Keepin It Gangsta

Many of us have grown up in one of the many hoods in America. In these neighborhoods or "Hoods" there are many widely held beliefs that are never held up to the light of the truth. One such belief is the "Keeping it Gangsta" mantra that you hear on subways, on the streets, in barbershops, night clubs, etc. Basically anywhere there are young black men. Let’s look at some of the beliefs of those that "Keep it Gangsta" and how their actions are not only far from "Gangsta", but reveals a deep self hate that is hard to ignore.

In America the word "Gangsta" is most commonly associated with the Italian Mafia, aka "Organized Crime". Many rappers have named themselves after Italian American gangsters. "Capone", "Irv Gotti" "Three Six Mafia" "Junior Mafia", are a few examples.

The real Mafia has their own set of rules and here are a couple of them. First, they will try very hard not to commit crime in their own neighborhood while they are involved in illegal activities to earn a living. Second, they also believe that women and children are off limits when it comes to their criminal activity. One way to insure a quick death from this green earth is to try and sustain criminal activity in a mob run neighborhood.

Third, they also believe in taking care of family first. Most Italian American gangsters believe in being married and raising a family. Fourth, Mob guys have been very successful using their money from illegal and criminal activity to invest in legitimate business. Fifth, Mafia organizations believe in placing their members on a ladder of power just like the military with those at the top having more power than those at the bottom.

These real gangstas usually do not run their criminal operations out of their own neighborhoods, daring anyone from law enforcement to the residents to do something about it. Let’s see how the "Keeping it Gangsta" crowd measures up.

So is it safe to assume that those in the Hood that "Keep it Gangsta" do not commit crimes in their own neighborhood? That they exclude women and children from their criminal activity? That for all their negatives, they at least take care of family first?

The truth is the only place the "Keeping it Gangsta" crowd commits crimes is in their own neighborhoods. Selling drugs, robbery, murder, and assault all goes on in the very same "hood" these so-called "gangstas" live in. They prey on their own people, afraid to even dream of committing their misdeeds in a white neighborhood. That would be truly gangsta.

This is why "black on black crime" is out of control in the hoods of this country. All the so-called gangstas are afraid to take their show on the road and see how it plays out. White people love to point out that black men are always killing other black men. They commit crimes against their own people all the time. Their actions simply destroy their neighborhoods.

How about protecting the women and children from the nasty under belly of their criminal activity? Innocent women and children are killed by stray gun fire daily in the hood. Women are also left to raise children on their own. The majority of women in the hood almost never becomes a wife and almost always becomes a “baby momma”. Too many kids in the hood are abandoned and left fatherless because “baby daddy” is either a dead beat dad, in jail, or six feet under.

The Italian Americans in the Mafia believe in family and try their best to raise their children in a home with a wife. This is a home that they will one day own after paying off the mortgage. Too many “Keeping it Gangsta” brothers never own a home and are either renters or living with Mom. Owning a home has always been one of the best investments a person could make in America because the value over time will increase and the property can be passed on to loved ones when one dies.

How often do we see illegal money in the hood being invested in legal businesses that really add value to the community. The last time it was checked, most of the businesses in the hood were owned by people that do not live in the hood and do not look like the guys that are "Keepin it Gangsta".

When did "Keepin it Gangsta" come to mean that you are a gangsta because no one tells you what to do? This was actually stated by Lil Wayne in a documentary about the rapper. This statement does not pass the truth test. Gangstas do what they are told to do all the time. There is a hierarchy in the the world of organized crime with one person at the top of every Mafia family.

This one person is the only one person in the organization that does not answer to anybody. He also got to where he is by being extremely good at doing what he was told to do. To not follow orders and do what one wants to do in the Mafia is a good way to get fitted for a pair of custom made cement boots.

One thing the "Keepin it Gangsta" crowd does have in common with the Italian Mafia is that they both believe in the "don’t snitch, stop snitching" or "don’t be a rat" mantra. The difference is the Mafia believes in not ratting out other mobsters that are committing crimes in other people’s neighborhoods.

The "Keeping it Gangsta" crowd believes in not "snitching" on those that are murdering and assaulting our brothers, beating our mothers, sisters and daughters, and selling drugs in their own neighborhoods, and killing our children with stray gun fire. The Mafia believes in keeping quiet about crimes that destroys other people’s neighborhoods while the “Keeping it Gangsta” guys believe in keeping quiet about crimes that are destroying their own neighborhoods.

Let’s be clear about one thing. Anyone can sit down, keep their mouth shut, and not speak out. It takes a tough guy to stand up and speak out when he realizes that it is his own people and community that is almost always on the losing end of the do not snitch policy in the hood.

What are the contributions of the "keep it gangsta" giants? Crimes in the hood almost never get solved because too many tough guy deaf mute witnesses are "Keeping it Gangsta".

It is interesting that in almost every instance, the silence and or actions of the "Keeepin it Gangsta" crowd hurts people who look like and face the same struggles as him. All of his anger, hatred and bitterness are directed toward people who look like him. If the “Keepin it Gangsta” brothers really want to be mobsters, then they should try to be like the Italian American Mafia by owning profitable bussinesses while also supporting their families and building up their communities.