1 00:00:01,294 --> 00:00:03,421         soft atmospheric music      2 00:00:03,463 --> 00:00:05,339          [Nas]   The New York                    criminal underworld         3 00:00:05,381 --> 00:00:08,259      is full of household names...    4 00:00:08,301 --> 00:00:10,136           real and fictional.         5 00:00:10,178 --> 00:00:12,013           [phone vibrates]           6 00:00:12,055 --> 00:00:13,806      And in Queens, few names ring    7 00:00:13,848 --> 00:00:17,268       like Gerald "Prince" Miller          and Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff    8 00:00:17,310 --> 00:00:18,561           of the Supreme Team.        9 00:00:18,603 --> 00:00:21,105           [automated voice]                This call is from an inmate     10 00:00:21,147 --> 00:00:22,440           at a federal prison.        11 00:00:22,482 --> 00:00:26,360       This call is being recorded          and is subject to monitoring.    12 00:00:26,402 --> 00:00:28,488            -[phone beeps]                  -You may begin speaking now.    13 00:00:28,529 --> 00:00:30,490          [Prince]   You know,               I think back sometimes, right?  14 00:00:30,531 --> 00:00:33,701         And I start to reminisce              over how it all started.      15 00:00:33,743 --> 00:00:36,204           [train rumbling]           16 00:00:36,245 --> 00:00:38,790                                    17 00:00:38,831 --> 00:00:41,959          Growing up, our family               was a tight-knit family.      18 00:00:42,001 --> 00:00:44,670                My uncle,                   he was a little older than me.  19 00:00:44,712 --> 00:00:46,214        I gravitated towards him.      20 00:00:46,255 --> 00:00:48,341                That's who                      I would hang out with.       21 00:00:48,382 --> 00:00:49,592              We was close.            22 00:00:49,634 --> 00:00:51,594           [automated voice]                Hang up to decline the call,    23 00:00:51,636 --> 00:00:54,847      -or to accept, dial five now.               -[phone beeps]            24 00:00:54,889 --> 00:00:57,558          [Supreme]   Prince--                we was raised like brothers,    25 00:00:57,600 --> 00:00:58,851          and we did everything                       together.              26 00:00:58,893 --> 00:01:01,771        We played sports together.               We fought together.         27 00:01:02,855 --> 00:01:05,525          I mean, our priorities                back then was business       28 00:01:05,566 --> 00:01:08,569        and getting money, power,                      success,              29 00:01:08,611 --> 00:01:10,530        like, the American Dream.      30 00:01:10,571 --> 00:01:13,407              From then on,                   it was just Supreme Team.      31 00:01:13,449 --> 00:01:18,955                                    32 00:01:19,622 --> 00:01:24,293        [Eric]   The Supreme Team             is part of the urban legends    33 00:01:24,335 --> 00:01:27,088     and the myths that we grew up               understanding.            34 00:01:27,130 --> 00:01:29,090     [Bill]   They lived by a code.     35 00:01:29,132 --> 00:01:30,550    I mean, they had a strong bond.  36 00:01:30,591 --> 00:01:31,717                [Eddie]                    It was always about the money.  37 00:01:31,759 --> 00:01:32,927        There's no doubt about it.     38 00:01:32,969 --> 00:01:34,470     And if you were the new jack                 on the block             39 00:01:34,512 --> 00:01:36,139          and you were gonna                    bump these guys,           40 00:01:36,180 --> 00:01:37,473             the Supreme Team                      would bump you,           41 00:01:37,515 --> 00:01:39,350              and that would                      be the end of it.          42 00:01:39,392 --> 00:01:41,227      [person]   You have athletes,                you have rappers,          43 00:01:41,269 --> 00:01:43,187            drug dealers--                   everybody is together.        44 00:01:43,229 --> 00:01:44,689              [LL Cool J]                   So, when you see these guys     45 00:01:44,730 --> 00:01:47,567        ride by in their cars with           the girls with the furs on,     46 00:01:47,608 --> 00:01:49,861        it really is seductive.       47 00:01:49,902 --> 00:01:52,947              They were like                  neighborhood superheroes.      48 00:01:55,533 --> 00:01:57,994      [Prince]   I've been in jail                   for 32 years.            49 00:01:58,035 --> 00:02:00,288       When you in this situation,                   you reflect,            50 00:02:00,329 --> 00:02:02,248            and you look back                       on your life.            51 00:02:02,290 --> 00:02:04,417            First thing you do                     is you find out           52 00:02:04,458 --> 00:02:06,627              what made you                    become criminal-minded.       53 00:02:06,669 --> 00:02:08,254            [siren wailing]           54 00:02:08,296 --> 00:02:09,505           [glass shatters]           55 00:02:09,547 --> 00:02:12,466              somber music           56 00:02:12,508 --> 00:02:17,847                                    57 00:02:27,690 --> 00:02:30,943             dramatic music          58 00:02:30,985 --> 00:02:36,032                                    59 00:03:18,616 --> 00:03:19,909            -[door closes]                -[LL Cool J] Running around,     60 00:03:19,951 --> 00:03:21,744    looking like goddamn Anchorman                or some shit.            61 00:03:21,786 --> 00:03:25,164               -What up?                           -[laughter]             62 00:03:25,206 --> 00:03:26,707                My guy.               63 00:03:26,749 --> 00:03:30,002         [LL Cool J] You know               what I mean? Shit crazy.       64 00:03:30,044 --> 00:03:32,672          Yo, I can't believe                  I'm talking to you,         65 00:03:32,713 --> 00:03:34,131      interviewing you like this.     66 00:03:34,173 --> 00:03:35,633      Like, this is crazy to me.      67 00:03:35,675 --> 00:03:37,468         Just want to fan out                   for five seconds.          68 00:03:37,510 --> 00:03:39,345       -No, it's all love, man.                   -[Nas laughs]            69 00:03:39,387 --> 00:03:41,639     It's all love, bro, for real.    70 00:03:41,681 --> 00:03:44,141                 [Nas]                     Street guys and rap dudes,      71 00:03:44,183 --> 00:03:45,851       they from the same stuff.      72 00:03:45,893 --> 00:03:49,647          How influential was            the Supreme Team out in Queens?  73 00:03:49,689 --> 00:03:50,940       -Oh, I can give you that.                  -[Nas] Yeah.             74 00:03:50,982 --> 00:03:53,734      [LL Cool J]   I used to ride             my bicycle from Northside      75 00:03:53,776 --> 00:03:54,944      all the way over to Southside    76 00:03:54,986 --> 00:03:56,570          and just be over there                      looking--              77 00:03:56,612 --> 00:03:58,406       you know, just checking out               what they was doing.        78 00:03:58,447 --> 00:04:00,574       Going through Bricktown,               going all over there,        79 00:04:00,616 --> 00:04:02,285    just seeing what was happening.  80 00:04:02,326 --> 00:04:03,536        They were the biggest.        81 00:04:03,577 --> 00:04:05,288         [LL Cool J] They were           the biggest and the brightest.    82 00:04:05,329 --> 00:04:06,914           Me, because I was                    always ambitious,          83 00:04:06,956 --> 00:04:10,293      I gravitated to those kinds                of characters.            84 00:04:10,334 --> 00:04:11,794         Can someone bring me                     the computer?            85 00:04:11,836 --> 00:04:13,796            I got something                     to show my man L,          86 00:04:13,838 --> 00:04:17,174     around the time when you were               maybe 17 or 18.           87 00:04:17,216 --> 00:04:18,592         Cue up the videotape.        88 00:04:18,634 --> 00:04:21,929           [tape rewinding]           89 00:04:21,971 --> 00:04:22,930           Ain't loud enough          90 00:04:22,972 --> 00:04:24,932         for this money-making              motherfucking crew, now.       91 00:04:24,974 --> 00:04:27,685         Y'all got to get loud            for these motherfuckers here.    92 00:04:27,727 --> 00:04:28,811          Look at these boys!         93 00:04:28,853 --> 00:04:30,688               God damn!                     Y'all got to get loud.        94 00:04:30,730 --> 00:04:34,483     [Nas]   We saw you in the club          here at a Supreme Team party.    95 00:04:34,525 --> 00:04:36,068          -[LL Cool J]   Word?                -[Nas]   Yeah, at Warner's.      96 00:04:36,110 --> 00:04:38,487    You probably haven't seen this              since you been--           97 00:04:38,529 --> 00:04:40,531          You probably never                  saw this before, bro.        98 00:04:40,573 --> 00:04:42,116                -Yeah.                       -[Nas] Check this out.        99 00:04:42,158 --> 00:04:45,536        [LL Cool J]   Holy shit.               Where did y'all get that?      100 00:04:45,578 --> 00:04:47,371    [person speaking indistinctly]    101 00:04:47,413 --> 00:04:48,998                 Damn, B.              102 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:53,169               [laughs]                      That's fucking hilarious.      103 00:04:53,210 --> 00:04:55,838      What's so crazy about that               is that I remember          104 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:57,673             going to some                      of them parties,           105 00:04:57,715 --> 00:04:59,800        but I couldn't remember                which party it was.         106 00:04:59,842 --> 00:05:02,053       -So was that that party?             -[Nas] Prince's birthday.      107 00:05:02,094 --> 00:05:04,513         [person] Once again,              send out a "happy birthday"     108 00:05:04,555 --> 00:05:06,515         going out to Prince.         109 00:05:06,557 --> 00:05:07,892         A thoroughbred, huh?         110 00:05:07,933 --> 00:05:09,435              [LL Cool J]                        And I-I was there.         111 00:05:09,477 --> 00:05:10,770              -[Nas]   Yes.                    -[LL Cool J]   I knew it!       112 00:05:10,811 --> 00:05:11,937             Yo, damn, B.             113 00:05:11,979 --> 00:05:14,648     That's crazy 'cause I thought            I went to that party,        114 00:05:14,690 --> 00:05:16,817    and I kept saying, "I remember            going to that party."        115 00:05:16,859 --> 00:05:18,903           And I also remember                      not being able           116 00:05:18,944 --> 00:05:20,905          to get near that stage                    at that time,            117 00:05:20,946 --> 00:05:23,616       'cause it was bossed up,                 like, real heavy.          118 00:05:23,657 --> 00:05:24,909     So I was, like, in the crowd     119 00:05:24,950 --> 00:05:26,452         just kind of playing                     my position.             120 00:05:26,494 --> 00:05:28,287    [person] We're gonna make this              a birthday party           121 00:05:28,329 --> 00:05:30,122    that Prince won't never forget.  122 00:05:30,164 --> 00:05:32,041       [LL Cool J]   They're like              the godfathers of Queens,      123 00:05:32,083 --> 00:05:35,920       like, that most people don't           talk about or know about.      124 00:05:35,961 --> 00:05:38,672          I didn't know Prince,             but what I did know of Prince    125 00:05:38,714 --> 00:05:41,008         is don't play with him,                      you know?              126 00:05:41,050 --> 00:05:43,177      Homey washes up with two guns.  127 00:05:43,219 --> 00:05:44,470                 Okay?                128 00:05:44,512 --> 00:05:45,888         He ain't even getting                   in the shower.            129 00:05:45,930 --> 00:05:48,432      He washing up with two guns                on the sink, B.           130 00:05:48,474 --> 00:05:51,602        Like, this was the word               that came back to us.        131 00:05:51,644 --> 00:05:54,271            I want to make                    a special dedication         132 00:05:54,313 --> 00:05:55,398       to my man, my brother...       133 00:05:55,439 --> 00:05:57,400     [LL Cool J]   Preme was always                  cool with me,            134 00:05:57,441 --> 00:05:58,651       and he always gave me love.     135 00:05:58,692 --> 00:06:00,528        It was nice to be part                   of the family.            136 00:06:00,569 --> 00:06:01,612               You know?                            [laughs]               137 00:06:01,654 --> 00:06:02,988           He was different                  from the rest of them.        138 00:06:03,030 --> 00:06:04,573                Oh, no,                   he was definitely different,     139 00:06:04,615 --> 00:06:06,033           because what people                    have to understand         140 00:06:06,075 --> 00:06:08,994        about street life is that            you have a lot of hustlers,     141 00:06:09,036 --> 00:06:10,663            but then you have                      some gangsters,           142 00:06:10,704 --> 00:06:12,832           and a lot of people                don't know the difference.     143 00:06:12,873 --> 00:06:14,875     When you meet certain people,             they got the look.          144 00:06:14,917 --> 00:06:15,960         You know what it is.         145 00:06:16,001 --> 00:06:17,545             When you say                     "what's up?" to them         146 00:06:17,586 --> 00:06:18,754         and they take, like,                      30 seconds              147 00:06:18,796 --> 00:06:19,964     before they say "hello" back              and they're like--          148 00:06:20,005 --> 00:06:21,424        -You know what I mean?                     -[laughter]             149 00:06:21,465 --> 00:06:22,383         You know what it is.         150 00:06:22,425 --> 00:06:23,759         -You know that look.                        -Yeah.                151 00:06:23,801 --> 00:06:25,553       We know what it is, so...      152 00:06:25,594 --> 00:06:27,513                -Wolf.                               -Wolf.                153 00:06:27,555 --> 00:06:30,474     But these are choices, right?    154 00:06:30,516 --> 00:06:32,101          You have some dudes                     who try to--             155 00:06:32,143 --> 00:06:34,019           just want to make               a little money and get out,     156 00:06:34,061 --> 00:06:36,605     and then you have some dudes            that go all the way in.       157 00:06:36,647 --> 00:06:39,733              tense music            158 00:06:39,775 --> 00:06:41,026                                    159 00:06:41,068 --> 00:06:42,611                 [Nas]                      I've been telling this story    160 00:06:42,653 --> 00:06:45,322          since I first started                       rapping...             161 00:06:45,364 --> 00:06:46,991            on "Memory Lane"--         162 00:06:47,032 --> 00:06:49,493           "Some fiends scream                   about Supreme Team,         163 00:06:49,535 --> 00:06:50,911         a Jamaica Queens thing."      164 00:06:50,953 --> 00:06:52,788            Some fiends scream                  about Supreme Team         165 00:06:52,830 --> 00:06:54,123         A Jamaica Queens thing      166 00:06:54,165 --> 00:06:56,834          Uptown was Alpo, son,              heard he was kingpin, yo      167 00:06:56,876 --> 00:07:01,255      But something stood out to me           about the guys in Queens.      