Honestly as some1 who still lives in the hood wher I grew up on the Cape Flats, and who has friends and fam in the manenberg area, i havent noticed a drastic increase in gang membership.
I reckon a recent upsurge in activity has got to do with the recent death of one of the pivotal figures in the gang culture. This has in my opinion brought with it a tussle for turf.
It is not as neccessary or cool to be in a gang anymore. When I was a laaitie u either had to join a gang, roll with gansters or be so hard you fuct gangsters up (generally a brief kinda glory), in order to survive day-to-day. Nowadays the gangs are very large and complex corporations dedicated to makin money just like any bizniz. They still are folop on soljas but war gets in the way of money-makin so its a last resort.
As to the music thing, lotsa gangsters might listen to and luv hip hop, but itsa personal thing, in fact these days most g´s/dealers luvin the house in all its forms, cos the club kids are the ones buyin drugs.
Hip hop´s always been ther but it was just music, the gangsters used to laugh at serious heds, callin us "wannabe niggas", now they all thugged out on fubu. Bling has always been a gangster thing tho, I neva got down like that cos I found it difficult to pop n´ break wit heavy chains round my neck.
They findin mor activity at schools is cos gangs saturated all other markets, kiddies are fresh customers. Thats the reason i used to be one of the fuc gangster up kinda guys, but gettin shot and further death threats kinda caused me to slow down, now I cant pop or break for shit.
But even as my last blood spurts thru my lips it will carry with my last rhyme.
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