Watch the CLos Interview
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RealToonTV interviews CLos of the 103 Grape Street Crips
Him and his younger brother are members of the 103 Grape Street Crips Organization. He speaks on how the gang culture was a way of life for the members, like a religion. There was a certain way they walked and dressed. They created “Crip Houses” that houses 10-15 members, so they even woke up with their homies. The crip houses were created out of necessity for members who didn’t have a place to live. He speaks on how things are different due the incarceration of many of the Big Homies who set these standards. Once the newer generation came about, they didn’t get the education of the past traditions of cripping. They made their own way but for CLos it was common sense that he should look out for his little homies. Additionally, there was a lack of separation between different chapters of Crip organization due to them all being from the Southside. He reflects on a story about the release of the movie Menace to Society, close to 100 members came out to view the movie, afterwards they left and corralled in a crip house. Just down the street from them were about 20-30 police units looking for them. They decided to disperse to avoid their hideout out being raided. However, it backfired when the police who were unaware of their location until the left the house spotted them leaving and pursued. Many of the members, including CLos were arrested that night for evading arrest.
Reflecting on his problematic childhood, he confesses that he was troubled as a child and stayed in trouble. His first interaction with the police was when he was only ten years old and thereafter, he would grow up within the juvenile system and apart of gangs, way before colors came into play. In 87’ Carlos became CLos due to the influence of the gang life and selling drugs. He later had two sons and due to how his mentality being so focused on the gang life he said that his sons would follow in his footsteps and become gang members too. Around the time he was in prison one of his sons did in fact become a crip albeit not a Grape Street Crip. Shortly after CLos being released from prison one of his sons tragically loss his life due to gang violence. The death of his son hurt him severely, but he believes that it was the consequence of being in the streets. He feels he made mothers and fathers of his victims feel the same way he did because of his actions so it was a punishment for him. CLos recalls the war in Fort Worth in 1994, people were being killed daily and this was around the time of Bill Clinton’s Crime Bill. Most of the members were being incarcerated and while in jail many people would disown their affiliations to the gangs avoid different treatment from the authorities. However, this was violation to the set and was considered as extreme disrespect. While incarcerated CLos decided to come together with the other Big Homies of the organizations to propose a truce and end the war. Through his experience in prison, he was able to accept that there wasn’t much of a difference between crips and bloods. There wasn’t a division of color blue and red but the colors brown, black and white. If he were to see both colors walking down the street together, he would find it admirable. Currently, CLos is a businessman and owns a club which he runs and manages. If he could speak to his younger self, he would encourage himself to invest his money and start a business sooner.