168 00:07:01,297 --> 00:07:03,716      [Prince]   Make sure I ain't              leaving nobody out here.      169 00:07:03,757 --> 00:07:06,343           Other than Supreme,                     you had myself,           170 00:07:06,385 --> 00:07:09,805          then Green Eyed Born,                  you had Black Just,         171 00:07:09,847 --> 00:07:12,349            you had Baby Wise,                      you had Bimmy,           172 00:07:12,391 --> 00:07:13,684           and Shannon, C-Just,        173 00:07:13,726 --> 00:07:16,061         you had Tucker, Teddy--                 it's a whole bunch.         174 00:07:16,103 --> 00:07:18,355           I was trying to name                most of the lieutenants.      175 00:07:18,397 --> 00:07:21,108      This story is about people              who were juggernauts.        176 00:07:21,150 --> 00:07:23,194            These guys were                     bigger than life.          177 00:07:23,235 --> 00:07:25,654         How could we not see                   what was going on          178 00:07:25,696 --> 00:07:27,031          in Jamaica, Queens?         179 00:07:27,072 --> 00:07:29,366       Comin' outta Queensbridge     180 00:07:29,408 --> 00:07:30,826          I'm from Queensbridge.       181 00:07:30,868 --> 00:07:33,871      Queensbridge is near the city,          right across the water.       182 00:07:33,913 --> 00:07:37,082        You can look at Manhattan           from the park in Queensbridge.  183 00:07:37,124 --> 00:07:38,751           You're looking at it                      right there.            184 00:07:38,792 --> 00:07:41,795           So Jamaica, Queens,                is way deep inside Queens.     185 00:07:41,837 --> 00:07:44,798          You know, when Jamaica             came into my consciousness,     186 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:48,260             it had that ring                  like the Jamaica island.      187 00:07:48,302 --> 00:07:49,887           Jamaica? Really?           188 00:07:49,929 --> 00:07:52,348            Like, you know,              "What is this place?" You know?  189 00:07:52,389 --> 00:07:55,351          How dope is it that            there's a place called Jamaica    190 00:07:55,392 --> 00:07:58,437              in New York                and there's Black people there?  191 00:07:58,479 --> 00:07:59,313           [phone vibrates]           192 00:07:59,355 --> 00:08:01,148           [automated voice]                  You have a prepaid call.      193 00:08:01,190 --> 00:08:02,900         You will not be charged                    for this call.           194 00:08:02,942 --> 00:08:05,152          -This call is from...                  -[Prince]   Prince.          195 00:08:05,194 --> 00:08:07,154           [automated voice]                This call is being recorded     196 00:08:07,196 --> 00:08:09,198      and is subject to monitoring.    197 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:11,033       [Prince]   I love New York,                 and I love Queens,         198 00:08:11,075 --> 00:08:12,785              and my family                   was just across the street     199 00:08:12,826 --> 00:08:14,161          from Baisley Projects.       200 00:08:14,203 --> 00:08:17,289       So I lived over more towards              the 40 Project area.        201 00:08:17,331 --> 00:08:20,793             But Baisley was                      on the other side.         202 00:08:20,834 --> 00:08:23,420        [Supreme]   I was raised                 in a private residence       203 00:08:23,462 --> 00:08:25,839        with a lawn, gate, a dog.      204 00:08:25,881 --> 00:08:28,634            Compared to people                 that grew up around me,       205 00:08:28,676 --> 00:08:30,928        I had a perfect childhood.     206 00:08:32,221 --> 00:08:34,139     [I. Daneek]   I'm councilmember               I. Daneek Miller.          207 00:08:34,181 --> 00:08:36,392              I represent                   the 27th council district      208 00:08:36,433 --> 00:08:38,644       here in Jamaica, Queens,                     New York.              209 00:08:38,686 --> 00:08:41,689               jazz music            210 00:08:41,730 --> 00:08:43,148                                    211 00:08:43,190 --> 00:08:47,695       I'm very proud of Jamaica's              rich cultural history.       212 00:08:47,736 --> 00:08:51,282          First and foremost,               it is the largest enclave      213 00:08:51,323 --> 00:08:55,202          of African American             homeownership in the nation.     214 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:57,871       And that's unique in a city     215 00:08:57,913 --> 00:09:00,874          where 75% of the city                      are renters,            216 00:09:00,916 --> 00:09:04,253            to have homeowners                 and homeowners of color.      217 00:09:04,295 --> 00:09:08,299        [Eric]   Queens was like           The Jeffersons   for Black folks.  218 00:09:08,340 --> 00:09:10,134               You know...                       We're moving on up        219 00:09:10,175 --> 00:09:12,636        Hardworking-class people,      220 00:09:12,678 --> 00:09:15,055         teachers, civil servants      221 00:09:15,097 --> 00:09:17,474      just purchasing their own home  222 00:09:17,516 --> 00:09:20,603      trying to, like, experience             this modified version        223 00:09:20,644 --> 00:09:22,938        of the American Dream.        224 00:09:22,980 --> 00:09:25,816    [Andrew]   In the earliest days,            Queens had a reputation       225 00:09:25,858 --> 00:09:28,569                 as being                      the recreation borough.       226 00:09:28,611 --> 00:09:32,823          People would come from              Manhattan across the river     227 00:09:32,865 --> 00:09:35,701         and recreate and picnic                      and relax,             228 00:09:35,743 --> 00:09:38,245         get away from the city.       229 00:09:38,287 --> 00:09:40,497      The people who migrated here--  230 00:09:40,539 --> 00:09:42,374          coming from the South,                 coming from Harlem,         231 00:09:42,416 --> 00:09:44,293            were also some                    of the businesspeople        232 00:09:44,335 --> 00:09:46,045               and some                    of the civic-minded people      233 00:09:46,086 --> 00:09:47,296       were about, "what can we do     234 00:09:47,338 --> 00:09:51,216      to make this community better            for future generations?"      235 00:09:51,258 --> 00:09:52,426        [Nas]   When I was a kid,       236 00:09:52,468 --> 00:09:55,596       there was a lot of thriving             Black-owned businesses.       237 00:09:55,638 --> 00:09:57,014               In Jamaica,             238 00:09:57,056 --> 00:10:00,934       a Black construction company                built the city.           239 00:10:00,976 --> 00:10:03,270    [Mark]   My name is Mark Griffin,  240 00:10:03,312 --> 00:10:06,482             president of                 M.E. Griffin Contracting Inc.    241 00:10:06,523 --> 00:10:08,734            [truck beeping]           242 00:10:08,776 --> 00:10:11,320               jazz music            243 00:10:11,362 --> 00:10:14,281          [Roy]   In the '60s,                     in the early '70s,         244 00:10:14,323 --> 00:10:17,076       there were no other Black               contractors there,          245 00:10:17,117 --> 00:10:18,952           none whatsoever.           246 00:10:18,994 --> 00:10:20,788                                    247 00:10:20,829 --> 00:10:22,790       It was a struggle all along,    248 00:10:22,831 --> 00:10:26,335         but L.B. had persistence                  to pursue them.           249 00:10:26,377 --> 00:10:30,631     [Mark]   Pretty much, downtown            Jamaica is--they built it.     250 00:10:30,673 --> 00:10:32,466      Archer Avenue retaining wall.    251 00:10:32,508 --> 00:10:36,178           Part of the J train                       down below.             252 00:10:36,220 --> 00:10:38,722      We were just the excavators                on these sites.           253 00:10:38,764 --> 00:10:39,848              -[Roy] Yes.                            -Right.               254 00:10:39,890 --> 00:10:41,809        [Roy]   And as you know,                     any building,            255 00:10:41,850 --> 00:10:43,644       what's the important thing?     256 00:10:43,686 --> 00:10:44,895           -The foundation.                       -Foundation.             257 00:10:44,937 --> 00:10:46,522              Beginning.              258 00:10:46,563 --> 00:10:51,694                                    259 00:10:57,825 --> 00:10:59,159     [Toni]   Growing up in Queens,     260 00:10:59,201 --> 00:11:02,413           everyone's connected                    based on family,          261 00:11:02,454 --> 00:11:06,125       and that's how I got to meet                 Gerald Miller.           262 00:11:06,166 --> 00:11:09,128       [Prince]   Toni and I were               each other's first love.      263 00:11:09,169 --> 00:11:11,880          She captured my heart              in every sense of the word.     264 00:11:11,922 --> 00:11:13,882            You know, we were                    the exact same age,         265 00:11:13,924 --> 00:11:15,884            and she was very,                     very intelligent.          266 00:11:15,926 --> 00:11:18,178        And it look me a long time                 to win her over,          267 00:11:18,220 --> 00:11:20,264          but it was well worth                       the wait.              268 00:11:20,305 --> 00:11:23,392              Absolutely,                     he was my first kiss.        269 00:11:23,434 --> 00:11:25,227               [laughs]               270 00:11:25,269 --> 00:11:26,854         I was so embarrassed.        271 00:11:26,895 --> 00:11:28,814          Like, "I don't know                 how to kiss anyone."         272 00:11:28,856 --> 00:11:32,192               [laughs]                            But he was.             273 00:11:32,234 --> 00:11:35,446           [Prince]   Toni was                  an excellent cook, man.       274 00:11:35,487 --> 00:11:37,072             That's one thing                       about me, man.           275 00:11:37,114 --> 00:11:39,283           I love homemade food                      and cooking.            276 00:11:39,324 --> 00:11:40,993        I just wanted to say that.     277 00:11:41,034 --> 00:11:42,119        That was important to me,      278 00:11:42,161 --> 00:11:45,831            and I really love                    and respected that.         279 00:11:45,873 --> 00:11:47,833                [Toni]                       I gave him specific times      280 00:11:47,875 --> 00:11:49,668           so I know, like,               in between, you know, my job.    281 00:11:49,710 --> 00:11:52,629     So he'll call and say, "Okay,         I'm gonna call at this time     282 00:11:52,671 --> 00:11:54,173      the next day or tomorrow."      283 00:11:54,214 --> 00:11:55,924           So three o'clock.          284 00:11:55,966 --> 00:11:58,719    It is three o'clock on the dot.  285 00:11:58,761 --> 00:12:01,013            Whoo. [laughs]            286 00:12:01,054 --> 00:12:03,432           [ringtone plays]           287 00:12:03,474 --> 00:12:04,391                Hello?                288 00:12:04,433 --> 00:12:05,809             [Prince]   Hey.                    ¿Cómo está, mamacita?        289 00:12:05,851 --> 00:12:07,519           Hey.   ¿Cómo estás?          290 00:12:07,561 --> 00:12:11,398           When we were young,                there was no Supreme Team.     291 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:15,652           Those were the boys               that was part of my family.     292 00:12:15,694 --> 00:12:19,198         It just makes everything               that happened to them        293 00:12:19,239 --> 00:12:20,866           very complicated.          294 00:12:20,908 --> 00:12:22,367     It's like, "How can that be?     295 00:12:22,409 --> 00:12:24,661         That's not the person                  that I live with.          296 00:12:24,703 --> 00:12:26,413          That's not the person                  that I grew up with.        297 00:12:26,455 --> 00:12:29,166          That's not the person               that was in my household."     298 00:12:29,208 --> 00:12:31,460         You know? What happened?      299 00:12:31,502 --> 00:12:34,755         melancholy jazz music       300 00:12:34,797 --> 00:12:37,382                                    301 00:12:37,424 --> 00:12:40,511    [Prince]   When I was growing up,         I was just a regular child     302 00:12:40,552 --> 00:12:42,471             living his life                       and not thinking          303 00:12:42,513 --> 00:12:44,932            about the worries                       of the world.            304 00:12:44,973 --> 00:12:46,225            But the year 1973          305 00:12:46,266 --> 00:12:49,645        was one that would change                the rest of my life.        306 00:12:49,686 --> 00:12:52,731           upbeat funk music         307 00:12:52,773 --> 00:12:57,861                                    308 00:13:01,782 --> 00:13:03,951      [Nas]   1973 was a big year.      309 00:13:03,992 --> 00:13:07,830     [Dick Clark]   It is now 1973.     310 00:13:07,871 --> 00:13:10,582      [Richard Nixon]   We, today,            have concluded an agreement     311 00:13:10,624 --> 00:13:14,711    to end the war and bring peace           with honor in Vietnam.        312 00:13:14,753 --> 00:13:15,963        [Nas]   The Twin Towers,        313 00:13:16,004 --> 00:13:17,714          the tallest buildings                     in the world,            314 00:13:17,756 --> 00:13:19,675           were getting built.         315 00:13:19,716 --> 00:13:22,886                                    316 00:13:22,928 --> 00:13:24,137           It was the last time        317 00:13:24,179 --> 00:13:25,931           the Knicks took home                   the championship.          318 00:13:25,973 --> 00:13:27,474              [announcer]                     And the New York Knicks       319 00:13:27,516 --> 00:13:30,769      have won the NBA championship                    in 1973.              320 00:13:30,811 --> 00:13:35,315     [Nas]   My first love, hip-hop,         some say, was born that year.    321 00:13:35,357 --> 00:13:39,319                                    322 00:13:39,361 --> 00:13:41,905          It seemed like nothing                   could go wrong.           323 00:13:41,947 --> 00:13:43,991           [train squealing]          324 00:13:44,032 --> 00:13:49,037      [distant train horn blows,                 siren wailing]            325 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:55,210             Do you remember                       Clifford Glover?          326 00:13:55,252 --> 00:13:57,296         Very well. Very well.        327 00:13:57,337 --> 00:14:01,049            Clifford Glover                 was a ten-year-old child.      328 00:14:02,217 --> 00:14:06,013              somber music           329 00:14:06,054 --> 00:14:07,890      It was on New York Boulevard.    330 00:14:07,931 --> 00:14:10,893             It's now called                   Guy R. Brewer Boulevard.      331 00:14:10,934 --> 00:14:12,895                                    332 00:14:12,936 --> 00:14:14,062          And they were running.       333 00:14:14,104 --> 00:14:17,190               Officer Shea                      shot Clifford Glover        334 00:14:17,232 --> 00:14:18,567               in the back.            335 00:14:18,609 --> 00:14:20,360        [reporter]   In this lot                  in Jamaica, Queens,         336 00:14:20,402 --> 00:14:21,528        was young Clifford Glover      337 00:14:21,570 --> 00:14:23,405           wielding a black gun                      in his hand             338 00:14:23,447 --> 00:14:26,074           when police officer              Thomas Shea shot him to death?  339 00:14:26,116 --> 00:14:28,452            The police search               never turned up such a weapon.  