The Grape Street Watts Crips (GSWC) stand as a significant African-American street gang deeply rooted in the Jordan Downs Housing Projects. This territory falls within the East Side of Watts, a historically significant district of South Los Angeles, California. Their primary domain, Jordan Downs, stretches from Grape Street up to 97th Street, nestled between Alameda Street and 103rd Street.
Identifying themselves through the color purple, the Grape Street Crips boast numerous cliques, highlighting their widespread presence and internal organization. These cliques include names like Baby Locs, 103rd Street, Dust Town, and Bandera Blocc 97, among others. Ranking as the second-largest gang in Watts, they follow the Bounty Hunter Bloods of the Nickerson Gardens Housing Projects in size, and precede the PJ Watts Crips, who operate from the Imperial Courts housing projects.
The origins of the Grape Street Watts Crips trace back to the Watts Varrio Grape (WVG), originally a Hispanic street gang that included both Mexican and Black members. However, the landscape shifted in the 1970s when the Latino members aligned with the Mexican Mafia, adopting the Sereno brand. This shift led to a name change to South Side Varrio Grape 13, incorporating the number 13 signifying their affiliation.
Consequently, the Black members associated with Watts Varrio Grape Street established the Watts Baby Loc/Grape Street Crips, claiming the Jordan Downs Housing Projects as their central base. Despite this divergence, a familial connection has persisted between both gangs across generations. While operating independently, they maintain a close relationship and share common adversaries such as the East Coast Crips and the Florencia 13 gang.
With a substantial membership exceeding 2,000 active individuals, the Grape Street Crips are recognized as the largest Crip gang within Watts. Their primary and most intense rivalry is with the Bounty Hunters Bloods, a conflict notorious for its bloodshed within the city. Notably, the Grape Street Crips, alongside the Bounty Hunter Bloods and the PJ Watts Crips, participated in the 1992 Watts Truce, a significant, albeit temporary, attempt at peace.
The Grape Street Crips’ story has reached broader audiences through appearances in documentaries like Crips and Bloods: Made in America and Dead Homies, as well as the Gangland series on the History Channel. Their conflict with the East Coast Crips was also featured in National Geographic specials focusing on Los Angeles Gang Wars. Furthermore, rapper Spider Loc filmed segments of his music video (Blutiful World) within the Jordan Downs Housing Projects, and parts of the acclaimed film Menace II Society were also shot in the same location, highlighting the area’s cultural impact and association with gang narratives.
In terms of affiliations, the Grape Street Crips consider all Bloods and Crips within Watts as rivals, except for specific allies. Their allies include the South Side Watts Varrio Grape, Grape Street Crips factions in New Jersey, the Eight Tray Gangster Crips, the Rollin 30’s Harlem Crips, and the Compton Crips (CC Riders). Their list of rivals is extensive, encompassing gangs such as the PJ Watts Crips, Hacienda Village Bloods, Circle City Piru, Ten Line Gangster Crips, East Coast Crips, Fudge Town Mafia Crips, 99 Watts Mafia Crips, Rollin 60s Neighborhood Crips, and Florencia 13.
