Code of Thug Life

After the senseless death of eleven-year old Ephraim Brown on July 22 in Toronto – caught in the crossfire of rival gangs – I received an email from Toronto Sun columnist Rachel Sa, enquiring whether street gang members operated with any semblance of a “code of conduct”.

It was a good question, given the brazen and utterly irresponsible action of the men responsible - and later arrested – for the death of young Ephraim. As I explained to Rachel, every society or subculture has a code of conduct that provides order for its participants, including the general society, the prison society and even the gangster society.

In her column, Ms. Sa quoted me extensively and highlighted that back in the late 80s and early 90s, when black on black violence in the L.A. area grew out of control, hip hop star Tupac Shakur penned The Codes Of Thug Life, purportedly designed to give order to the rise of gang violence and drug dealing. Certain immoral actions were made against the code and essentially became the “ethical code” of the street gang world. These codes were officially signed off on by leaders of warring Bloods and Crips gang sets at a peace treaty picnic called the Truc Picnic, in California in 1992.

Essentially, a watered-down version of these codes is known to many street gang members (see below), although it must be said that many do not live by the codes written by 2Pac (such as #7 – “slinging” means drug dealing, and we know that many street gangs in the country have young “pee wees” as young as 8 dealing crack and pot in urban areas).

Of these rules, the one most respected relates to being a rat. Much like the code of silence in traditional organized crime (like Omerta, for example), you don’t: a) snitch or act as witness to a street crime; b) even if you are a victim of a crime, you settle the score on the street, not through the criminal justice system.

Despite the view held by many that gang life lacks governance of any kind, there is more or less a fragmented code of conduct for street gang members. Some gangsters have standards, some do not, as was displayed in the Brown tragedy. Indeed, for many gangsters, these standards help them set themselves apart from another, perhaps less worthy or “honourable”, gangster. In this way, these standards, along with their propensity for violence, leadership qualities, criminal enterprise abilities and the like, allow a gang member to establish a reputation and standing on the street.

Here is Tupac’s Code of Thug Life.

1. All new Jacks to the game must know: a) He’s going to get rich. b) He’s going to jail. c) He’s going to die.
2. Crew Leaders: You are responsible for legal/financial payment commitments to crew members; your word must be your bond.
3. One crew’s rat is every crew’s rat. Rats are now like a disease; sooner or later we all get it; and they should too.
4. Crew leader and posse should select a diplomat, and should work ways to settle disputes. In unity, there is strength!
5. Carjacking in our Hood is against the Code.
6. Slinging to children is against the Code.
7. Having children slinging is against the Code.
8. No slinging in schools.
9. Since the rat Nicky Barnes opened his mouth; ratting has become accepted by some. We’re not having it.
10. Snitches is outta here.
11. The Boys in Blue don’t run nothing; we do. Control the Hood, and make it safe for squares.
12. No slinging to pregnant Sisters. That’s baby killing; that’s genocide!
13. Know your target, who’s the real enemy.
14. Civilians are not a target and should be spared.
15. Harm to children will not be forgiven.
16. Attacking someone’s home where their family is known to reside, must be altered or checked.
17. Senseless brutality and rape must stop.
18. Our old folks must not be abused.
19. Respect our Sisters. Respect our Brothers.
20. Sisters in the Life must be respected if they respect themselves.
21. Military disputes concerning business areas within the community must be handled professionally and not on the block.
22. No shooting at parties.
23. Concerts and parties are neutral territories; no shooting!
24. Know the Code; it’s for everyone.
25. Be a real ruff neck. Be down with the code of the Thug Life.
26. Protect yourself at all times.

Comments

[Pdubs]

as for comments well u for got the ones most important code of thugs life that and brother or sister has to obide by and thats RIDE OR DIE also know to have been unknown to anyone till DMX rymed about it with the losangles ruff Ryders .

[steve]

IMHO reporting slinging to kids by adults or kids to TIPS hotline is not "ratting" due to anonymity of TIPS. But TIPS operators want names and numbers of culprits. It is not "ratting" to provide names and numbers of people slinging to kids and mothers-to-be.

[kayleigh]

tupac is my hero he is my everythimg he is my world and yes i live 6y thease standards except for ima crip

[J]

DAMN THATS WHATS UP ITS ALL ABOUT THAT WEST SIDE... RESPECT THE CODE

[donna]

tupac is great all people should respect the code of thug life and all things will change
The Hate U Gave Lil Infants Fucks Everyoung (thug life)

[blood]

i hate cripz

[Chi]

As a parent I have a little bit of fear that my son will get influenced by the wrong people. I will do all that I can as a mother to nuture him and give to him all the things in life he needs to become a confident young man. A man that doesn't need to feel that his only purpose in life is 'to get rich and die trying'.
To all of you young men and women out there who are in a gang, I love you and I pray for you.
I have lost 3 people in my life here in Toronto due to guns and gangs.........I just don't see the point!
Life isn't about the little corner you protect.....Find out what life is about for you.....what it's REALLY about!
Stop fooling yourself. Be smarter.

[Elijah]

Pac's the best

[nick]

thug life forever nigga im a g thugz life yo pacs the dope shit

[G]

long live THUGLIFE....................

[vato loco]

thug life till i die nigga

[umamabeanigger]

stupid niggers