340 00:14:28,493 --> 00:14:30,245               [Prince]                      I had mostly fond memories     341 00:14:30,287 --> 00:14:32,247            of the early years                    of my life, right?         342 00:14:32,289 --> 00:14:33,373      Most of the time it was filled  343 00:14:33,415 --> 00:14:35,292           with, like, laughter                    and excitement.           344 00:14:35,334 --> 00:14:37,377          So I was very innocent                    to the world,            345 00:14:37,419 --> 00:14:38,837            what was going on                       in the world.            346 00:14:38,879 --> 00:14:41,298       But when the Clifford Glover               killing happened,          347 00:14:41,340 --> 00:14:44,176         it brought consciousness                       to me.               348 00:14:44,217 --> 00:14:47,638          [Eric]   We view life                through our set of prisms.     349 00:14:47,679 --> 00:14:51,433            And if you looked                  at the police department      350 00:14:51,475 --> 00:14:54,645      during that time, early '70s,    351 00:14:54,686 --> 00:14:57,689          it was a predominantly                  white department.          352 00:14:57,731 --> 00:15:00,067            Many of them came                      from communities          353 00:15:00,108 --> 00:15:02,402      where there was no diversity.    354 00:15:02,444 --> 00:15:04,571            And so now imagine                       that mindset            355 00:15:04,613 --> 00:15:07,699         now coming into what              they considered the jungle      356 00:15:07,741 --> 00:15:12,329          and policing good,                  middle-class people.         357 00:15:13,288 --> 00:15:16,458      It just was the wrong mixture.  358 00:15:16,500 --> 00:15:19,461       [Toni]   That was probably                 the breaking point.         359 00:15:19,503 --> 00:15:21,797           As strong as he is,                      that really--            360 00:15:21,838 --> 00:15:25,217           and still today--             like, that's very disheartening  361 00:15:25,258 --> 00:15:27,636             when you feel                    like you lost someone        362 00:15:27,678 --> 00:15:31,139            over something                  that's just that violent       363 00:15:31,181 --> 00:15:32,599            at that young age.         364 00:15:32,641 --> 00:15:36,436           It's wear and tear,                and you don't forget that.     365 00:15:36,478 --> 00:15:39,815       [Prince]   He lived about--             just a few blocks from me.     366 00:15:39,856 --> 00:15:41,233      I didn't know him as a friend.  367 00:15:41,274 --> 00:15:43,026         I'm not one to sit here                 and say that I did.         368 00:15:43,068 --> 00:15:46,697       It's the fact that somebody           could be walking to a job--     369 00:15:46,738 --> 00:15:49,157      a job to help their stepfather              on the weekend,           370 00:15:49,199 --> 00:15:51,034             and he's killed.          371 00:15:51,076 --> 00:15:53,161                 And then                       to make matters worse,       372 00:15:53,203 --> 00:15:56,248             a trial happens,                 and he's found not guilty      373 00:15:56,289 --> 00:15:58,166      by a predominantly white jury.  374 00:15:58,208 --> 00:16:01,878             In one instance,                  I woke up to the reality      375 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:06,425          that my color could be               a detriment to my life.       376 00:16:06,466 --> 00:16:08,593           For me at that time,        377 00:16:08,635 --> 00:16:11,638        it took my innocence away.     378 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:14,599      I was on the Little League                  baseball team            379 00:16:14,641 --> 00:16:16,852      in 40 Projects at the time,     380 00:16:16,893 --> 00:16:20,564         playing a white team             when the verdict came down...    381 00:16:20,605 --> 00:16:22,399             dramatic music          382 00:16:22,441 --> 00:16:23,567         ...when all of a sudden,      383 00:16:23,608 --> 00:16:27,738              I saw a crowd                  of about 100 Black residents    384 00:16:27,779 --> 00:16:30,365            of 40 Projects                     coming with pipes.          385 00:16:30,407 --> 00:16:31,616         They picked up our bats,      386 00:16:31,658 --> 00:16:34,244        and they started attacking              the white ballplayers        387 00:16:34,286 --> 00:16:35,579           from Nassau County.         388 00:16:35,620 --> 00:16:37,581                 I mean,                       you could hear the sound      389 00:16:37,622 --> 00:16:39,916          of the bats hitting                     their skulls,            390 00:16:39,958 --> 00:16:41,585     and it was just unbelievable.    391 00:16:41,626 --> 00:16:44,921        We were in total shock                  of what happened.          392 00:16:44,963 --> 00:16:47,466        It happened so quickly.       393 00:16:47,507 --> 00:16:49,634     [Prince]   All hell broke loose               in South Jamaica.          394 00:16:49,676 --> 00:16:50,719        You know what I'm saying?      395 00:16:50,761 --> 00:16:52,471              South Jamaica                       went up in flames.         396 00:16:52,512 --> 00:16:53,597        You know what I'm saying?      397 00:16:53,638 --> 00:16:55,432          South Jamaica, Queens,                  went up in flames.         398 00:16:55,474 --> 00:16:56,767      What happened to this kid?      399 00:16:56,808 --> 00:17:00,020       Why is all this injustice           happening in South Jamaica?     400 00:17:00,062 --> 00:17:02,314        Why can't we get work?        401 00:17:02,355 --> 00:17:05,358             That was it.                  They couldn't take no more.     402 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:09,237        -What'd Lou say to you?            -Just block up the streets.     403 00:17:09,279 --> 00:17:10,530          That's what we did.         404 00:17:10,572 --> 00:17:12,407            [truck beeping]           405 00:17:12,449 --> 00:17:14,659          There was no commerce                  going back and forth        406 00:17:14,701 --> 00:17:16,620        to Jamaica Avenue anymore.     407 00:17:16,661 --> 00:17:20,665           We stopped the city                 of South Jamaica still.       408 00:17:20,707 --> 00:17:24,878       But it became a major uproar              in the neighborhood.        409 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:25,796                  Mm.                 410 00:17:25,837 --> 00:17:28,173          -It woke people up.                    -That's right.            411 00:17:28,215 --> 00:17:32,010             Local gangs,                 especially the Seven Crowns.     412 00:17:32,052 --> 00:17:35,055             dramatic music          413 00:17:35,097 --> 00:17:39,101                                    414 00:17:41,478 --> 00:17:42,854              [Mr. Black]                   My name is Michael Mitchell.    415 00:17:42,896 --> 00:17:45,816             On the streets,                   they call me Mr. Black.       416 00:17:45,857 --> 00:17:48,276     [Prince]   But Black was ahead                  of the Crowns.           417 00:17:48,318 --> 00:17:49,611      I know when I was growing up,    418 00:17:49,653 --> 00:17:53,323        the Seven Crowns stood out           more to me than any others.     419 00:17:53,365 --> 00:17:55,992        [Eric]   There used to be                  this number seven          420 00:17:56,034 --> 00:17:57,702        with a crown on top of it,     421 00:17:57,744 --> 00:18:00,247             and it was just                    extremely impressive.        422 00:18:00,288 --> 00:18:03,458    And just being just associated            with the Seven Crowns        423 00:18:03,500 --> 00:18:06,837         just gave me a sense              of ownership and belonging.     424 00:18:06,878 --> 00:18:10,090      [Mr. Black]   The police kept            trying to downplay stuff,      425 00:18:10,132 --> 00:18:11,508            like, you know,           426 00:18:11,550 --> 00:18:13,426             it happened,                   and he could've had this.      427 00:18:13,468 --> 00:18:16,054          They found the gun,                 and it was a mistake.        428 00:18:16,096 --> 00:18:17,722      It wasn't no damn mistake.      429 00:18:17,764 --> 00:18:19,474                 We knew                      what they was capable of,      430 00:18:19,516 --> 00:18:22,102      and the main thing's that they         keep getting away with it.     431 00:18:22,144 --> 00:18:25,438        It's justifiable homicide.     432 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:28,859            And so, you know,               we marched on the precinct...    433 00:18:28,900 --> 00:18:31,027          trying to strike back                   and let them know          434 00:18:31,069 --> 00:18:33,488          that enough is enough             and we just not gonna sit down  435 00:18:33,530 --> 00:18:35,198              and let y'all                     just keep doing that.        436 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:38,326     [Prince]   I was ten years old          when that situation happened.    437 00:18:38,368 --> 00:18:39,452         That shit stuck with me.      438 00:18:39,494 --> 00:18:40,996          It may not have stuck                    with everybody,           439 00:18:41,037 --> 00:18:42,622       but it stuck with some of us                 that was young           440 00:18:42,664 --> 00:18:44,541      in South Jamaica at that time.  441 00:18:44,583 --> 00:18:46,626      Sometimes we believe the--      442 00:18:46,668 --> 00:18:50,589    when that bullet hits the body                of a person,             443 00:18:50,630 --> 00:18:52,716     that it stops its trajectory.    444 00:18:52,757 --> 00:18:55,343    And, no, the emotional pathway               of that bullet            445 00:18:55,385 --> 00:18:58,346               continues                     to just dig through us.       446 00:18:58,388 --> 00:19:02,017           And the mere fact              that Prince mentioned that--     447 00:19:02,058 --> 00:19:03,894    I think about it all the time--  448 00:19:03,935 --> 00:19:09,191     it shows how it just defined           how we looked at policing      449 00:19:09,232 --> 00:19:12,152         and what policing meant.      450 00:19:12,194 --> 00:19:15,947      [Prince]   It was that moment            that I started realizing,      451 00:19:15,989 --> 00:19:18,950                  "Damn,                      we second-class citizens."     452 00:19:18,992 --> 00:19:22,913      And that became my Black Power              moment for real.          453 00:19:22,954 --> 00:19:25,457         Some people would, like,             become activists from it.      454 00:19:25,498 --> 00:19:28,585              It changed me                      in a different way.         455 00:19:40,764 --> 00:19:43,516       -[person]   Shake his hand.                 -[both]   Peace.            456 00:19:43,558 --> 00:19:46,102       [Nas]   The world has a way               of stripping Black men       457 00:19:46,144 --> 00:19:47,229           of their innocence.         458 00:19:47,270 --> 00:19:50,398          But at the same time,             our community was teaching us    459 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:52,525          to think for ourselves                       as gods.              460 00:19:52,567 --> 00:19:56,154     We, the Five Percenter here,         we represent ourself as God.     461 00:19:56,196 --> 00:20:00,033      through our true knowledge                     as God.               462 00:20:00,075 --> 00:20:01,993          All wise people...          463 00:20:02,035 --> 00:20:04,246               [Supreme]                     Well, when we was younger,     464 00:20:04,287 --> 00:20:05,872       we were never gang related.     465 00:20:05,914 --> 00:20:07,332       We were never gang oriented.    466 00:20:07,374 --> 00:20:09,125            But we had became                      Five Percenters           467 00:20:09,167 --> 00:20:10,168           when we were young.         468 00:20:10,210 --> 00:20:13,672         The Five Percent Nation,             Nation of Gods and Earths.     469 00:20:13,713 --> 00:20:17,425               [C Allah]                    Our focus was, go to school,    470 00:20:17,467 --> 00:20:19,594          get your education,         471 00:20:19,636 --> 00:20:23,265        because that education                is the key to the lot        472 00:20:23,306 --> 00:20:25,016         to enlighten yourself        473 00:20:25,058 --> 00:20:28,395            and to progress                  to get better in life.        474 00:20:28,436 --> 00:20:32,440         And that was actually              one of the main teachings      475 00:20:32,482 --> 00:20:33,692        of the Five Percenters.       476 00:20:33,733 --> 00:20:38,405         [Supreme]   C Allah is                the last remaining brother     477 00:20:38,446 --> 00:20:40,490               that brought                     the Five Percent to--        478 00:20:40,532 --> 00:20:42,409            we call it desert,                     which is Queens.          479 00:20:42,450 --> 00:20:45,120    With the knowledge of each man           upon this Planet Earth        480 00:20:45,161 --> 00:20:48,873          that he is God, and            the original Black man is God.    481 00:20:48,915 --> 00:20:51,626    [Understanding]   For you to say               that you're a god,         482 00:20:51,668 --> 00:20:54,629       your mind and your vision             becomes, like, tenfold,       483 00:20:54,671 --> 00:20:56,715         and you start trying                 to find other things         484 00:20:56,756 --> 00:20:58,800     to get you out of the poverty    485 00:20:58,842 --> 00:21:00,802            that said that you                    were just a slave          486 00:21:00,844 --> 00:21:02,012      when you came to this country,  487 00:21:02,053 --> 00:21:03,722               and you have                       no other knowledge         488 00:21:03,763 --> 00:21:04,806        about any of your history.     489 00:21:04,848 --> 00:21:08,893             That concept                enlightened young kids like me    490 00:21:08,935 --> 00:21:12,439        to know about themselves,      491 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:14,441       find out about your history,    492 00:21:14,482 --> 00:21:16,735            and in the process                      of doing that,           493 00:21:16,776 --> 00:21:18,069     you're taking people with you    494 00:21:18,111 --> 00:21:20,238      because you're enlightening                  them, too.              495 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:22,782     [Supreme]   The dude who taught         me about the Five Percenters--  496 00:21:22,824 --> 00:21:25,493      and gave me knowledge itself--           his name was Supreme.        497 00:21:25,535 --> 00:21:28,288         So I was given his name.      498 00:21:28,330 --> 00:21:30,081       Whatever name you're given,     499 00:21:30,123 --> 00:21:32,459              you got to try                      to live up to it.          500 00:21:32,500 --> 00:21:35,503           soft ambient music        501 00:21:35,545 --> 00:21:38,214                                    502 00:21:38,256 --> 00:21:40,800      [Green Eyed Born]   You know,          we come from the same neigh--    503 00:21:40,842 --> 00:21:42,844         went to the same schools                  and everything.           504 00:21:42,886 --> 00:21:45,472       Shared the same friends,              shared the same people.       