As a kid growing up in Southern California in the 1980s, it was no surprise that I became a Crip. I learned how to sell drugs and gangbang, and when I moved to Kingston, New York, at age 18, I carried ...

The book, “Inside the Crips: Life Inside L.A.’s Most Notorious Gang,” was publicized as a tale of the former Crip’s redemption, one meant to divert youngsters from street crime and jewelry ...