Reem Raw: Yo, yo, what up? It’s Reem Raw Radio: Fresh Perspective.
Interviewer: We talking today about the streets, jail, and gangs.
Reem Raw: I want to warn all the youngsters that might think it’s a game, just like the older heads tried to warn me but I was too hard headed to listen. In a way I did listen, but I didn’t. So I want everybody to take heed. Shit is not a game, and plus the game is dead.
The game was dead in my era, so it’s really dead now. You know what I’m saying? Ain’t nobody kingpins no more. Ain’t nobody getting no bread, you know. It’s just "get by" money. That’s “Michael Jordan sneaker” money. It’s not “move your mom out the hood” money, you know what I mean? Let’s get to it.
Interviewer: Word. Alright so I want to ask… I guess we start with the streets because that’s where it all begins. In terms of the big debate on black on black crime and all of these things, what would you say is the number one contributor to black deaths, or what would you say is your top killers of black men in the streets, particularly those involved with drug life, gang life, the thugs, all of those people. What’s the most dangerous thing you’re looking for?
Reem Raw: Well it evolves around the money, first of all. So, we can’t get jobs, so we have easier access to drugs than jobs. So it’s drugs and then it’s from two different perspectives. So you got your hustler, and he wants the… once you start hustling and you’re getting the chips, you start falling in love with the hustle.
You start falling in love with everything that comes with the hustle. You start falling in love with the danger... you start falling in love with the danger, you start falling in love with the women that come with it, the lifestyle, the parties, everybody know your name, everybody know you get money, then you gotta try to keep up facade now, that whole “I’m the man.”
As soon as you go to jail, that shit meant nothing, those people that praise you “aw you fly”, you know what I’m saying? Bitches “ah, ah”… Fuck out of here, dog. It’s lonely when you in that cell. Believe me.
So it’s the drugs. So like I said, let’s take it from two perspectives, and drugs is the center. Drugs and money. Drugs, you got your hustler. Like I said, you start falling in love with it. Then take the man who was hustling or who’s hustling, and he starts tripping with these chicks with the drugs. So then you start partying with your product, the chicks that’s surrounding you start taking it, and one day you slip up and start taking it, thinking you can handle it. Now what?
Now the hustler turns into the customer. Now you're the custy, now you’re hooked on your own product. Now you got a habit, you got a monkey. So you see how the offshoot comes in? And then think about it, it’s all a trap.
You start falling in love with everything that comes with the hustle. You start falling in love with the danger... you start falling in love with the danger, you start falling in love with the women that come with it, the lifestyle, the parties, everybody know your name, everybody know you get money, then you gotta try to keep up facade now, that whole “I’m the man.”
As soon as you go to jail, that shit meant nothing, those people that praise you “aw you fly”, you know what I’m saying? Bitches “ah, ah”… Fuck out of here, dog. It’s lonely when you in that cell. Believe me.
So it’s the drugs. So like I said, let’s take it from two perspectives, and drugs is the center. Drugs and money. Drugs, you got your hustler. Like I said, you start falling in love with it. Then take the man who was hustling or who’s hustling, and he starts tripping with these chicks with the drugs. So then you start partying with your product, the chicks that’s surrounding you start taking it, and one day you slip up and start taking it, thinking you can handle it. Now what?
Now the hustler turns into the customer. Now you're the custy, now you’re hooked on your own product. Now you got a habit, you got a monkey. So you see how the offshoot comes in? And then think about it, it’s all a trap.
Interviewer: Ok, so drugs are the number one killer. What's number two?
Reem Raw: Well, drugs and the lack of leadership, I would say. Because even in the era before me, yeah it was drugs but at least you had certain drug cliques who had a leader who could kind of keep things in order, that could run kind of a tight ship. Even though it was no rules, it was disciplines and checks and balances in place.