505 00:21:45,513 --> 00:21:47,432          Man, so, you know,                    we became a part           506 00:21:47,474 --> 00:21:49,392      of that awareness movement,     507 00:21:49,434 --> 00:21:52,103               which is                    the Nation of Five Percent.     508 00:21:52,145 --> 00:21:54,689      [Understanding]   Me, Preme,                and Green Eyed Born,        509 00:21:54,731 --> 00:21:57,025             the three of us                  had green eyes, you know?      510 00:21:57,067 --> 00:22:00,612      We always called each other                 the triplets,            511 00:22:00,653 --> 00:22:02,155               because--                   I don't know what it was--      512 00:22:02,197 --> 00:22:05,867        but the woman was just              loving green eyes, right?      513 00:22:06,826 --> 00:22:08,078     [person]   Pretty niggas, man.     514 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:10,080             All them niggas                from Baisley was pretty, man.    515 00:22:10,121 --> 00:22:11,539          Pretty niggas, man.         516 00:22:11,581 --> 00:22:13,541       You know what I'm saying?                    [laughs]               517 00:22:13,583 --> 00:22:14,918       You know, can't no female                  ever say no.             518 00:22:14,959 --> 00:22:16,127      Like, you know what it is.      519 00:22:16,169 --> 00:22:17,545            [man] You know                    what I'm saying, man?        520 00:22:17,587 --> 00:22:19,672         You put a gold chain               and all that around him,       521 00:22:19,714 --> 00:22:20,924         he, like--that's it.         522 00:22:20,965 --> 00:22:22,801         Then there's nothing                    to talk about.            523 00:22:22,842 --> 00:22:24,260               -That's it.                        -[person]   Yeah.           524 00:22:24,302 --> 00:22:25,553         [person 2]   Dangerous.        525 00:22:25,595 --> 00:22:27,972               [person]                      Solid and dangerous, man.      526 00:22:28,014 --> 00:22:31,601      [Nas]   What was the climate              in New York early '70s?       527 00:22:31,643 --> 00:22:33,353              [LL Cool J]                     Oh, I can give you that.      528 00:22:33,395 --> 00:22:37,065       The climate in New York,                     it was...              529 00:22:37,107 --> 00:22:38,274              dangerous.              530 00:22:38,316 --> 00:22:41,152               jazz music            531 00:22:41,194 --> 00:22:43,571     [person]   There's no law here.               There's no rules.          532 00:22:43,613 --> 00:22:45,156         Nothing is normal here.       533 00:22:45,198 --> 00:22:47,200          [person 2]   My God,                 the hopelessness of it all     534 00:22:47,242 --> 00:22:48,576            really grabs you.          535 00:22:48,618 --> 00:22:51,871            Gave him the keys                      to the city             536 00:22:51,913 --> 00:22:53,665                                    537 00:22:53,706 --> 00:22:56,584      - Called him the lovin' man             -[siren wailing]           538 00:22:56,626 --> 00:22:58,461                                    539 00:22:58,503 --> 00:23:01,214       His conversation is pretty   540 00:23:01,256 --> 00:23:02,799                                    541 00:23:02,841 --> 00:23:05,718    [LL Cool J]   It was "Mary Jane"                 by Rick James.           542 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:09,431      It was Michael Jackson, like,              is in the zeitgeist.        543 00:23:09,472 --> 00:23:10,932               He's, like,                     a big part of our lives.      544 00:23:10,974 --> 00:23:13,476            It was pin joints.                    It was Thai stick.         545 00:23:13,518 --> 00:23:15,728           It was a crazy time.        546 00:23:15,770 --> 00:23:16,855                                    547 00:23:16,896 --> 00:23:18,898                Says folks                   should love one another       548 00:23:18,940 --> 00:23:20,567              [LL Cool J]                    Back then, it was an honor     549 00:23:20,608 --> 00:23:21,818          to be able to do that,                      you know?              550 00:23:21,860 --> 00:23:23,736        To be able to walk around                with your jewelry on        551 00:23:23,778 --> 00:23:25,029        actually meant something.      552 00:23:25,071 --> 00:23:26,781           He's a lovin' man         553 00:23:26,823 --> 00:23:28,241     [LL Cool J]   Yo, it's crazy--                 like, back then,          554 00:23:28,283 --> 00:23:31,411         it was like, if you had            a $300, $400 pair of Gazelles    555 00:23:31,453 --> 00:23:32,704          -and a sheepskin...                       -Oh, boy,              556 00:23:32,745 --> 00:23:34,205          ...and you was able               to walk around with that       557 00:23:34,247 --> 00:23:35,915           and really, like,                 move around like that,        558 00:23:35,957 --> 00:23:37,375       it said a lot about you.       559 00:23:37,417 --> 00:23:42,172            Ooh, lovin' man          560 00:23:42,213 --> 00:23:44,507           [Nas]   The lessons                 of the Five-Percent Nation     561 00:23:44,549 --> 00:23:46,009          had weight and power.        562 00:23:46,050 --> 00:23:49,220       But the draw of the streets           brought a different weight,     563 00:23:49,262 --> 00:23:50,513                and money.             564 00:23:53,016 --> 00:23:55,185      [Prince]   I didn't see a lot           of opportunities back then.     565 00:23:55,226 --> 00:23:57,353          Even though my parents                 would instill in us         566 00:23:57,395 --> 00:23:59,481        that we could be anything           and do anything we want to do,  567 00:23:59,522 --> 00:24:02,567             I got caught up                    in a different mindset       568 00:24:02,609 --> 00:24:05,820                 because                      of what affected me more.      569 00:24:05,862 --> 00:24:08,281           One of the things             people ask me to define myself    570 00:24:08,323 --> 00:24:10,783     and a lot of the people that         came from where I came from,     571 00:24:10,825 --> 00:24:14,496        we are very good people               that did bad things.         572 00:24:14,537 --> 00:24:15,997              somber music           573 00:24:16,039 --> 00:24:19,584      Our mentors in a lot of cases              were street people.         574 00:24:19,626 --> 00:24:21,794             They're the ones                  that came to our events.      575 00:24:21,836 --> 00:24:23,880             They're the ones                     that spoke to us.          576 00:24:23,922 --> 00:24:26,424       A lot of the people who were          doing well in our community,    577 00:24:26,466 --> 00:24:28,676        they didn't deal with us--                they'd walk by us.         578 00:24:28,718 --> 00:24:30,428           They didn't want to                    be attached to us,         579 00:24:30,470 --> 00:24:33,973      and the definitely didn't want       to invest a lot of time in us.  580 00:24:34,015 --> 00:24:36,976      But the street people did,                 and that's why,           581 00:24:37,018 --> 00:24:38,102          slowly but surely,          582 00:24:38,144 --> 00:24:41,356         those are the people                that we gravitated to.        583 00:24:41,397 --> 00:24:43,399      [Bing]   There was a few guys                  to look up to            584 00:24:43,441 --> 00:24:44,776          when I was growing up.       585 00:24:44,817 --> 00:24:46,611      They were just smooth cats.     586 00:24:46,653 --> 00:24:48,071     You know, they had a persona                  about them              587 00:24:48,112 --> 00:24:50,031      that just rubbed off, like,             you know what I mean?        588 00:24:50,073 --> 00:24:52,784        Always dressed nice, nice             cars, and stuff like that.     589 00:24:52,825 --> 00:24:55,703            When we was young,               we would just look up to 'em    590 00:24:55,745 --> 00:24:57,956       like that's what you want                     to be.                591 00:24:57,997 --> 00:24:59,749         [LL Cool J]   When you                walking around in the hood     592 00:24:59,791 --> 00:25:01,626         and you're a little kid,                you feel powerless.         593 00:25:01,668 --> 00:25:03,002           You feel invisible.         594 00:25:03,044 --> 00:25:06,381          So hustlers, you know,             were always important to me,    595 00:25:06,422 --> 00:25:07,674      because at the end of the day,  596 00:25:07,715 --> 00:25:10,301        they were the only people              I saw that had any money      597 00:25:10,343 --> 00:25:11,261             and any success.          598 00:25:11,302 --> 00:25:13,846          Now, you know, people                  in the outside world        599 00:25:13,888 --> 00:25:16,266         would judge--would say,             "That's not really success,"    600 00:25:16,307 --> 00:25:18,643         but when you're from                   where we're from,          601 00:25:18,685 --> 00:25:19,978            it is success.            602 00:25:20,019 --> 00:25:22,855      Bottom line is this, man--          it's a sad state of affairs,     603 00:25:22,897 --> 00:25:24,774              but sometimes                      it was the only game        604 00:25:24,816 --> 00:25:27,694               that it felt                       was there to play.         605 00:25:27,735 --> 00:25:32,407                                    606 00:25:33,741 --> 00:25:35,827              [Sterling]                    My name is Sterling Johnson.    607 00:25:35,868 --> 00:25:38,246           I am a United States                 District Court judge.        608 00:25:38,288 --> 00:25:41,833       I had always wanted to be             a white-collar lawyer,        609 00:25:41,874 --> 00:25:44,586         showing the documents                   and doing this,           610 00:25:44,627 --> 00:25:46,045         but it wasn't to be.         611 00:25:46,087 --> 00:25:50,592      My destiny was always drugs                 and violence.            612 00:25:51,718 --> 00:25:54,679        Nicky Barnes, Frank Lucas,     613 00:25:54,721 --> 00:25:58,099          you name it, I did it.       614 00:25:58,141 --> 00:26:00,226          [reporter]   Johnson                  has been told by the FBI      615 00:26:00,268 --> 00:26:01,853          that he's been marked                       for death              616 00:26:01,894 --> 00:26:04,105         by the powerful Medellín             drug cartel from Colombia.     617 00:26:04,147 --> 00:26:07,275     I don't take threats lightly,         but it's not gonna stop me      618 00:26:07,317 --> 00:26:09,819    from doing what I've been doing            all these years.           619 00:26:09,861 --> 00:26:11,029          Just keep on doing it.       620 00:26:11,070 --> 00:26:14,824         America has always been               a drug-oriented nation.       621 00:26:14,866 --> 00:26:17,619          You look at the TV,              see how many drugs come on.     622 00:26:17,660 --> 00:26:18,953          Just check it out.          623 00:26:18,995 --> 00:26:22,165      [person]   Some patients may            be afraid of taking opioids     624 00:26:22,206 --> 00:26:24,375        because they're perceived                   as too strong.           625 00:26:24,417 --> 00:26:26,669     And New York has always been                the epicenter.            626 00:26:26,711 --> 00:26:29,922       One of every 40 residents                in New York City           627 00:26:29,964 --> 00:26:31,132          is a heroin addict.         628 00:26:31,174 --> 00:26:32,759       [reporter]   One block away                 from the hospital,         629 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:34,010             we saw this man           630 00:26:34,052 --> 00:26:36,846        showing apparently typical            signs of being on heroin.      631 00:26:36,888 --> 00:26:38,765              [Sterling]                      Heroin was the big thing      632 00:26:38,806 --> 00:26:41,643      back in the '60s and the '70s.  633 00:26:41,684 --> 00:26:43,269                And...                634 00:26:43,311 --> 00:26:44,312             I was there.             635 00:26:44,354 --> 00:26:47,690        The FBI today announced             the arrest of 15 members       636 00:26:47,732 --> 00:26:49,067      of an alleged heroin ring.      637 00:26:49,108 --> 00:26:50,943        The suspects are believed                   to be members            638 00:26:50,985 --> 00:26:52,362       of organized crime families.    639 00:26:52,403 --> 00:26:55,031      [reporter]   Prosecutors say           that as the arrest went down,    640 00:26:55,073 --> 00:26:57,200         suspect Oreste Abbamonte      641 00:26:57,241 --> 00:26:59,202              threatened one                  of the undercover agents.      642 00:26:59,243 --> 00:27:02,288          "You are a dead man,"                  he reportedly said.         643 00:27:02,330 --> 00:27:05,500      Drugs was always in the mix                  in America.             644 00:27:05,541 --> 00:27:09,504      The realness is the country            was built on moonshine        645 00:27:09,545 --> 00:27:11,172          and it became dope.         646 00:27:11,214 --> 00:27:13,091        [reporter]   The National              Citizens Crime Commission      647 00:27:13,132 --> 00:27:15,385        meeting in New York today              viewed police videotapes      648 00:27:15,426 --> 00:27:17,929            of heroin pushers                    peddling their wares        649 00:27:17,970 --> 00:27:20,765       one block from Wall Street.     650 00:27:20,807 --> 00:27:22,392     [C Allah]   The chaos was here.    651 00:27:22,433 --> 00:27:24,852             Always has been,                      always will be.           652 00:27:24,894 --> 00:27:29,691    It just changed its appearance.  653 00:27:29,732 --> 00:27:33,528                                    654 00:27:38,408 --> 00:27:40,159    [David]   My name is David Cohen,  655 00:27:40,201 --> 00:27:42,995            and I have my own                 criminal defense practice      656 00:27:43,037 --> 00:27:44,580            here in Queens.           657 00:27:44,622 --> 00:27:45,915       I like the independence.       658 00:27:45,957 --> 00:27:49,001         I like the fact that             I'm fighting the government.     659 00:27:49,043 --> 00:27:51,170         You're a gunfighter.                 You're a gunslinger.         660 00:27:51,212 --> 00:27:54,340       And you're the only thing            that stands between them       661 00:27:54,382 --> 00:27:57,552        and being put in a cage                and going to jail.          662 00:27:57,593 --> 00:27:59,303             [interviewer]                  The unproven allegation here    663 00:27:59,345 --> 00:28:01,848       is that Fat Cat Nichols,                is this drug king--         664 00:28:01,889 --> 00:28:03,349    I don't understand who that is.  665 00:28:03,391 --> 00:28:05,601          If you're referring                 to Lorenzo Nichols...        666 00:28:05,643 --> 00:28:09,897       I represented a gentleman by          the name of Lorenzo Nichols.    667 00:28:09,939 --> 00:28:11,899      His street name was "Fat Cat."  668 00:28:11,941 --> 00:28:14,110             He got involved                     in the drug business        669 00:28:14,152 --> 00:28:18,948          and became successful                   in that business.          670 00:28:18,990 --> 00:28:20,324          [Prince]   My uncle--         671 00:28:20,366 --> 00:28:24,036      he was working for an old-time          drug dealer at the time.      672 00:28:24,078 --> 00:28:26,581            Fat Cat also works                   for the same person,        673 00:28:26,622 --> 00:28:28,708            so that's how they                 got to know each other--      674 00:28:28,750 --> 00:28:31,377            Fat Cat and Preme.         