1. Socio-Economics & Politricks Cont'd
The Gangs of NY
Socio-Economics & Politricks Cont'd

2. Chang “Junkie Massacre” 11K gang members, 70% Puerto Rican
#s largely excluded girl divisions

3. Gangs to Hip Hop Continuities:
Gang leaders became hip hop leaders (i.e. Bambaataa)
Hip hop “replaced” gang culture and gang “time”
Bricolage, or appropriation of symbols
Colors
Expression through style
Crews
Graffiti, Dance (Apache Line / Rockin)
Empowerment
Fame
Social justice and community building

4. The Education of Sonny Carson (1974)
Dir. Michael Campus
Based on a true story
1950s Brooklyn
Sonny is in The Lords gang
Old Mill = Apache Line
Dialog is heavily sampled in rap songs

5. “Apache Line” Enter, leave or mess up within the gang
Apache line is a gang dance known as the Uprock, Rocking, or The Rock
Uprocking morphed into the bboy/girl dance of “toprocking,” which are any moves that are done standing up!

6. Fort Apache, the Bronx (1981)
Dir. Daniel Petrie, Trailer
One of Time-Life's first films
Stars Pam Grier and Paul Newman
Based on a true life book that portrays South Bronx through the eyes of police
Controversy over negative portrayal of ALL Blacks and Puerto Ricans in film
CAFA= Committee Against Fort Apache
Joe Conzo, talks about CAFA

7. The Warriors (1979) Dir. Walter Hill
Based on Sol Yurick's novel and the Greek story of Anabasis by Xenophon
Futuristic / comic book aesthetic
Warriors Stranded in the Tremont
Paramount made Hill cast whites for “commercial reasons”
Spawned “moral panic” and violence
Opening scene=Hoe Avenue peace meeting
Cyrus=Black Benjie

8. Warriors, Cont'd
Only human life in NYC are gangs, cops and a couple bystanders
City as menace; we need to see the sign of neglected infrastructure
Gangs perform stereotypes and comical representations
Divorce gangs from social context

9. The Warriors, Video Game
2005
Action-survival game