Now it's small cliques who... sometimes it ain't even about the money, it's what flag you got on, or this dude said some other shit. So the era before me, they had leaders that had some type of direction. This generation is leaderless. You don't have the OG's that the young boys look up to, or that the OG's command respect and they could make sure it's certain types of things going down to where war doesn't take over or disrupt business.
It was business first always. It should've always been business first, even when you're doing wrong. What's the main goal? It's the money. You can't beef and make money. You can't do it. So that's why older heads had made alliances, even if they ain't like each other. They made alliances, they did what they had to do in order to keep business flowing on both sides. That shit is over doggy.
So you mix the drugs with the lack of leadership with these automatic weapons, with these young niggas who not even smart enough to run nothing, that think a couple grams, or some quarters, or a half or something is really doing it... Or is ready to die over some Michael Jordan sneaker money, or some Michael Kors, or get a new belt, and it's over. It's over.
And then add on top of that, the type of laws that's been made, that's been put in place. That hang niggas. The type of laws that was made for the kingpins in the generation before me. That's who they made these RICO laws and these conspiracy laws for. So you're not even making their kind of money, but you can do their kind of time.
Not that any amount of money is worth it. Ask people like Rayful Edmond, who done made $300 million before he was 23? 24? So spend the rest of your life from 24 on up in a damn cell. Is it worth saying damn? Telling your cellmate "Yeah dog, I had $300 million." Or "I ran that type of organization, but it was over at 23" Or 24 or 25 or even 30? Or even 40? Nah, it's not.
Now it's small cliques who... sometimes it ain't even about the money, it's what flag you got on, or this dude said some other shit. So the era before me, they had leaders that had some type of direction. This generation is leaderless. You don't have the OG's that the young boys look up to, or that the OG's command respect and they could make sure it's certain types of things going down to where war doesn't take over or disrupt business.
It was business first always. It should've always been business first, even when you're doing wrong. What's the main goal? It's the money. You can't beef and make money. You can't do it. So that's why older heads had made alliances, even if they ain't like each other. They made alliances, they did what they had to do in order to keep business flowing on both sides. That shit is over doggy.
So you mix the drugs with the lack of leadership with these automatic weapons, with these young niggas who not even smart enough to run nothing, that think a couple grams, or some quarters, or a half or something is really doing it... Or is ready to die over some Michael Jordan sneaker money, or some Michael Kors, or get a new belt, and it's over. It's over.
And then add on top of that, the type of laws that's been made, that's been put in place. That hang niggas. The type of laws that was made for the kingpins in the generation before me. That's who they made these RICO laws and these conspiracy laws for. So you're not even making their kind of money, but you can do their kind of time.
Not that any amount of money is worth it. Ask people like Rayful Edmond, who done made $300 million before he was 23? 24? So spend the rest of your life from 24 on up in a damn cell. Is it worth saying damn? Telling your cellmate "Yeah dog, I had $300 million." Or "I ran that type of organization, but it was over at 23" Or 24 or 25 or even 30? Or even 40? Nah, it's not.
Interviewer: Ok so we got the drugs, the lack of leadership... you mentioned the War on Drugs and the laws. What would you say caused the number one threat to you from your enemies in the street? Or what's your number one enemy in the street?
Reem Raw: Your number one enemy in the street is the people who are closest to you. And I say that to say - not that they're sinister - not to say that they start off sinister, but that type of lifestyle... once it can't be maintained or a hint of jealousy comes in, or a outside force convinces the people close to you to get at you...
I done been on both sides, like I said I'm talking from experience. I done been on both sides. It's people that you can get touched or somebody can throw a monkey wrench. They don't have to get directly at you, they get at the people around you. Whether it be your family, your girl, whoever. They see that weakness, if they can exploit it, they get you. That's number one.
The person that you know you got beef with, you can avoid him. Or you can get at him. It's the things that you don't see that'll cripple you. I've been on both sides. I've done it and had it done to me, so I know. It's the people closest to you, that's who gets at you the most. That's who you should have your eye on the most.