675 00:28:31,419 --> 00:28:33,588         [Shannon]   Fat Cat was                      drug kingpin            676 00:28:33,629 --> 00:28:34,922       from South Jamaica, Queens,     677 00:28:34,964 --> 00:28:38,176         and he was a part of,               what, the Seven Crowns        678 00:28:38,217 --> 00:28:40,845    back in--when there was a gang             called Seven Crowns         679 00:28:40,887 --> 00:28:44,015        back in the late '70s,                     early '80s.             680 00:28:44,056 --> 00:28:46,809            Then he turned                     to the drug trade.          681 00:28:46,851 --> 00:28:50,229           And he was big-time.        682 00:28:50,271 --> 00:28:52,982              [Mr. Black]                     Fat Cat--he was a Crown.      683 00:28:53,024 --> 00:28:55,568               Fat was--                   when Cat joined the Crowns,     684 00:28:55,610 --> 00:28:57,987       I think he was 13 or 14.       685 00:28:58,029 --> 00:28:59,989         I knew his whole family,                     you know,              686 00:29:00,031 --> 00:29:02,074             'cause my father                       and his mother           687 00:29:02,116 --> 00:29:04,118      was in the same poker circle.    688 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:07,205          And he used to live               right around the corner.       689 00:29:07,246 --> 00:29:10,082        And, you know, he was part               of my inner circle.         690 00:29:10,124 --> 00:29:13,002       In the beginning, there was            no drugs in the beginning.     691 00:29:13,044 --> 00:29:14,545        While I was doing my time                   for the Feds,            692 00:29:14,587 --> 00:29:19,091      that's when they crossed over                into the heroin.          693 00:29:19,133 --> 00:29:21,052            [siren wailing]           694 00:29:21,093 --> 00:29:24,096          soft dramatic music        695 00:29:24,138 --> 00:29:25,223                                    696 00:29:25,264 --> 00:29:26,808              [reporter]                       The Feds seem to think       697 00:29:26,849 --> 00:29:28,559             they've got most                    of Fat Cat's people,        698 00:29:28,601 --> 00:29:29,727         and things will change.       699 00:29:29,769 --> 00:29:31,771         That'll never happen,           'cause you got too many people    700 00:29:31,813 --> 00:29:33,314          out here nowadays.          701 00:29:40,321 --> 00:29:42,281              [DJ Casino]                      A lot of people think        702 00:29:42,323 --> 00:29:44,242          that the neighborhood                    was always wild.          703 00:29:44,283 --> 00:29:45,952        No, it wasn't always wild.     704 00:29:45,993 --> 00:29:49,163              The beginning                    of the drug infestation       705 00:29:49,205 --> 00:29:52,208         started on South Road                 and 150th Street--          706 00:29:52,250 --> 00:29:55,086          Sutphin Boulevard.               It's a little corner there.     707 00:29:55,127 --> 00:29:58,422       And anybody who did anything               did it from there.         708 00:29:58,464 --> 00:30:01,384      [Nas]   You know, I would go           to different parts of Jamaica    709 00:30:01,425 --> 00:30:05,596        and see the most dangerous          blocks I ever saw in my life.    710 00:30:05,638 --> 00:30:07,139           One was South Road.         711 00:30:07,181 --> 00:30:09,976              tense music            712 00:30:10,017 --> 00:30:11,561        South Road was this block      713 00:30:11,602 --> 00:30:15,106             that looked like                a bunch of storefronts maybe    714 00:30:15,147 --> 00:30:17,400        or factories or whatever,      715 00:30:17,441 --> 00:30:19,861         but it was just people.       716 00:30:19,902 --> 00:30:21,737           Now, I don't know                  what business we had         717 00:30:21,779 --> 00:30:23,030         going on over there.         718 00:30:23,072 --> 00:30:25,950      I think we went over there                 to a weed spot            719 00:30:25,992 --> 00:30:29,120       when the other weed spot             was closed or something.       720 00:30:29,161 --> 00:30:32,248           You just drive down,               it's just a row of people      721 00:30:32,290 --> 00:30:34,208             doing their own                       separate things.          722 00:30:34,250 --> 00:30:37,378        It looked like a block the           cops didn't want to stop on.    723 00:30:37,420 --> 00:30:39,839             It was hard,                     you know what I mean?        724 00:30:39,881 --> 00:30:42,300         Very live, very live.        725 00:30:42,341 --> 00:30:44,051               [Supreme]                       I mean, me and Prince,       726 00:30:44,093 --> 00:30:46,429            we went down to--                   we call it the block.        727 00:30:46,470 --> 00:30:49,348         That's where everything              started, on 150th Street.      728 00:30:49,390 --> 00:30:51,517            And when I saw it,                   it was fascinating.         729 00:30:51,559 --> 00:30:53,519              It was like--                 I never saw nothing like that.  730 00:30:53,561 --> 00:30:55,605               It was like                     an open-air drug market.      731 00:30:55,646 --> 00:30:59,984      It was so much shit going on.          It was like a movie for me.     732 00:31:00,026 --> 00:31:02,653       And I was hooked ever since.    733 00:31:02,695 --> 00:31:04,447                                    734 00:31:04,488 --> 00:31:06,282            [Understanding]                  The beginning of the '80s      735 00:31:06,324 --> 00:31:07,491          was very interesting.        736 00:31:07,533 --> 00:31:09,493               You can look                      at poor communities         737 00:31:09,535 --> 00:31:10,703        and see what kind of drug      738 00:31:10,745 --> 00:31:13,122          was in that community                      at the time.            739 00:31:13,164 --> 00:31:15,625               In the '80s,                 it was coming out of the '70s    740 00:31:15,666 --> 00:31:19,545    and the disco era when cocaine          was the choice of drugs.       741 00:31:19,587 --> 00:31:22,340      See, power is giving people                what they want.           742 00:31:22,381 --> 00:31:25,343    [Joy]   I think about   Miami Vice,         like, in the '80s, right?      743 00:31:25,384 --> 00:31:28,763         Like, they kind of made                cocaine dealing sexy.        744 00:31:28,804 --> 00:31:31,098        Cocaine kind of, like,              skates through, you know,      745 00:31:31,140 --> 00:31:32,433     like it's not the worst thing                in the world.            746 00:31:32,475 --> 00:31:34,435        It's kind of the sexy drug                  you can deal,            747 00:31:34,477 --> 00:31:36,062         'cause rich white people                 use it, you know,          748 00:31:36,103 --> 00:31:37,313           and they're using it                     in their clubs           749 00:31:37,355 --> 00:31:39,482         and they're hanging out                  at the, you know,          750 00:31:39,523 --> 00:31:41,525           at the Four Seasons,                  you know, doing it.         751 00:31:41,567 --> 00:31:44,028      [Sterling]   And then people                found out later on,         752 00:31:44,070 --> 00:31:48,366       put a little bicarbonate                  of soda, water,           753 00:31:48,407 --> 00:31:50,368             heat it up...            754 00:31:50,409 --> 00:31:53,120              you got crack.           755 00:31:53,162 --> 00:31:55,164            In the alphabet                     of illegal drugs,          756 00:31:55,206 --> 00:31:57,249      few have become so popular,                  so potent,              757 00:31:57,291 --> 00:31:58,501         so addictive so fast         758 00:31:58,542 --> 00:32:00,711      as what's known on the street                   as crack.              759 00:32:00,753 --> 00:32:02,296           [reporter]   Crack,                  the cocaine derivative,       760 00:32:02,338 --> 00:32:03,839           continues to be sold                   in record amounts.         761 00:32:03,881 --> 00:32:06,300       New York City's been called                the crack capital.         762 00:32:06,342 --> 00:32:08,219    Well, I'll tell you, the folks       along 107th street in Manhattan  763 00:32:08,260 --> 00:32:10,221       didn't have to wait until           tonight to see   Miami Vice.      764 00:32:10,262 --> 00:32:12,264      All they had to do is look out         their windows last night.      765 00:32:12,306 --> 00:32:13,933       Right underneath them, there           was a very big crack raid.     766 00:32:13,975 --> 00:32:16,394     [reporter]   Some officials say             crack is spreading now       767 00:32:16,435 --> 00:32:18,354       from the slums to suburbia.     768 00:32:18,396 --> 00:32:21,983            [Understanding]                By the middle '80s, '84, '85,    769 00:32:22,024 --> 00:32:23,526            you started seeing                      crack cocaine            770 00:32:23,567 --> 00:32:25,361          come to South Jamaica.       771 00:32:25,403 --> 00:32:29,365         [Mark]   Imagine you're                 in Baisley or the 40s,       772 00:32:29,407 --> 00:32:31,492        and this is your life.        773 00:32:31,534 --> 00:32:33,244         And all of a sudden,         774 00:32:33,285 --> 00:32:36,080       you can get a little bit            of euphoria for five bucks.     775 00:32:36,122 --> 00:32:38,207    Sounds like a pretty good deal.  776 00:32:38,249 --> 00:32:39,917               [Suzette]                     You heard the buzz about,      777 00:32:39,959 --> 00:32:41,752        "Oh, it's this new drug,"      778 00:32:41,794 --> 00:32:44,547          and then you just saw,                   like, everybody.          779 00:32:44,588 --> 00:32:46,173        Drug addicts here, there.      780 00:32:46,215 --> 00:32:48,634      We go to the grocery store,                you'll see it.            781 00:32:48,676 --> 00:32:51,345     You take your kid to school,                you'll see it.            782 00:32:51,387 --> 00:32:53,139       It was so close to home.       783 00:32:53,180 --> 00:32:54,765             [interviewer]                   Can you buy crack up here?     784 00:32:54,807 --> 00:32:56,726    Yes, it's definitely out here,                  you know?              785 00:32:56,767 --> 00:32:59,103       That's where the majority                of the money is.           786 00:32:59,145 --> 00:33:00,354         You get rich off of it.       787 00:33:00,396 --> 00:33:03,399     Heroin used to be the money.                Now it's crack.           788 00:33:03,441 --> 00:33:05,484        [Prince]   If you grew up                 in that environment,        789 00:33:05,526 --> 00:33:06,902      it's like the fishnet theory.    790 00:33:06,944 --> 00:33:10,364        We may not get all of you,           but we gonna get one of you.    791 00:33:10,406 --> 00:33:12,074            I had two brothers                      and a sister,            792 00:33:12,116 --> 00:33:13,284           and none of them are                       criminals,             793 00:33:13,325 --> 00:33:14,535          know what I'm saying?        794 00:33:14,577 --> 00:33:16,620            But I got caught.                  I got snared in the net.      795 00:33:16,662 --> 00:33:19,373             dramatic music          796 00:33:19,415 --> 00:33:22,251        [Gary]   There was a lot              going on, and we were young,    797 00:33:22,293 --> 00:33:24,003          but we lived like men.       798 00:33:24,045 --> 00:33:26,047       We were doing adult things.     799 00:33:26,088 --> 00:33:27,256          We were around adults,       800 00:33:27,298 --> 00:33:29,383      'cause that's where it starts                for a lot of us.          801 00:33:29,425 --> 00:33:32,094               We start off                      going to the store,         802 00:33:32,136 --> 00:33:33,304            and then you grow.         803 00:33:33,345 --> 00:33:35,556           Your errands change.                You become more mature.       804 00:33:35,598 --> 00:33:38,059           Next thing you know,              you're delivering packages.     805 00:33:38,100 --> 00:33:39,435         This is the way it goes.      806 00:33:39,477 --> 00:33:42,897        And then once they get            to know you, they trust you.     807 00:33:42,938 --> 00:33:44,065       And that's how it builds.      808 00:33:44,106 --> 00:33:46,567      And then you start to work            your way up the hierarchy      809 00:33:46,609 --> 00:33:48,736        and before you know it,               next thing you know,         810 00:33:48,778 --> 00:33:51,739            you're running                 your own little operation.      811 00:33:51,781 --> 00:33:56,160        [Bing]   Around '81, '82,               when I first met Supreme      812 00:33:56,202 --> 00:33:58,996             on 150th Street                      in South Jamaica.          813 00:33:59,038 --> 00:34:02,208               [Supreme]                       See, Bing was actually       814 00:34:02,249 --> 00:34:05,961             the first person                   that was down with me        815 00:34:06,003 --> 00:34:07,505          with the Supreme Team.       816 00:34:07,546 --> 00:34:10,633          When the Supreme Team                 really just took off,        817 00:34:10,674 --> 00:34:14,637      it was when I started hustling         over on his side of town.      818 00:34:14,678 --> 00:34:17,139       [Bing]   I had a few jobs,                 you know understand?        819 00:34:17,181 --> 00:34:19,308    But it wasn't making ends meet,             because, like,            820 00:34:19,350 --> 00:34:21,602              my dad left                    when I was growing up,        821 00:34:21,644 --> 00:34:24,355      and I got, like, a brother               and three sisters.          822 00:34:24,396 --> 00:34:25,731          It was five of us.          823 00:34:25,773 --> 00:34:29,318      It was some of that that drew            me to the streets also,       824 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:30,820        to try to help to provide      825 00:34:30,861 --> 00:34:34,073        for my mom and my sisters                   and brothers.            826 00:34:34,115 --> 00:34:36,867         [Shannon]   And I was--               you know, I was a good kid     827 00:34:36,909 --> 00:34:38,410         till about high school.       828 00:34:38,452 --> 00:34:41,205        Then, you know, I started               seeing the drug life.        829 00:34:41,247 --> 00:34:44,708         I was enthused by it,                    so I started             830 00:34:44,750 --> 00:34:48,420    just hanging around...Supreme.    831 00:34:48,462 --> 00:34:50,464      You know, I looked up to him.    832 00:34:50,506 --> 00:34:52,591               [Nathan]                       He's a people's person,       833 00:34:52,633 --> 00:34:55,761       but intellectually-wise,             he was very charismatic.       834 00:34:55,803 --> 00:34:58,556       A long time ago, years ago,              he had this big vision       835 00:34:58,597 --> 00:35:00,724       about being an entrepreneur.    836 00:35:00,766 --> 00:35:02,643            He always talking                      about business.           837 00:35:02,685 --> 00:35:04,186           That's the vision                    that I followed.           