“He closed his eyes. He lifted the cocked un to his head. Maybe it’ll get stuck. He thought, what if it’s all gonna end right here. Sweat dripped from his chin. He pulled the trigger.” The individual participating in this sick initiation ritual is only thirteen years old. He was only a boy. This is merely one instance of gang dominance. This story, however, speaks multitudes on the complete power and control that gangs possessed. If boys of thirteen are willing to put a gun to their head to join it leaves little hope for society to escape this control. Gangs manipulated the human need for acceptance and family and turned it against itself. It perverts that need to instead serve themselves. It gives context to hip-hop being so much more than just music or dancing. True hip-hop evolved from this gang lifestyle. As the chapter continues it goes on to describe how gangs died out but left behind a similar life style. It makes one question what hip-hop would have been like without such devastating gang control.
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