I done been on both sides, like I said I'm talking from experience. I done been on both sides. It's people that you can get touched or somebody can throw a monkey wrench. They don't have to get directly at you, they get at the people around you. Whether it be your family, your girl, whoever. They see that weakness, if they can exploit it, they get you. That's number one.
The person that you know you got beef with, you can avoid him. Or you can get at him. It's the things that you don't see that'll cripple you. I've been on both sides. I've done it and had it done to me, so I know. It's the people closest to you, that's who gets at you the most. That's who you should have your eye on the most.
Interviewer: Ok so say we go through the streets. We talked about the death factor. Say you don't die in the streets. Tell me about the jail situation.
Reem Raw: Well the jail system, it's just madness. Especially in prison. Prison is madness. It's crazy when I see dudes like "Yeah, I only got two years, or five years, or eight years, I'll be home." But that's the thing. You're not guaranteed to come home.
Well let me speak from my position. Because I know if a nigga like me go in there and something go down, it's not a guarantee that I'm gonna be home because I'm gonna be forced to do something most likely that's either gonna get me more time or get me killed. Unless you're a hermit and you so happen to skate by, or you're just that dude. Some dudes is just that dude that they can do the time, they can mix and mingle without getting caught up, but that's not the case for most people.
You're gonna leave there with some type of scar, physically or emotionally. Just because you in don't mean you gonna come home at all, and if you do come home at all, are you gonna be the same person that you was when you went in? Or is some piece of you gonna be taken away while you're in there? No matter what form you think it is.
This prison shit, everybody knows is a billion dollar industry. This shit is not a game, this shit is not going nowhere. If anything, people is investing in it. These privatized prisons, half the black people and the brown people, it's just ridiculous. And they keep it to where it's hard for you to get a job, so you're going to come back. And it's hard for you to leave that type of lifestyle. It's not like you're rehabilitated.
I hope nobody is dumb enough to think that jail is really rehabilitation. That shit is to house you and feed you for small portions and a high outcome. They're there to make money. And they make it to where these probations and paroles are so strict, they make it to where it's a revolving door.
Well let me speak from my position. Because I know if a nigga like me go in there and something go down, it's not a guarantee that I'm gonna be home because I'm gonna be forced to do something most likely that's either gonna get me more time or get me killed. Unless you're a hermit and you so happen to skate by, or you're just that dude. Some dudes is just that dude that they can do the time, they can mix and mingle without getting caught up, but that's not the case for most people.
You're gonna leave there with some type of scar, physically or emotionally. Just because you in don't mean you gonna come home at all, and if you do come home at all, are you gonna be the same person that you was when you went in? Or is some piece of you gonna be taken away while you're in there? No matter what form you think it is.
This prison shit, everybody knows is a billion dollar industry. This shit is not a game, this shit is not going nowhere. If anything, people is investing in it. These privatized prisons, half the black people and the brown people, it's just ridiculous. And they keep it to where it's hard for you to get a job, so you're going to come back. And it's hard for you to leave that type of lifestyle. It's not like you're rehabilitated.
I hope nobody is dumb enough to think that jail is really rehabilitation. That shit is to house you and feed you for small portions and a high outcome. They're there to make money. And they make it to where these probations and paroles are so strict, they make it to where it's a revolving door.
Interviewer: Ok, so one aspect of the jail life is gangs, and tell us more about what they daily prison life is like and how gangs also are a part of that, in and out of the jail.
Reem Raw: Well certain places call for certain things. In some prisons, it's not about gangs per se, it's about your race. It don't matter if I'm a blood or a crip in some prisons. If you're black, we're black, and we gotta watch our backs against these Spanish people or against these White people. Prison will turn you racist if you stay there for too long and you see it because it's so segregated. And it's not by a certain street, it's by your color. And people go to war, get cut, die, or get stomped out over minimal shit. But it's about your color, we segregate ourselves which is crazy to me. It's kind of crazy when you think about it. Black and brown going to war with each other. Over drugs, of course it's drugs in there and that's where everything stems from, people trying to make money and things of that nature.