838 00:35:04,228 --> 00:35:05,563           That's the vision                   that I see in him.          839 00:35:05,604 --> 00:35:07,690      That's the vision I wanted                to be a part of.           840 00:35:07,731 --> 00:35:09,150               [Supreme]                       My father was my hero,       841 00:35:09,191 --> 00:35:10,526            but I never wanted                      to have a job            842 00:35:10,568 --> 00:35:12,695           where I had to live                  paycheck to paycheck.        843 00:35:12,736 --> 00:35:14,280           I had bigger dreams.        844 00:35:14,321 --> 00:35:15,906               [Prince]                        Preme is a businessman       845 00:35:15,948 --> 00:35:17,032         more than anything else.      846 00:35:17,074 --> 00:35:19,827        He looked at the drug game                  as a business.           847 00:35:19,869 --> 00:35:23,330     [Supreme]   The streets for me            was always just a process,     848 00:35:23,372 --> 00:35:24,582            a stepping point.          849 00:35:24,623 --> 00:35:26,542             I always trying                      to find a way out.         850 00:35:26,584 --> 00:35:28,419              Godfather.              851 00:35:28,460 --> 00:35:30,296    [Shannon]   And he always wanted    852 00:35:30,337 --> 00:35:31,964             to have us watch                     The Godfather.            853 00:35:32,006 --> 00:35:35,217        The Godfather   was about              tradition and everything.      854 00:35:35,259 --> 00:35:36,927                Don't rat.             855 00:35:36,969 --> 00:35:38,470             Always be a man.          856 00:35:38,512 --> 00:35:41,307       Honor your name, your work.     857 00:35:41,348 --> 00:35:43,851               Being loyal.            858 00:35:43,893 --> 00:35:45,436               [gunshot]              859 00:35:45,477 --> 00:35:47,479             dramatic music          860 00:35:47,521 --> 00:35:49,565       [Prince]   We felt   Scarface                     was cool,              861 00:35:49,607 --> 00:35:51,525          but Preme and myself,        862 00:35:51,567 --> 00:35:53,402               we were more                    Godfather   disciples.         863 00:35:53,444 --> 00:35:55,321         You know, it illustrated                moving with purpose,        864 00:35:55,362 --> 00:35:57,489             along with rules                   that you could live by       865 00:35:57,531 --> 00:35:59,408             in those times.           866 00:35:59,450 --> 00:36:00,534               [Shannon]                      Definitely played a part      867 00:36:00,576 --> 00:36:02,745             in how the crews                      was structured.           868 00:36:02,786 --> 00:36:04,538           Preme was the boss.         869 00:36:04,580 --> 00:36:08,584          Like, Prince would be                     the underboss.           870 00:36:08,626 --> 00:36:10,711           And then lieutenants        871 00:36:10,753 --> 00:36:12,671           and then, you know,                    under lieutenants,         872 00:36:12,713 --> 00:36:14,632           they were, you know,                      the workers.            873 00:36:14,673 --> 00:36:17,927           So it definitely was                structured like the Mob.      874 00:36:17,968 --> 00:36:21,764       Anyone who tells you that           organized crime in New York     875 00:36:21,805 --> 00:36:25,017          wasn't romanticized              is completely full of shit.     876 00:36:25,059 --> 00:36:28,020         You know, everything               from Murder, Incorporated      877 00:36:28,062 --> 00:36:29,688             to   Scarface.             878 00:36:29,730 --> 00:36:32,900        All of a sudden, you know,                 The Godfather            879 00:36:32,942 --> 00:36:35,527       becomes something different            than what it was intended.     880 00:36:35,569 --> 00:36:37,529            It becomes almost                  an instructional manual,      881 00:36:37,571 --> 00:36:40,032                something                      that you can aspire to.       882 00:36:40,074 --> 00:36:42,284                                    883 00:36:42,326 --> 00:36:45,371     [Supreme]   All the things with           me were basically organic.     884 00:36:45,412 --> 00:36:47,581         Like, nobody ever plans                    these things.            885 00:36:47,623 --> 00:36:50,125             It's just, like,                  I came up with an idea.       886 00:36:50,167 --> 00:36:51,168           I started hustling.         887 00:36:51,210 --> 00:36:53,504      I put guys that I grew up with               down with me,            888 00:36:53,545 --> 00:36:57,383           and then we started                       blowing up.             889 00:36:58,550 --> 00:37:00,302       [Shannon]   I wouldn't tell                 people who I was.          890 00:37:00,344 --> 00:37:03,973      They would find out who I was,        and they would come to me--     891 00:37:04,014 --> 00:37:06,433            "Oh, I didn't know                     you were Shannon          892 00:37:06,475 --> 00:37:07,768         from the Supreme Team."       893 00:37:07,810 --> 00:37:11,438        There was a few people              that wanted my autograph.      894 00:37:11,480 --> 00:37:15,776            I'm not someone              you need to idolize, you know?    895 00:37:18,529 --> 00:37:23,075         I think the Supreme Team              started around '83, '84.      896 00:37:23,117 --> 00:37:24,743          That's when it really                       got real.              897 00:37:24,785 --> 00:37:26,620      You know, the name came about.  898 00:37:26,662 --> 00:37:28,664              notes chime                            Hit it.               899 00:37:28,706 --> 00:37:31,583          World's Famous Supreme             Team's "Hey DJ" playing       900 00:37:31,625 --> 00:37:33,711                                    901 00:37:33,752 --> 00:37:36,797         We'd like to dedicate            this record to all the DJs...    902 00:37:36,839 --> 00:37:39,216              [DJ Casino]                   You know what made the name     903 00:37:39,258 --> 00:37:41,844          "Supreme Team" famous?       904 00:37:41,885 --> 00:37:43,762          There was a record                     that came out,            905 00:37:43,804 --> 00:37:46,890    and it used to say The World's          Famous Supreme Team show.      906 00:37:46,932 --> 00:37:49,768            And all the ladies                   sing along, huh?          907 00:37:49,810 --> 00:37:51,812          [Nathan]    Hey, DJ,                     play that song           908 00:37:51,854 --> 00:37:54,815     Keep you dancing all night     909 00:37:54,857 --> 00:37:57,484           The World Famous                    Supreme Team show.          910 00:37:57,526 --> 00:37:59,153       Keep me dancing all night     911 00:37:59,194 --> 00:38:01,864                 Hey, DJ,                     just play that song...       912 00:38:01,905 --> 00:38:04,616      [Supreme]   A friend of mine                 said it one time,          913 00:38:04,658 --> 00:38:05,868            and it just stuck.         914 00:38:05,909 --> 00:38:09,121             And then always                it was just the Supreme Team.    915 00:38:09,163 --> 00:38:11,749       [Joy]   What was the ethic                    of the 1980s?            916 00:38:11,790 --> 00:38:14,376           Dynasty, Dallas,           917 00:38:14,418 --> 00:38:15,669        Lifestyles of the Rich                     and Famous.             918 00:38:15,711 --> 00:38:18,589       Like, what was being fed           to young people at that time?    919 00:38:18,630 --> 00:38:21,842    Get cars, get money, get rich.    920 00:38:21,884 --> 00:38:26,305       This country in the '80s            was 100% focused on wealth      921 00:38:26,347 --> 00:38:28,182       and on ostentatious wealth.     922 00:38:28,223 --> 00:38:31,643      So you can't tell young people           both those two things        923 00:38:31,685 --> 00:38:35,064           and then be shocked               when they do what you said.     924 00:38:35,105 --> 00:38:38,484          [Shannon]   I started                  selling weed at first.       925 00:38:38,525 --> 00:38:40,361       And then I started moving up    926 00:38:40,402 --> 00:38:42,363         to a little bit of coke                   and everything.           927 00:38:42,404 --> 00:38:44,448              I was working                       right under Preme,         928 00:38:44,490 --> 00:38:46,367     and I was selling at least...    929 00:38:46,408 --> 00:38:49,036        ten to 15 keys a week.        930 00:38:49,078 --> 00:38:51,663          Nickle bags of crack.                       That's it.             931 00:38:51,705 --> 00:38:55,459           So we were making              a lot of money at that time.     932 00:38:55,501 --> 00:38:56,502               Hey, DJ...            933 00:38:56,543 --> 00:38:59,505            [music muffles]           934 00:38:59,546 --> 00:39:03,092                                    935 00:39:03,133 --> 00:39:07,846     [Nas]   I started to hear about           Preme and the Supreme Team     936 00:39:07,888 --> 00:39:09,390              through kids--           937 00:39:09,431 --> 00:39:11,642           kids that had family                      in Jamaica.             938 00:39:11,683 --> 00:39:15,979              "Supreme Team"                  made it already something      939 00:39:16,021 --> 00:39:18,023             that you wanted                     to know more about,         940 00:39:18,065 --> 00:39:21,068              that you could                     be a part of a army.        941 00:39:21,110 --> 00:39:23,570        It was something about it,                    you know?              942 00:39:23,612 --> 00:39:24,613       I was all ears for that.       943 00:39:24,655 --> 00:39:26,490          Just dudes getting                     a lot of money,           944 00:39:26,532 --> 00:39:28,075               you know,                 coming from where we come from    945 00:39:28,117 --> 00:39:32,579        at that time, you know,               that stood out crazy.        946 00:39:33,914 --> 00:39:35,624           [Robert]   McGriff                     had a different idea        947 00:39:35,666 --> 00:39:39,545          as to how to approach                 what he wanted to do.        948 00:39:39,586 --> 00:39:42,047              So he decided            949 00:39:42,089 --> 00:39:47,010           to create a fiefdom                      within Queens            950 00:39:47,052 --> 00:39:49,221        called the Baisley Houses.     951 00:39:49,263 --> 00:39:53,308         And there, he basically            controlled that whole complex    952 00:39:53,350 --> 00:39:57,688      and all the drugs that were           distributed in the area.       953 00:39:57,729 --> 00:40:01,692        And he organizationally                  set up a team,            954 00:40:01,733 --> 00:40:04,445     the Supreme Team, to do that.    955 00:40:04,486 --> 00:40:07,781       [Supreme]   Robert Simels--           he took my first federal case    956 00:40:07,823 --> 00:40:10,993               back in 1987                   and my last federal case.      957 00:40:11,034 --> 00:40:12,327         They were scared of him.      958 00:40:12,369 --> 00:40:15,664       Later on, one of his clients          had set him up with a wire,     959 00:40:15,706 --> 00:40:17,708             and he ended up                       doing 14 years.           960 00:40:17,749 --> 00:40:20,294        [Robert]   I walk through                Baisley with McGriff,        961 00:40:20,335 --> 00:40:24,006            and it was a world                 that was foreign to me.       962 00:40:24,047 --> 00:40:27,426      If you look at the poverty               that you would see,         963 00:40:27,468 --> 00:40:29,803    they wanted to rise above that,  964 00:40:29,845 --> 00:40:32,473               and this                      was their opportunity.        965 00:40:32,514 --> 00:40:35,225              somber music           966 00:40:35,267 --> 00:40:37,603        Where you at right now,       967 00:40:37,644 --> 00:40:40,606            it was guarded                      like a fortress.           968 00:40:41,857 --> 00:40:46,153       You couldn't get in here            unless you had permission.      969 00:40:47,488 --> 00:40:50,032         At one point in time,        970 00:40:50,073 --> 00:40:52,993            these buildings                    were so secured...          971 00:40:53,035 --> 00:40:55,329       You see these back doors?      972 00:40:55,370 --> 00:40:56,872         Couldn't get in 'em.         973 00:40:56,914 --> 00:41:01,293        Roofs was kind of covered             in a certain kind of way.      974 00:41:01,335 --> 00:41:04,338          And we was hiding.          975 00:41:05,547 --> 00:41:08,926              It was the way                      it was structured.         976 00:41:08,967 --> 00:41:10,719         It looked small, though.      977 00:41:10,761 --> 00:41:13,472          Little dusty building                with a dirty sign on it.      978 00:41:13,514 --> 00:41:15,557       but when you come in there,     979 00:41:15,599 --> 00:41:18,018          machine in that bitch.       980 00:41:18,060 --> 00:41:21,647       You know, a Fortune fucking             500 company was running.      981 00:41:21,688 --> 00:41:23,398    He climbed the corporate ladder  982 00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:25,609           in a street sense                     in his own way.           983 00:41:25,651 --> 00:41:28,028               [Shannon]                       Yes, it was a company.       984 00:41:28,070 --> 00:41:31,281       And it wasn't guys that you,                   you know,              985 00:41:31,323 --> 00:41:33,367            you just snatch up               off the street or whatever.     986 00:41:33,408 --> 00:41:37,496      It was guys that was coming             straight from school         987 00:41:37,538 --> 00:41:38,956             and working.             988 00:41:38,997 --> 00:41:41,917      Preme and Prince had the...     989 00:41:41,959 --> 00:41:44,169             gift of gab,                    I guess you could say,        990 00:41:44,211 --> 00:41:47,214               to even pull                     the smartest guys in.        991 00:41:48,590 --> 00:41:49,758       [Tuff]   I was a young-un,       992 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:52,719         so I'd run to the store,               get waters and juices        993 00:41:52,761 --> 00:41:55,973     and, you know, potato chips,                   whatever.              994 00:41:56,014 --> 00:42:00,143         Give me a $100 bill,            I keep the change all the time.  995 00:42:00,185 --> 00:42:03,897            But right here,                when this here came about,      996 00:42:03,939 --> 00:42:06,358              this when life                      was already real.          997 00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:11,238                                    998 00:42:14,700 --> 00:42:16,076                [Corey]                       My name is Corey Pegues.      999 00:42:16,118 --> 00:42:19,580      I'm from Queens, and I grew up            in a family of six--        1000 00:42:19,621 --> 00:42:21,039         five sisters and myself.      1001 00:42:21,081 --> 00:42:22,833      And at about the age of 13,     1002 00:42:22,874 --> 00:42:25,919     I gravitated to the streets,            started selling drugs,        1003 00:42:25,961 --> 00:42:27,379      and eventually started working  1004 00:42:27,421 --> 00:42:30,924      for one of the most notorious         conglomerates in the country,    1005 00:42:30,966 --> 00:42:32,801            the Supreme Team.          1006 00:42:32,843 --> 00:42:33,927                  Yeah.                1007 00:42:33,969 --> 00:42:36,138              tense music            1008 00:42:36,179 --> 00:42:37,556         I was a street peddler.       