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Article: The sky falls on Compton: death and taxes. (Compton, California) (Cover Story)
- Article from:
- The Nation
- Article date:
- September 19, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 The Nation Company L.P. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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"This sad-ass town has been dissed to death. Everybody wants to stab Compton in the back."
Ricky Miller and I are cruising Compton Boulevard. The full moon--slung low over some elderly palm trees--bathes the tired 1950s landscape of America's most notorious city in a cold white light. The neighborhoods to the north of the boulevard are largely Crips territory; those to the south, predominantly Piru (Bloods) land. There has been an unsteady gang truce since 1992. It doesn't look much like the Boyz N the Hood phantasmagoria depicted in MTV videos. It is a hot summer evening, and the quiet streets are mostly empty.
Ricky, 34, is a local rap producer and ...