But it's a racial overtone, it's a racial atmosphere. It's not that we hate blacks or we hate browns or we hate whites. Once you segregate yourself... your whole group and the whole cloud settles over the jail of a racial climate, if I owe you drugs, "Oh fuck you, you're a spic anyway, let's go to war. Oh fuck you, you're a nigga anyway, let's go to war. Oh fuck you, you're a cracker anyway, let's go to war." It's like that.
And that's what makes it complete madness because it's Spanish people you might've grew up with, black people you might've grew up with. You see them in jail, you can't say nothing to them. It's no "oh that's my homie from the block, I knew him for 23 years." No. Your own race will murk you for that shit. Take heed to that too.
But it's a racial overtone, it's a racial atmosphere. It's not that we hate blacks or we hate browns or we hate whites. Once you segregate yourself... your whole group and the whole cloud settles over the jail of a racial climate, if I owe you drugs, "Oh fuck you, you're a spic anyway, let's go to war. Oh fuck you, you're a nigga anyway, let's go to war. Oh fuck you, you're a cracker anyway, let's go to war." It's like that.
And that's what makes it complete madness because it's Spanish people you might've grew up with, black people you might've grew up with. You see them in jail, you can't say nothing to them. It's no "oh that's my homie from the block, I knew him for 23 years." No. Your own race will murk you for that shit. Take heed to that too.
Interviewer: Ok so tell us how the typical day in jail is different than what most people go through normally.
Reem Raw: It's routine, and the routine will kill you mentally. It's routine after routine after routine. Same shit after same shit after same shit. Nothing changes. Nothing changes. It's monotonous. Everything is repeated, repeated. Same stinking niggas. Same stinking cell. Same shitty food. Same guards.
It's to the point where you start thinking the nigga that brings you your tray everyday is the reason that you're in there. He holds the key to the whole jail. This one guard. Just because you see him everyday. You know his name. You know his middle name, you know how he talks. Your brain will start thinking he's the source of all your problems. "He's the fucking reason that everything is wrong in this jail. He's the reason this food is shitty. He's the reason these niggas is aggy. It's him, it's him, it's him!" That's why guards be getting fucked up! People don't be trying to think of the mental aspect of it, but that is exactly why because the cycle doesn't break. It's everyday, it's everyday.
It's to the point where you start thinking the nigga that brings you your tray everyday is the reason that you're in there. He holds the key to the whole jail. This one guard. Just because you see him everyday. You know his name. You know his middle name, you know how he talks. Your brain will start thinking he's the source of all your problems. "He's the fucking reason that everything is wrong in this jail. He's the reason this food is shitty. He's the reason these niggas is aggy. It's him, it's him, it's him!" That's why guards be getting fucked up! People don't be trying to think of the mental aspect of it, but that is exactly why because the cycle doesn't break. It's everyday, it's everyday.
Interviewer: Alright so take us from wake up to sleep.
Reem Raw: Wake up. Five o'clock in the morning. Chow. Eat some bullshit before the sun even comes up, damn near like you're fasting. Go to sleep. Lunch might be around 1. Five to one and then dinner is at five. And then you're done for the rest of the day until five again the next morning. People gamble, you get more soups, more sodas.
Like food is money in jail. The more food I got... the more coffee I got, definitely coffee, the more coffee I got, the more I could manipulate things. Like I was in there, they made a mistake. I ordered five things of cocoa, hot chocolate... they brought me back five big ass bags of coffee. I'm like "damn I ain't order this, coffee cost like six dollars on the canteen." But it's all free! And I don't drink coffee at all. So I don't sell it by the bag, I sell it by the cup.
I got niggas lining up to the point where... I'm hustling! Get the fuck away from my cell dog! It's to the point "Yo I'll give you my trays", so now I'm going to the chow hall, I'm getting 3, 4, 5 trays. Niggas giving up their food for the coffee. So the coffee, the food, and the snacks, that's all money. It's called the store. Whoever got the store runs shit most likely. Because the store buys you drugs. It buys you this, it buys you that. It buys you "tell your girl to sneak me this in here. Do this, do that." The canteen is money, man.