1009 00:42:37,598 --> 00:42:40,684           Then I had somebody               that was like a lieutenant,     1010 00:42:40,726 --> 00:42:42,102        and then that lieutenant--     1011 00:42:42,144 --> 00:42:44,396          -It was a flow chart.               -[elevator bell dings]        1012 00:42:44,438 --> 00:42:45,981                                    1013 00:42:46,023 --> 00:42:48,609    You can't do anything without,    1014 00:42:48,650 --> 00:42:50,235               you know,                     the okay from the top.        1015 00:42:50,277 --> 00:42:52,404    If it didn't come from the top,           you couldn't do it.         1016 00:42:52,446 --> 00:42:54,990      Like, these kids today just        be like, "Make the block hot."    1017 00:42:55,032 --> 00:42:56,658     You can't make the block hot.    1018 00:42:56,700 --> 00:42:58,035              It's like,                      "Listen, no fighting.        1019 00:42:58,076 --> 00:43:00,078    None of that stuff over here."    1020 00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:02,205           They had everything                       mapped out.             1021 00:43:02,247 --> 00:43:05,083         They didn't do anything                 on an ad hoc basis.         1022 00:43:05,125 --> 00:43:07,002       Everything was thought out.     1023 00:43:07,044 --> 00:43:09,046        It was very sophisticated.     1024 00:43:09,087 --> 00:43:11,840    Walkie-talkies, a security van    1025 00:43:11,882 --> 00:43:14,760         with a security crew                     on the ready             1026 00:43:14,801 --> 00:43:17,012             to do whatever.           1027 00:43:17,054 --> 00:43:18,096          You know, it's crazy.        1028 00:43:18,138 --> 00:43:20,307               We even had                     a Supreme Team uniform--      1029 00:43:20,349 --> 00:43:21,933               I don't know                   if y'all know about that,      1030 00:43:21,975 --> 00:43:24,561          if somebody told you--              you know, with sweatsuits,     1031 00:43:24,603 --> 00:43:26,355     with Le Tigre shorts on top,     1032 00:43:26,396 --> 00:43:28,815        and, like, "Preme Team"              in a circle right here.       1033 00:43:28,857 --> 00:43:31,109          I actually brought               a picture of that with me.      1034 00:43:31,151 --> 00:43:34,946                                    1035 00:43:34,988 --> 00:43:38,200    New Jack City   was loosely based           off the Supreme Team,        1036 00:43:38,241 --> 00:43:39,451         and I'm here to attest.       1037 00:43:39,493 --> 00:43:42,037        I can remember definitely               being in an apartment,       1038 00:43:42,079 --> 00:43:44,748          and it was maybe about                  five or six women,         1039 00:43:44,790 --> 00:43:46,166        like in that   New Jack City     1040 00:43:46,208 --> 00:43:48,543        where they in there naked                    bagging up.             1041 00:43:48,585 --> 00:43:50,253          Definitely seen that.        1042 00:43:50,295 --> 00:43:52,005               [Shannon]                       I guess you could say        1043 00:43:52,047 --> 00:43:55,509             I would cook up                 maybe five keys at one time.    1044 00:43:55,550 --> 00:43:57,135       And once it gets cooked up,     1045 00:43:57,177 --> 00:44:00,806       I would take it to the girls                   to bag up.             1046 00:44:00,847 --> 00:44:02,307       Once everything's bagged up,    1047 00:44:02,349 --> 00:44:04,935               it would get                      to the lieutenants.         1048 00:44:04,976 --> 00:44:06,269     Once the lieutenants get it,     1049 00:44:06,311 --> 00:44:08,689         they'll distribute it                  to their workers.          1050 00:44:08,730 --> 00:44:12,984          And the workers would,            you know, sell it from there.    1051 00:44:13,026 --> 00:44:15,404                [Corey]                      We worked six days a week.     1052 00:44:15,445 --> 00:44:18,490            I worked a shift.                    We had three shifts.        1053 00:44:18,532 --> 00:44:21,368        But the funniest thing is,             we got paid on Fridays.       1054 00:44:21,410 --> 00:44:23,995     So I, like, really had a job              with the Supremes.          1055 00:44:24,037 --> 00:44:26,373    That's what, like, the Jay-Zs,          the Premes and all this--      1056 00:44:26,415 --> 00:44:31,002    these guys was, like, running,       like, million-dollar companies    1057 00:44:31,044 --> 00:44:32,421             in the streets,           1058 00:44:32,462 --> 00:44:34,589            and they could run                  like American Express.       1059 00:44:34,631 --> 00:44:38,009             It's crazy what                 these criminal minds can do.    1060 00:44:38,051 --> 00:44:43,390                                    1061 00:44:45,350 --> 00:44:50,272     When people start to analyze         that street entrepreneurship,    1062 00:44:50,313 --> 00:44:54,109           don't analyze it                  from your intellectual        1063 00:44:54,151 --> 00:44:56,361      born-on-third-base mindset.     1064 00:44:56,403 --> 00:45:00,907     Those cats were not even born              in the ballpark.           1065 00:45:00,949 --> 00:45:01,992         [chuckles] You know?         1066 00:45:02,033 --> 00:45:03,410     And they say, "You know what?    1067 00:45:03,452 --> 00:45:07,831      "I'm not going to be a CEO            in a Fortune 500 company       1068 00:45:07,873 --> 00:45:10,542         because I don't have                 the academic skills."        1069 00:45:10,584 --> 00:45:11,835            But the street,           1070 00:45:11,877 --> 00:45:14,880           your degree comes                 from having the heart.        1071 00:45:14,921 --> 00:45:16,131       And that's what you saw.       1072 00:45:16,173 --> 00:45:20,010      You saw street-corner CEOs      1073 00:45:20,051 --> 00:45:22,637     popping up all over our city.    1074 00:45:22,679 --> 00:45:25,265      [reporter]   For thousands of           middle-class Black families,    1075 00:45:25,307 --> 00:45:27,601            the neighborhoods                   of Southeastern Queens       1076 00:45:27,642 --> 00:45:30,729           were once thought of                 as the American Dream.       1077 00:45:30,771 --> 00:45:32,856      But something has gone wrong.    1078 00:45:32,898 --> 00:45:34,316         The nightmare is crack--      1079 00:45:34,357 --> 00:45:37,402      a cheap, highly addictive form                of cocaine.             1080 00:45:37,444 --> 00:45:39,529        [Prince]   It was getting             kind of wild shit, you know,    1081 00:45:39,571 --> 00:45:41,823          and I remember I went                 to my window one time        1082 00:45:41,865 --> 00:45:44,576      and seen somebody get stabbed,         you know what I'm saying?      1083 00:45:44,618 --> 00:45:46,119            Killed right there                    on the boulevard.          1084 00:45:46,161 --> 00:45:48,747     [Bill]   Things started to get            real violent in New York.      1085 00:45:48,789 --> 00:45:51,666      The city was, you know, just--  1086 00:45:51,708 --> 00:45:53,293         it was all--it was hell.      1087 00:45:53,335 --> 00:45:55,378              As a person                     who carried a weapon,        1088 00:45:55,420 --> 00:45:57,255        I was nervous at times             walking around the streets      1089 00:45:57,297 --> 00:45:58,507    of New York at night, you know?  1090 00:45:58,548 --> 00:46:00,217           You know you had                    to watch your back.         1091 00:46:00,258 --> 00:46:02,552      [reporter]   You are looking              at a victim of murder--       1092 00:46:02,594 --> 00:46:05,222              one of almost                      1,800 murder victims        1093 00:46:05,263 --> 00:46:07,057       in the city this year alone.    1094 00:46:07,098 --> 00:46:08,642                [Mark]                            You have a world          1095 00:46:08,683 --> 00:46:10,018          that's made it easier        1096 00:46:10,060 --> 00:46:12,896          for everyone to be his                  or her worst self.         1097 00:46:12,938 --> 00:46:14,815        So, if you're inclined                   to be a junkie,           1098 00:46:14,856 --> 00:46:17,359           all of a sudden,                you got a five-dollar high.     1099 00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:19,194        And if you're inclined                  to be a gangster,          1100 00:46:19,236 --> 00:46:21,363             if you had a gun                      and your balls,           1101 00:46:21,404 --> 00:46:22,906          you were in business.        1102 00:46:22,948 --> 00:46:24,491        So everything breaks down.     1103 00:46:24,533 --> 00:46:28,119      The smartest, the bravest,               and, in this case,          1104 00:46:28,161 --> 00:46:31,414           the most ruthless                    tend to survive.           1105 00:46:31,456 --> 00:46:34,084        [LL Cool J]   If Einstein               grew up in the projects,      1106 00:46:34,125 --> 00:46:36,002             he would've been                       selling drugs.           1107 00:46:36,044 --> 00:46:39,297         If Donald Trump grew up                  in Baisley Houses,         1108 00:46:39,339 --> 00:46:42,175           then he'd have been                      selling drugs.           1109 00:46:42,217 --> 00:46:45,095           [Corey]   The chaos                 was already orchestrated.      1110 00:46:45,136 --> 00:46:48,014        They just joined the club.     1111 00:46:52,519 --> 00:46:53,812               [Milton]                          We were a village          1112 00:46:53,854 --> 00:46:58,650         until we were separated            through drug use, drug sales,    1113 00:46:58,692 --> 00:47:02,279          and just life-changing                     experiences.            1114 00:47:02,320 --> 00:47:03,697        This is the main entryway.     1115 00:47:03,738 --> 00:47:04,698            This is the lobby          1116 00:47:04,739 --> 00:47:06,324              of, you know,                   my family's funeral home,      1117 00:47:06,366 --> 00:47:07,659        of Paul Lane Funeral Home,     1118 00:47:07,701 --> 00:47:10,245          and this is typically               where the guest'll come in     1119 00:47:10,287 --> 00:47:12,038          and their first stop.        1120 00:47:12,080 --> 00:47:14,833          I used to kind of keep                   a running total           1121 00:47:14,875 --> 00:47:16,167        of the number of services      1122 00:47:16,209 --> 00:47:21,047     that we have in our database,           in our file from 1954,        1123 00:47:21,089 --> 00:47:24,134       but it's definitely been                    thousands.              1124 00:47:24,175 --> 00:47:28,013            melancholy music         1125 00:47:28,054 --> 00:47:31,099            This is the place                       where a mother           1126 00:47:31,141 --> 00:47:33,393            had to say goodbye                     to her daughter           1127 00:47:33,435 --> 00:47:37,856      that she was forced to kill                in self-defense           1128 00:47:37,898 --> 00:47:41,234       because she was addicted                     to crack.              1129 00:47:41,276 --> 00:47:43,904        How do you wrap your head                    around that?            1130 00:47:43,945 --> 00:47:46,239          That's almost like                      a kind of...             1131 00:47:46,281 --> 00:47:49,159              [sniffles]                       ...shared trauma...         1132 00:47:49,200 --> 00:47:52,162          'cause even though                     the individuals           1133 00:47:52,203 --> 00:47:54,998    in this neighborhood didn't...    1134 00:47:55,040 --> 00:47:57,167        directly experience it,       1135 00:47:57,208 --> 00:47:59,878             just the fact                    that it happened here        1136 00:47:59,920 --> 00:48:02,756      to somebody that we know...     1137 00:48:04,257 --> 00:48:06,843         ...it's like destruction                    from within.            1138 00:48:06,885 --> 00:48:11,181                                    1139 00:48:11,222 --> 00:48:12,641                [Mark]                               The engine             1140 00:48:12,682 --> 00:48:17,520       that transformed the city                   was crack.              1141 00:48:17,562 --> 00:48:19,606     If you were, like, up on Mars    1142 00:48:19,648 --> 00:48:23,443       and you wanted to come up             with a nefarious scheme       1143 00:48:23,485 --> 00:48:28,406     to make life in New York City        even more fucking miserable,     1144 00:48:28,448 --> 00:48:31,076       you would've invented crack.    1145 00:48:31,117 --> 00:48:33,119          It changed the culture                     of New York.            1146 00:48:33,161 --> 00:48:36,539         It changed the calculus                   of criminality.           1147 00:48:36,581 --> 00:48:40,377         It changed the way kids              thought about themselves.      1148 00:48:40,418 --> 00:48:43,338        And as horrible as it was,     1149 00:48:43,380 --> 00:48:47,175          it democratized crime.       1150 00:48:47,217 --> 00:48:49,094           You didn't have to,                  you know, be Italian.        1151 00:48:49,135 --> 00:48:50,303       You didn't have to be made.     1152 00:48:50,345 --> 00:48:51,596         You didn't have to wait                     for anyone--            1153 00:48:51,638 --> 00:48:54,099               some old man                     to open up the books.        1154 00:48:54,140 --> 00:48:58,228             All the rules                of previous criminal cultures    1155 00:48:58,269 --> 00:49:00,397            in New York...            1156 00:49:00,438 --> 00:49:02,190                were done.             1157 00:49:02,232 --> 00:49:04,234        [distant siren wailing]       1158 00:49:04,275 --> 00:49:05,610      [Nas]   You know, at one end,     1159 00:49:05,652 --> 00:49:07,612               it's tearing                      the community apart.        1160 00:49:07,654 --> 00:49:10,824      On the other end, there's not              enough opportunity,         1161 00:49:10,865 --> 00:49:13,243      not enough jobs, you know.      1162 00:49:13,284 --> 00:49:16,413        These are guys who were                  at the ripe age           1163 00:49:16,454 --> 00:49:19,040            for the things                   that flooded the city.        1164 00:49:19,082 --> 00:49:20,375             So who knows?            1165 00:49:20,417 --> 00:49:22,544          If I was their age,                   I could've been--          1166 00:49:22,585 --> 00:49:26,006      you know what I'm saying?--             like, on their level.        1167 00:49:26,047 --> 00:49:28,967           These people were                   at the right place          1168 00:49:29,009 --> 00:49:32,887           at the right time                 for the perfect storm.        1169 00:49:32,929 --> 00:49:35,265        [distant siren wailing]       1170 00:49:35,306 --> 00:49:37,392      [Prince]   You need good cops                in the community.          1171 00:49:37,434 --> 00:49:39,144             Not racist cops,                 you know what I'm saying?      1172 00:49:39,185 --> 00:49:40,395              Not bad cops,            1173 00:49:40,437 --> 00:49:41,688          but you need good cops                  in the community.          1174 00:49:41,730 --> 00:49:43,356           You know, families,                    mothers, fathers,          1175 00:49:43,398 --> 00:49:45,108         young adults, teenagers,                   and children,            1176 00:49:45,150 --> 00:49:47,027           they depend on cops                     to protect them           1177 00:49:47,068 --> 00:49:49,904        from the common criminal,            man--it's just common sense.    