues to impress with its attention to the world's finest detail and Los Angeles. RDR 2 went even further, but the fifth Grand Theft Auto at one time presented some crazy things, like stains of sweat and blood or the sounds of a spanking slap. 16 years ago, when we first visited Los Santos, there were no such details. However, when GTA: San Andreas came out, we were thrilled for completely different reasons: the scale was huge and the possibilities seemed limitless.

Aside from the freedom the game offered, it had a gangster setting - no more Nice Guys crap; the time has come for the guys who were hanging out in machines on hydraulics under Ice Cube and Dr. Dre. This particular atmosphere was the studio's attempt to recreate the real world and true stories. With more than 450 criminal groups, Los Angeles is called the capital of American crime. It was this city that became the battleground for many gangs, and the birthplace of "gangsta life".

In GTA: San Andreas, the realities of Los Angeles in the early 90s were pretty well represented. The police arrest CJ for no apparent reason, everyone is wearing the colors of a certain gang, battles for territory are going on in the city, graffiti of groups are everywhere, and we are clearly shown the conflict between Ballas and Grove Street. But these are not some conventions invented for the game - this is reality, and, perhaps, still the bread and butter of gangster life in Los Angeles. And we are shown a real conflict between the Crips and Bloods that occurred in the early 90s, which resulted in a lot of violence.

And how did it all start? What were the events that led to the tragic 1992 for all of Los Angeles, when the events of GTA: SA take place? Here's the dark real-life story behind GTA: San Andreas and its impact on virtual Los Santos, as told by Gamepressure.

Emergence of Crips

The beginning of a bloody war between the notorious Crips and Bloods goes back to the late 1960s. A turbulent period in the history of the United States, when racism and segregation based on skin color was more relevant than ever. Not only were African Americans unable to get into certain public places; they were also prohibited from joining various organizations and trade unions.

The street was the whole life of young people who suffered from poverty and lack of prospects. Among them was Raymond Washington, a fifteen-year-old who grew up among street gangs. In 1969, he founded his own band, Baby Avenues.

Raymond became its leader; he was a charismatic and tough fist fighter. Expelled from many schools, he found friends on the street and the gang grew rapidly. He met Stanley Williams at Washington Special School in 1971, and the two quickly discovered that they were very similar. After capturing territory from small gangs in the area, Washington and Williams controlled the eastern and western parts of southern Los Angeles - new gangs were formed there, and the first of them was the Crips.

It is not known exactly where the name Crips came from, but it is believed that it was originally called Cribs, but the name was transformed under the influence of the word crippin, which was used by journalists to describe the specific appearance, gestures and slang of the gang members. The official color of the Crips was blue. It is believed to have been chosen as a tribute to Buddha, a deceased gang member who always wore a blue bandana.

Bloods Brotherhood

Not everyone was happy with the fact that the Crips were reclaiming territories and absorbing smaller gangs. When they started attacking Campton, two high school students, Sylvester Scott and Benson Owens, decided to challenge them and formed their own Piru Street Family gang to defend their neighborhood. At the very beginning of the conflict, there were only fights between the groups over the invasion of foreign territory, which were a matter of honor for Washington, the leader of the Crips who despised weapons. However, in 1972, the first murder took place, and a few months later the second in the name of revenge.

Groups hostile to the Crips such as The Pirus, Black P Stones, Athens Park Boys and several others teamed up to form the Brotherhood of Blood, which later grew into the Bloods. The merger was initiated by The Pirus, believed to be the founders of the Bloods. Their official color was red, the color of their high school. The colors served not only to show their gang affiliation, but also to quickly identify who was who. The gang members often lived side by side: just crossing the street could be considered an invasion. The conflict between the Crips and Bloods escalated gradually in two rather different stages.

"Moment. American gangs borrowed the custom of drawing graffiti and marking their territories from Hispanics. Members of the Crips always crossed out the letters B, and the Bloods, in turn, were disgusted with C and did not even use it, replacing it with B, for example, not coffee, but boffee. ”

Gang War - Stage One

The reason for the war was the arrest of Raymond Washington in 1974 for robbery. Even without a charismatic leader, the gang continued to grow in size. The Bloods, which were much smaller, sought to compensate for this with unity, loyalty and more brutal methods. Instead of fists, firearms and edged weapons were used. Car gunfights and attacks on enemy territory have become commonplace in south central Los Angeles.

After being released from prison in the late 70s, Raymond Washington could not accept reality. He decided to unite the gangs and end the war, but things went too far and he no longer controlled what he created.

On August 9, 1979, Washington was shot dead for unknown reasons. The police only established that he knew the killers.

Gang War - Stage Two

Gangs are caught in a vicious circle of murders and revenge for them. In less than 10 years, what started out as school fights has grown to over 350 murders a year. The second phase of the escalation of the conflict began around 1982, when gangs discovered how much money could be made from the drug trade.

In an instant, enormous wealth paved the way for the members of the Crips and Bloods not only into the world of expensive cars, trendy clubs and resorts, but also allowed them to modernize their arsenal. Six-round revolvers and old shotguns were replaced by SMGs. Residents of central southern LA were always on the lookout for not a day passed without gunfights.

As the gangsters got richer, violence shifted to the more peaceful and affluent areas of Los Angeles. When a young innocent girl accidentally fell victim to gangsters in 1988, the city began to stir for the first time. Sheriff Daryl Gates orchestrated Operation Hammer. In an instant, thousands of officers flooded the southern part of Los Angeles, 1,500 people were arrested in 24 hours, and this was just the beginning of the operation. The police chased the gangsters day and night. The violence stopped, but a powerful law enforcement attack had its consequences.