Like food is money in jail. The more food I got... the more coffee I got, definitely coffee, the more coffee I got, the more I could manipulate things. Like I was in there, they made a mistake. I ordered five things of cocoa, hot chocolate... they brought me back five big ass bags of coffee. I'm like "damn I ain't order this, coffee cost like six dollars on the canteen." But it's all free! And I don't drink coffee at all. So I don't sell it by the bag, I sell it by the cup.
I got niggas lining up to the point where... I'm hustling! Get the fuck away from my cell dog! It's to the point "Yo I'll give you my trays", so now I'm going to the chow hall, I'm getting 3, 4, 5 trays. Niggas giving up their food for the coffee. So the coffee, the food, and the snacks, that's all money. It's called the store. Whoever got the store runs shit most likely. Because the store buys you drugs. It buys you this, it buys you that. It buys you "tell your girl to sneak me this in here. Do this, do that." The canteen is money, man.
Interviewer: So what's the wildest thing you've seen or heard of in jail?
Reem Raw: Well, it's really endless amounts of wild shit that I heard of in jail, but I seen niggas get their shit stomped unconscious, I've seen niggas leaking, I've seen niggas get ripped and zipped up. I've seen the regular shit. I ain't see nobody get killed per se. I've seen somebody slip in the shower. My man slipped in the shower, banged his head against the concrete. If anybody know where I'm talking about... Concrete cell, he slipped, banged his head, internal bleeding, he's dead. And he was about to get out the like the next day. And this was just in the county, not prison. This was in the county. So anything could happen.
Like my biggest fear when I was in there wasn't even for me. It was for if something happened to one of my family members and I couldn't get there because I was in jail. That's what scared me, not nothing in there. It was like "damn, what if something happened to one of my peoples?" Because I seen what it did to people who was in there, they broke down like "damn I can't get to my mom" or "damn, my girl" or "my brother" "my sister", and that will weigh. Mix that with the same thing everyday, everyday.
And then mix that with the something happened with your family member, and you feel even more caged in like "Damn, I can't break the fuck out of here... it's the CO (correctional officer)! It's him! It's him! He gotta get it! He gotta get it!" Your mind is gonna make something. Something gotta give, and it's this nigga. He gotta go. That's why they be getting gassed, they be getting stabbed, shit thrown on them, piss, everything. Because people just think "oh inmates are wild." It's a psychological thing built over time. This is the gatekeeper. He's the one I take my shit out on because the authority figure in your eyes after a certain amount of time. So it is what it is.
Like my biggest fear when I was in there wasn't even for me. It was for if something happened to one of my family members and I couldn't get there because I was in jail. That's what scared me, not nothing in there. It was like "damn, what if something happened to one of my peoples?" Because I seen what it did to people who was in there, they broke down like "damn I can't get to my mom" or "damn, my girl" or "my brother" "my sister", and that will weigh. Mix that with the same thing everyday, everyday.
And then mix that with the something happened with your family member, and you feel even more caged in like "Damn, I can't break the fuck out of here... it's the CO (correctional officer)! It's him! It's him! He gotta get it! He gotta get it!" Your mind is gonna make something. Something gotta give, and it's this nigga. He gotta go. That's why they be getting gassed, they be getting stabbed, shit thrown on them, piss, everything. Because people just think "oh inmates are wild." It's a psychological thing built over time. This is the gatekeeper. He's the one I take my shit out on because the authority figure in your eyes after a certain amount of time. So it is what it is.
Interviewer: Alright. Next question. Let's talk about beefs. We did the drugs, we did the jail, we did the gangs. How does beef play a factor into all of these dangers? Or what's the source of the beefs?
