Colton Simpson - Inside the Crips: Life Inside L.A.’s Most Notorious Gang

Acknowledgments

Jodie Rhodes, our agent, pleaded, cajoled, and dragged me into this project. For that I want to thank her, because writing this book has been a terrific adventure. Its been a privilege to become close to Lil Cee Loc and his world. More than simply a team, we will always be friends and family to each other, counted on for both love and loyalty. Working with St. Martins and Elizabeth Beier has been easy and invigorating, made that way by her effortless enthusiasm. And I want to thank Heather Florence and Catherine Revland for their patient attention in smoothing out some rough edges.

Elizabeth Kai Hinton had a vision of what this could be from the beginning and read this manuscript in its earliest stages; her suggestions and perceptions were incorporated. James Martin DellOrcos insights are peppered throughout this book. Our discussions as well as his support were invaluable. Both of them provided me with what a writer needs to counterbalance the isolation of the work. Susan Beth Miller, as always, improved the prose and consistency; Dr. Moses Everett brought his psychological/sociological intelligence to the material and characters; and Mr. Timothy Kornegay provided his knowledge of history, time, language, and people. Dr. Ren Farley supplied me with source materials. My children buttressed me with encouragement, excitement, and (always) love, and they have included Colton in our circle.

I relied on the work of Eldridge Cleaver, George Jackson, and Mumia Abu-Jamal for information and perspective. The figures quoted are from Servico Brasileiro De Justice E Paz , Sept. 21, 1995; Sacramento Bee , May 25, 1989; and the Prison Activist Resource Center . Several books informed the pages of this work. Among them are: The Culture of Control: Crime and Social Order in Contemporary Society , by David Garland; Prismatic Metropolis: Inequality in Los Angeles , by Lawrence D. Bobo, Melvin Oliver, James H. Johnson, and Abel Valenquela; and Alejandro A. Alonsos thesis, Territoriality Among African-American Street Gangs in Los Angeles .

Ann Pearlman

Infinite love goes out to all the Crips and Bloods who fought and struggled with me inside of prison for what is right. Think not that our energy and efforts were in vain; for those who have impeded our progress there has been a price. And with this book, a soldier has come!

To the symbol of beauty, dominance, and perfection: Louise DeBlanc (my grandmother), the only mother Ive ever had. For catching me when I fell. You are omnipresent in my life.

To my only wife and eternal friend, Regina Leshawn Jake, the only person who covered my back through this entire ordeal. And to my brother, Smiley, and the entire Jake family.

To Ann Pearlman, my coauthor. For your undying support and love. You are so right about us making a good team. Love and loyalty to u always.

To my editor at St. Martins Press, Elizabeth Beier. For believing in me and Ann Pearlman and making this thing so unbelievably smooth. People told me you were the strictest editor one could encounter. They were right (smile).

To Jodie Rhodes, my agent, for believing in my work. God sent you, Im sure.

To the most powerful woman in the word: Karen SK Bailey. For helping me transform.

To two matches made in heaven: Tracy Marrow, a.k.a. rapper/actor Ice Tmy brother in faith, comrade in ideology, and mentor in spiritsand Darlene Ortiz (my younger sister); and my sister and brother-in-law, Lisa Ashby and Steven Ashby. You are living examples of what love and loyalty can create. I love you unconditionally. Your spear and shield.

To my nephew, Ice Marrow, a.k.a. Lil Ice T. U may not know this, but when u introduced me to paintball you gave me an outlet that calms me even to this day. It opened a lane for me to shoot people for fun and not get in trouble. I just bought an electric trigger. Youre dead meat (smile).

To Uncle Van, Uncle Timothy, Schellee Rocher, and Greg Parks. You four have had my back since day one. How will I ever repay you for all youve done?

To my longtime friends, DAndre Clark, Steve Thompson, Brian Sims, Bentley Evans, and my cousin, Steven Stevo Young. Man, weve been through so much together. You guys have really had my back. Much love and respect.

To the original member of the Soledad Seven, Ruchell McGee; XBlack Panther party member Geronimo Pratt, and all the other brothers that aided me when I had no direction and no assistance. We are one. Men sharpen mensteel sharpens steel!

To my cousins, Mark Laidler (310 Motoring), Chris Mills (NBA player), and Kirt Watts. Had it not been for you three Id definitely be in chains. Infinite love from the highest.

To my father, Richard Dick Simpson. And all my real family members. For your undying love and support.

To Tamara. Ive never had someone be as down as you are for me. Infinite love.

To Coach Brown, vocational instructor Loren Erickson, Lt. Hunt at Calipatria State Prison, and the best university in the world, prison, for teaching me so much.

To Lunatick Frank from the Rollin Sixties. For teaching me the most valuable lesson a prisoner can learn: security!

To all the fallen soldiers of the Harlem Crips. And Cornell Nelsie Smith (R.I.P.) from the Rollin Sixties. Not a single day goes by without thoughts of you. You are still alive.

To Timothy Big H Kornegay, Louie Three Finger Louie Cook, Vigil Kato Byers, Mike Watt Nitty Byers, and Sheree Torres. For keeping it real when the word real was alien to our world.

To Adam Winnick. In 2002, you saved my life. I love you, man.

To those who live now in prisons across America and abroad. There is hope. There is spirit. And there is a God. Keep the faith.

To all my present and X-homeboys and homegirls, Crips, Bloods, and nonaffiliates. You know these folks are making it extremely hard for us. Life is a struggle, without that struggle there is no progress. Open your eyes wide and overstand that we are all from the same fista clinched fist. Discipline is the key.

And, finally, to the players in the false charges against me for shooting Son, including my first lawyer, the witnesses, the prosecutor, and the sentencing judge. Youve proven to me that there are no such things as rights; theyre privileges of the powerful and rich. For me, rights were nothing more than a mere chimera that vanished in front of me once I reached out to grab them as something real and substantial. Ive finally figured out why you did this to me: to make me a voice. Hallelujah!

Colton Simpson

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Authors Note

This is a personal story of gang and prison life. Some events and conversations have necessarily been reconstructed. I have changed many of the names, yet because gang members often change their names or use multiple names, it is possible that the fictitious names I have selected will be the same as the gang or the legal name of people who are not characters in my life or the book.

ONE

Transformation

There is an abundance of hope, but none for us.

Franz Kafka

Events are lined up like dominoes falling so fast I dont have time to think about one before the next one tumbles. Most of my life, Ive been at war. If theres a time before war, its the time before remembering.

And so my first memory is when I am four and in a motel room down the street from our home. Its Los Angeles, 1969. I race matchbox cars on a light stripe on a brown rug. The sun shining through venetian blinds creates my road. Damon, my brother a year older, crashes his blue car into my truck. Bam. Krr, he growls and knocks my truck from the road to lie on its side, the small wheels spinning.