The Watts Grape Street Crips (GSWC) stand as a significant entity within the complex landscape of Los Angeles street gangs. Rooted in the Jordan Downs Housing Projects of Watts, South Los Angeles, this primarily African-American gang has a history as intricate as the streets they claim. Spanning from Grape Street itself to 97th Street, and nestled between Alameda Street and 103rd Street, the Jordan Downs projects serve as the heartland for this influential Crip set.
Identifying themselves through the color purple, the Grape Street Crips are not a monolithic entity but rather a collective of various cliques. These include names like Baby Locs, 103rd Street, Dust Town, and Bandera Blocc 97, amongst others, each contributing to the larger Grape Street identity. While holding the position of the second-largest gang in Watts, they are a formidable force, surpassed in size only by the Bounty Hunter Bloods residing in the Nickerson Gardens Housing Projects. The PJ Watts Crips, based in the Imperial Courts housing projects, further shape the intricate gang dynamics of the area.
From Watts Varrio Grape to Grape Street Crips: An Evolution
The origins of the Grape Street Watts Crips trace back to the Watts Varrio Grape (WVG), a gang with Hispanic roots that initially included both Mexican and Black members. However, the evolving gang affiliations of the 1970s saw the Latino members aligning with the Mexican Mafia and adopting the “Sereno” brand. This shift led to a name change to South Side Varrio Grape 13, reflecting their connection to the Mexican Mafia through the number 13.
This realignment paved the way for the Black members of Watts Varrio Grape to solidify their own identity. They formed the Watts Baby Loc/Grape Street Crips, establishing the Jordan Downs Housing Projects as their central base of operations. Despite this separation, a unique aspect of the Grape Street Crips’ history is the enduring familial alliance maintained with the South Side Varrio Grape gang across generations. Though operating independently, these two gangs share a close bond and find common ground in rivalries, notably against the East Coast Crips and the Florencia 13 gang.
Size, Rivalry, and the Watts Truce
The Grape Street Crips are recognized as the largest Crip gang within Watts, boasting an estimated membership exceeding 2,000 active individuals. Their most intense and historically bloody rivalry is with the Bounty Hunter Bloods. This conflict has defined gang life in Watts for decades. Interestingly, amidst the violence, the Grape Street Crips, along with the Bounty Hunter Bloods and PJ Watts Crips, participated in the significant 1992 Watts Truce. This event marked a moment of attempted peace in a city often defined by gang conflict.
Grape Street Crips in Popular Culture
The Grape Street Crips’ influence extends beyond the streets and into popular culture. They have been featured in notable documentaries seeking to understand gang life in America. Films like Crips and Bloods: Made in America and Dead Homies, as well as episodes of Gangland on the History Channel, have explored their story. Furthermore, the rivalry between the Grape Street Crips and the East Coast Crips was analyzed in National Geographic specials focusing on Los Angeles gang wars, highlighting the national attention on these local conflicts. Even music and film have drawn from the Grape Street Crips’ world. Rapper Spider Loc, known for his connections to gang culture, filmed parts of his music video “Blutiful World” within the Jordan Downs Housing Projects. Similarly, the impactful motion picture Menace II Society, depicting life in the projects, included filming locations in Jordan Downs, further cementing the area’s association with gang narratives in popular imagination.
Allies and Rivals: Navigating Gang Territory
The Grape Street Crips operate within a complex web of alliances and rivalries typical of gang culture. They are positioned as rivals to numerous Bloods and Crips gangs throughout Watts. However, they also maintain alliances with specific groups. Key allies include the South Side Watts Varrio Grape, reflecting their shared history, as well as Grape Street Crips sets in other locations like New Jersey. Within Los Angeles, they are known to align with other Crip gangs such as the Eight Tray Gangster Crips, Rollin 30’s Harlem Crips, and various Compton Crips sets (CC Riders).
Conversely, their list of rivals is extensive, encompassing a range of gangs including 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. This network of relationships underscores the intricate and often volatile nature of gang dynamics in Watts and South Los Angeles.
In conclusion, the Watts Grape Street Crips represent a deeply entrenched and historically significant gang within the Watts district of Los Angeles. From their roots in the Jordan Downs Housing Projects to their complex relationships with allies and rivals, and their portrayal in media, they are a key piece in understanding the broader narrative of American gang culture.