Reem Raw: Well, as long as I've been in the street and know of others who've been in the street, it's rare that you beef with a total stranger or something. It's your friends. It's niggas who are playing the same game as you that turn around and turn out to be you're most lethalest enemies. Because ain't no friends in this game.
You start off as friends, but if you're not tight the money can get in the way. Jealousy can creep in. Little things like that. It's "friends turn into enemies" in this game. And then what's more lethal than a enemy who knows everything about you? Who knows where your mama at? Who knows what pisses you off? Who knows your little sisters? Who knows your little brothers? What's more lethal than that? He's not a stranger. He was your friend. And then friends start gunning each other down.
That's why, when the police come and see a dead body, what's the first thing they do? They ask who his friends were. He asks who he had beef with second. They pull niggas into the jail, they be like "do you know anybody who were his friends?" first. Okay, now "do you know anybody he had problems with?" And if they say, "yeah I know who he had problems with" 9 times out of 10, it was his friend who he had a problem with and a issue with. So it's your friends. The beef starts with niggas who supposed to be your friends dog.
That's why the line Jay said, this is why I started liking Jay more, when I started going through the streets "Shit is wicked on these mean streets, none of my friends speak. We're all trying to win." If you've never been in that situation, you don't know how potent those lines are. That's when I felt for real Jay was really who he was, because I've been through that shit and I know how potent it is.
When you stop speaking to your friends for months, and ya'll both getting it, ya'll in the streets, ya'll kind of competing with each other, ya'll both up for days, ya'll both trying to snatch the same sales, both trying to fuck the same hoes, trying to get one up on each other. When you see each other it's in passing. "What's up? Yeah, yeah, yeah." It's fake love at that point. "Yo wsup? How your moms doing? Yeah everything's alright." And ya'll back to doing what ya'll doing. It's breeding animosity. Even if it's not blatant at the time. It's breeding separation. It's breeding contempt for one another. You're trying to get up on him, he trying to get up on you. "Oh this nigga think he me." Ya'll was just freinds for years. Until this game fucked you up.
You start off as friends, but if you're not tight the money can get in the way. Jealousy can creep in. Little things like that. It's "friends turn into enemies" in this game. And then what's more lethal than a enemy who knows everything about you? Who knows where your mama at? Who knows what pisses you off? Who knows your little sisters? Who knows your little brothers? What's more lethal than that? He's not a stranger. He was your friend. And then friends start gunning each other down.
That's why, when the police come and see a dead body, what's the first thing they do? They ask who his friends were. He asks who he had beef with second. They pull niggas into the jail, they be like "do you know anybody who were his friends?" first. Okay, now "do you know anybody he had problems with?" And if they say, "yeah I know who he had problems with" 9 times out of 10, it was his friend who he had a problem with and a issue with. So it's your friends. The beef starts with niggas who supposed to be your friends dog.
That's why the line Jay said, this is why I started liking Jay more, when I started going through the streets "Shit is wicked on these mean streets, none of my friends speak. We're all trying to win." If you've never been in that situation, you don't know how potent those lines are. That's when I felt for real Jay was really who he was, because I've been through that shit and I know how potent it is.
When you stop speaking to your friends for months, and ya'll both getting it, ya'll in the streets, ya'll kind of competing with each other, ya'll both up for days, ya'll both trying to snatch the same sales, both trying to fuck the same hoes, trying to get one up on each other. When you see each other it's in passing. "What's up? Yeah, yeah, yeah." It's fake love at that point. "Yo wsup? How your moms doing? Yeah everything's alright." And ya'll back to doing what ya'll doing. It's breeding animosity. Even if it's not blatant at the time. It's breeding separation. It's breeding contempt for one another. You're trying to get up on him, he trying to get up on you. "Oh this nigga think he me." Ya'll was just freinds for years. Until this game fucked you up.
Interviewer: And with that said, it's a wrap.
Reem Raw: Fresh persepctive, your boy Reem Raw, man. Camera man, we in the motherfuckin building yo. We just gonna keep knocking ya'll in the head with this. We out.
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