In many inspections and raids, innocent people were accidentally killed and arrested, again sparking a wave of allegations of racism and deliberate persecution of blacks. Sheriff Gates, after the arrest of 25,000 people, had to complete the operation. The Crips and Bloods are back on the streets, making up for lost time with even more enthusiasm.

At the turn of the 80s and early 1990s, the number of murders in gang wars reached 700 per year. The endless chain of violence has already reached such proportions that the gangs themselves have begun to contemplate ending the war.

We are therefore entering a period in which GTA: San Andreas is taking place. The start of the game indicates that the year CJ returns from Liberty City to Los Santos is not accidental. 1992 is arguably the darkest year in Los Angeles history, but also a turning point in the gang war.

Gang Wars in GTA San Andreas

And while the war between Ballas and Grove Street refers us to the conflict between the Crips and the Bloods, it is a bit softened [despite all the brutality of the GTA]. In the sense that only part of the game is dedicated to it.

From the very beginning we find ourselves in the realities of that time. Karl is arrested for no apparent reason, later we are thrown into the Ballas territory, and then they themselves attack us. Later, at his mother's funeral, Sweet shows Carl the graves of dead homies and says the phrase: “First everyone shoots, then they ask questions.”

During the first few missions, the storyline of GTA: San Andreas amazes us with everything that happened on a daily basis during the climax of the battles of the Crips and Bloods in Los Angeles in the late 1980s and early 1990s without exaggeration. And then the challenges of the gang war hints even more vividly at the dark reality and history shown in GTA: San Andreas

There are also other gangs in the game based on those existing at that time.

Grove Street - Crips or Bloods?

Blue and red for Crips and Bloods, green and purple for Grove and Ballas. So who are we really playing for in the Grand Theft Auto series? Both CJ in GTA: SA and Franklin in GTA V are part of the Families Gang, aka Grove Street, but are they really Crips or Bloods?

It is difficult to give a definite answer. Many on the Internet, as well as survivors of Los Angeles, believe that the Crips are represented as Grove Street and the Bloods as Ballases. It would be wrong for developers to sympathize with one of the two gangs. Instead, the creators made the only correct decision and mixed the characteristics of both groups.

However, the biggest argument for Ballas being more Crips is that both gangs are more powerful and more numerous. Ballas purple - sounds like Crips. There is also the word "loc" used by Crips to refer to other members, but this is also the case with Families. As for Grove Street, their green color is similar to red, and besides, like the Bloods, they are much smaller but rallying. Plus, the Grove Street Family name clearly refers to the Piru Street Family.

City on fire

Let's now go back to the history of Los Angeles. It all started earlier - in March 1991. Like many horror stories, the beginning, it seemed, could not lead to this. After a short chase on California State Highway 210, gangster Rodney King was pulled out of the car and mercilessly beaten by five of the fifteen police officers. The entire beating was accidentally recorded by George Holliday and reported to the media. Less than two weeks later, a shop assistant shoots Latasha Harlins, suspecting her of stealing a bottle of orange juice. Public opinion is reaching outrage, but nothing is yet indicative of the events that will spur these incidents.

In November 1991, the case of Latasha's murder was solved, and she was found not guilty of theft. Contrary to people's expectations, the store owner receives a short suspended sentence, community service, and a $ 500 fine. This is the price of human life. Around the end of April 1992, there was a trial of the police who stopped and beat Rodney King, the charge of assault and abuse of power ends with their acquittal. Rodney King and Latasha Harlins were black. This was the main point. A few hours after the verdict was announced, people take to the streets and mass protests begin.

Members of the Crips and Bloods stop passing cars and haul white drivers out of them, beating them unconscious. Stores are robbed and set on fire. The attack is directed mainly at the police, whites and Asians, who operate the surrounding businesses and shops. The situation is getting worse by the hour, and the streets of South Los Angeles are filled with anarchy and madness. Smoke plumes hang over the southern part of the city. Sports events are canceled or postponed, Metallica, Van Halen and Guns n 'Roses are postponing their concerts. For a short time, Bloods and Crips work side by side, forgetting antagonism and even flaunting their friendship.

On the third day, the National Guard arrives, and later more than 10,000 soldiers and federal troops will arrive in the city. Only the presence of well-armed soldiers and armored personnel carriers ultimately suppresses the riots.

However, the riots in 1992 brought the long-awaited truce between the Crips and Bloods, which the gangs concluded during the pogrom.

In San Andreas, we see an identical situation where officers Tempini and Pulaski are acquitted, and madness begins in the city. The difference is that CJ and friends are not using it to end the gang war, but to settle scores with the police.

By the way, Pulaski and Tempini themselves and their department also have a real basis. In the 70s, a special division CRASH [Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums] was created in Los Angeles. It was part of the Los Angeles Police Department dedicated to fighting crime, gangs and drug trafficking. Created in 1979, it was run by Sheriff Daryl Gates, who temporarily expelled gangs from the streets of Los Angeles in 1988 in a feat.

In 1997, a huge scandal called "Rampart Scandal" occurred with the organization. It was one of the largest identified and documented cases of US police corruption. About 70 CRASH members were accused of corruption, counterfeiting and concealing evidence, abuse of power, arms dealing, drug trafficking, all in collaboration with Bloods and Death Raw Records. Several police officers were also suspected of involvement in the murder of rapper Notorious BIG. The branch was disbanded in 2000.

The GTA did not even change the name of the unit, and the charges against Pulaski and Tempini fully coincide with those brought forward by the police officer in Rampart Scandal.

This is the real bloody story on which GTA San Andreas is based, and as for me it is reproduced well.

The Topic of Article: Rap, gangs and carnage - the true story behind GTA San Andreas.
Author: Jake Pinkman