1178 00:49:49,946 --> 00:49:51,156         If we didn't have cops,       1179 00:49:51,197 --> 00:49:53,992             it would be like                    the Wild, Wild West.        1180 00:49:54,034 --> 00:49:57,746     [Eddie]   I was a New York City             housing cop from 1982        1181 00:49:57,787 --> 00:49:58,997                 to 1995.              1182 00:49:59,039 --> 00:50:02,375      It was a calling, and you just          put everything into it.       1183 00:50:02,417 --> 00:50:05,462    I mean, more than once I showed       up on my day off in uniform     1184 00:50:05,503 --> 00:50:07,130            and I was told,                   "You got to go home.         1185 00:50:07,172 --> 00:50:08,298          You're not supposed                 to be working today."        1186 00:50:08,339 --> 00:50:11,301             And it just--                   it's like a compulsion.       1187 00:50:11,342 --> 00:50:13,678    You got to be there every day.    1188 00:50:13,720 --> 00:50:15,472               [Supreme]                   I think I heard of that name.    1189 00:50:15,513 --> 00:50:16,681        Yeah, I did, I do remember     1190 00:50:16,723 --> 00:50:19,309       a housing cop by that name,                     sure do.              1191 00:50:19,350 --> 00:50:21,269    [Eddie]   I would make an arrest              every day I worked.         1192 00:50:21,311 --> 00:50:24,898             I had an average                of 100 arrests a year there     1193 00:50:24,939 --> 00:50:26,483               in uniform.             1194 00:50:26,524 --> 00:50:29,444                We really                      did some damage on that.      1195 00:50:29,486 --> 00:50:31,196         It was a fantastic time.      1196 00:50:31,237 --> 00:50:34,199             dramatic music          1197 00:50:34,240 --> 00:50:38,369                                    1198 00:50:38,411 --> 00:50:41,414      One time, the mailman came in,  1199 00:50:41,456 --> 00:50:43,833        and I just happened to be             coming down the staircase.     1200 00:50:43,875 --> 00:50:46,753             And he had--                 In these apartment buildings,    1201 00:50:46,795 --> 00:50:48,171          you use a big key,          1202 00:50:48,213 --> 00:50:52,383         and this whole thing                      comes down,             1203 00:50:52,425 --> 00:50:54,052       and the mailboxes are open.     1204 00:50:54,094 --> 00:50:55,804      You can see in every mailbox.    1205 00:50:55,845 --> 00:50:59,432            I saw immediately                  five to seven mailboxes       1206 00:50:59,474 --> 00:51:00,975            loaded with drugs.         1207 00:51:01,017 --> 00:51:03,561      And I tried to move on it.      1208 00:51:03,603 --> 00:51:05,939    The mailman quickly put it up,                 locked it,              1209 00:51:05,980 --> 00:51:08,149      and says, "You're not gonna                get me killed."           1210 00:51:08,191 --> 00:51:10,360       It was like a chess game.      1211 00:51:10,401 --> 00:51:14,572           It was a lot of fun,                but it was a chess game.      1212 00:51:14,614 --> 00:51:19,327                                    1213 00:51:19,369 --> 00:51:22,288              Back then,                  the drug dealers was making,     1214 00:51:22,330 --> 00:51:25,458       in some cases, more money             than a lot of rappers.        1215 00:51:25,500 --> 00:51:26,501       Definitely more than me.       1216 00:51:26,543 --> 00:51:28,128         I mean, at that time,        1217 00:51:28,169 --> 00:51:29,796               you know,                     these guys were making,       1218 00:51:29,838 --> 00:51:33,967     you know, $80,000, $100,000,               $200,000 a week.           1219 00:51:34,008 --> 00:51:35,218               Tax-free.              1220 00:51:35,260 --> 00:51:37,470               Tax-free,                  and it's in the late '80s, B.    1221 00:51:37,512 --> 00:51:39,472           I mean, that's--                I don't even know how you--     1222 00:51:39,514 --> 00:51:41,933           what them numbers               are right now, but that's--     1223 00:51:41,975 --> 00:51:44,894       you know, it was looking              real lovely out there.        1224 00:51:44,936 --> 00:51:46,771           The Supreme Team                  probably had more money       1225 00:51:46,813 --> 00:51:48,148    than Russell Simmons back then.  1226 00:51:48,189 --> 00:51:50,984     There's no question about it.        And more juice and more pull.    1227 00:51:51,025 --> 00:51:54,070           upbeat funk music         1228 00:51:54,112 --> 00:51:58,533                                    1229 00:51:58,575 --> 00:51:59,951               [Shannon]                       We was making money--        1230 00:51:59,993 --> 00:52:01,452                you know,                       good money back then.        1231 00:52:01,494 --> 00:52:03,705            [Bing]   All day,                   thousands and thousands       1232 00:52:03,746 --> 00:52:07,125       and thousands and thousands                   of dollars.             1233 00:52:07,167 --> 00:52:09,377      A successful corner or block,    1234 00:52:09,419 --> 00:52:13,047               anywhere                  from $20,000 to $30,000 a day.    1235 00:52:13,089 --> 00:52:14,174         [Mook]   I said, "Yeah,        1236 00:52:14,215 --> 00:52:15,758           these are bad dudes                       right here."            1237 00:52:15,800 --> 00:52:18,094               When I said                        he had everything,         1238 00:52:18,136 --> 00:52:19,512          I mean everything.          1239 00:52:19,554 --> 00:52:22,056        Five Benzes, two BMWs,        1240 00:52:22,098 --> 00:52:23,808          a crib in Long Island,       1241 00:52:23,850 --> 00:52:25,560      all the girls, all the money.    1242 00:52:25,602 --> 00:52:28,396          All you do is wake up                     and just live.           1243 00:52:28,438 --> 00:52:30,690       I just don't want to stop     1244 00:52:30,732 --> 00:52:32,692             Never too much,                      never too much           1245 00:52:32,734 --> 00:52:34,569             Never too much,                      never too much           1246 00:52:34,611 --> 00:52:37,572     [Corey]   They were, like, the          real first street celebrities,  1247 00:52:37,614 --> 00:52:39,324         not like these rappers.       1248 00:52:39,365 --> 00:52:41,492            Like, they were                  the street celebrities.       1249 00:52:41,534 --> 00:52:43,786         [Bing]   We used to go              to all different, like, clubs,  1250 00:52:43,828 --> 00:52:46,080        to, like, the Disco Fever                   in the Bronx,            1251 00:52:46,122 --> 00:52:47,624           the Rake in Jersey.         1252 00:52:47,665 --> 00:52:49,667            And we used to go                   to different boroughs.       1253 00:52:49,709 --> 00:52:52,212     There'd be a lot of us go in              and just have fun.          1254 00:52:52,253 --> 00:52:55,215     [Shannon]   He had the infamous             parties at The Encore        1255 00:52:55,256 --> 00:52:56,466           and stuff like that.        1256 00:52:56,507 --> 00:52:58,343        The parties was crazy,                    off the hook.            1257 00:52:58,384 --> 00:53:01,012       Anybody and everybody who         was anybody was at the parties.  1258 00:53:01,054 --> 00:53:03,431         He had the best parties                   I can remember.           1259 00:53:03,473 --> 00:53:06,643       I just don't want to stop     1260 00:53:06,684 --> 00:53:09,103        [Prince]   I had a party,                and Run-DMC was there.       1261 00:53:09,145 --> 00:53:10,438           Melle Mel was there.        1262 00:53:10,480 --> 00:53:12,690          You had the Fat Boys,                 Whodini, Kurtis Blow.        1263 00:53:12,732 --> 00:53:15,318        Russell Simmons was there.              Lyor Cohen showed up.        1264 00:53:15,360 --> 00:53:16,819      You know, and that was before    1265 00:53:16,861 --> 00:53:19,155               some of them                      were actually huge.         1266 00:53:19,197 --> 00:53:20,448       It was just beautiful, man.     1267 00:53:20,490 --> 00:53:22,742        The environment was love.             It was a beautiful thing.      1268 00:53:22,784 --> 00:53:25,078     They would be having parties,              and I'd be there.          1269 00:53:25,119 --> 00:53:27,747      They might give me a bottle         of warm champagne, you know.     1270 00:53:27,789 --> 00:53:30,375     But, yo, I was just so happy              to be in the spot.          1271 00:53:30,416 --> 00:53:34,629         And when you 15, 16,            that's what success looks like.  1272 00:53:34,671 --> 00:53:37,298      You don't know any better.      1273 00:53:38,424 --> 00:53:40,385                [Corey]                     When we were selling drugs,     1274 00:53:40,426 --> 00:53:42,929              rappers wanted                     to be drug dealers.         1275 00:53:42,971 --> 00:53:44,806            If not wanting                     to be drug dealers,         1276 00:53:44,847 --> 00:53:46,849              they wanted                   that drug-dealing money.       1277 00:53:46,891 --> 00:53:48,810      We were like idols to them.     1278 00:53:48,851 --> 00:53:52,021      [Bing]   It's just something              about a hustler's swag.       1279 00:53:52,063 --> 00:53:54,482       They was looking at us like           we was bigger than rappers.     1280 00:53:54,524 --> 00:53:57,026         Like, they them boys,                  but we them gods.          1281 00:53:57,068 --> 00:53:59,612                [Corey]                      Rappers prior to Run-DMC--     1282 00:53:59,654 --> 00:54:01,823           you got Furious Five                    and Melle Mel--           1283 00:54:01,864 --> 00:54:04,033        they wearing shiny suits--     1284 00:54:04,075 --> 00:54:05,994         silk suits, tight pants.      1285 00:54:06,035 --> 00:54:09,497             Preme and them,                 they really dressed hip-hop.    1286 00:54:09,539 --> 00:54:11,749        Jay changed the whole look                  with Run-DMC.            1287 00:54:11,791 --> 00:54:14,460       It was like, "Yo, we got to                dress like this."          1288 00:54:14,502 --> 00:54:16,212           It changed the game.        1289 00:54:16,254 --> 00:54:18,256             dramatic music          1290 00:54:18,298 --> 00:54:19,632     [Joy]   Queens was giving birth    1291 00:54:19,674 --> 00:54:22,677           to this whole, like,                    genre of music.           1292 00:54:22,719 --> 00:54:24,512          And I think it was             some of the same young people.    1293 00:54:24,554 --> 00:54:26,556           Some people were                    going one direction         1294 00:54:26,597 --> 00:54:27,932               and deciding                    what they were gonna do       1295 00:54:27,974 --> 00:54:29,100      with the money that they had,    1296 00:54:29,142 --> 00:54:30,768                and their                       entrepreneurial spirit       1297 00:54:30,810 --> 00:54:32,103    was to become hip-hop artists,    1298 00:54:32,145 --> 00:54:33,563      and some people were going                in the drug game,          1299 00:54:33,604 --> 00:54:35,315       but I think they were all           happening at the same time.     1300 00:54:35,356 --> 00:54:38,693                                    1301 00:54:38,735 --> 00:54:40,695       [Prince]   We was actually                  hip-hop for real,          1302 00:54:40,737 --> 00:54:41,904          know what I'm saying?        1303 00:54:41,946 --> 00:54:44,198         We was living that life              but not rapping that life.     1304 00:54:44,240 --> 00:54:47,744       And they turned the life we          was living into a story, man.    1305 00:54:47,785 --> 00:54:50,580        Crack--we made a whole lot               of money off of it,         1306 00:54:50,621 --> 00:54:52,415           and that is a fact.         1307 00:54:52,457 --> 00:54:55,335           [crowd cheering]           1308 00:54:57,712 --> 00:55:01,507         [Mark]   If you can put                an organizational chart       1309 00:55:01,549 --> 00:55:04,635           of the Supreme Team                    in the newspaper,          1310 00:55:04,677 --> 00:55:05,887      yo, you're gonna be a target.    1311 00:55:05,928 --> 00:55:07,805           Someone's gonna come               and try to take you down.      1312 00:55:07,847 --> 00:55:10,516          When did Nicky Barnes                    become a target?          1313 00:55:10,558 --> 00:55:12,643         When the   Times Magazine                   wrote about him.          1314 00:55:12,685 --> 00:55:15,605                So there's                     a certain critical mass       1315 00:55:15,646 --> 00:55:18,107           of fame, success,          1316 00:55:18,149 --> 00:55:21,819       and, above all, publicity                  as a gangster            1317 00:55:21,861 --> 00:55:24,197         that you do not want.        1318 00:55:24,238 --> 00:55:26,741         And the Supreme Team         1319 00:55:26,783 --> 00:55:29,577     obviously crossed that line.     1320 00:55:29,619 --> 00:55:31,913        [distant siren wailing]       1321 00:55:31,954 --> 00:55:33,539               [Shannon]                       When it first started,       1322 00:55:33,581 --> 00:55:36,834           it was 15 to 20 guys                      started it.             1323 00:55:36,876 --> 00:55:40,171       But then I'd say around '84,    1324 00:55:40,213 --> 00:55:42,006               got bigger.             1325 00:55:42,048 --> 00:55:44,342              And later on,                       like, around '85,          1326 00:55:44,384 --> 00:55:48,888         that's when the crew got           anywhere from 75 to 100 guys.    1327 00:55:48,930 --> 00:55:51,808              tense music            1328 00:55:51,849 --> 00:55:53,810    [Sterling]   I remember he said,    1329 00:55:53,851 --> 00:55:57,772         "What's the worst block                      in Queens              1330 00:55:57,814 --> 00:56:00,525      for drugs, selling drugs?"      1331 00:56:00,566 --> 00:56:03,528            The worst block                     was on my block.           1332 00:56:04,153 --> 00:56:07,532         They were on the corner              selling drugs on my block.     1333 00:56:07,573 --> 00:56:10,326                                    1334 00:56:10,368 --> 00:56:11,244                You know?              1335 00:56:11,285 --> 00:56:14,789        And, naturally, I make              a couple telephone calls,      1336 00:56:14,831 --> 00:56:16,541            and he got caught.         1337 00:56:16,582 --> 00:56:21,212                                    1338 00:56:21,254 --> 00:56:24,507    [Bing]   We was just hanging out             in one of our places,        1339 00:56:24,549 --> 00:56:25,758       and they were just talking--    1340 00:56:25,800 --> 00:56:27,718         the normal routine stuff                  we normally do.           1341 00:56:27,760 --> 00:56:29,804                                    1342 00:56:29,846 --> 00:56:32,432       And then all of a sudden...              [knocking on door]          1343 00:56:34,350 --> 00:56:37,019            What the fuck?            1344 00:56:37,061 --> 00:56:40,231           I know we're doing        1345 00:56:40,273 --> 00:56:42,817               Keni Burke's                "Risin' to the Top" playing     1346 00:56:42,859 --> 00:56:46,237       Everything that we want to   1347 00:56:46,279 --> 00:56:47,822                                    1348 00:56:47,864 --> 00:56:51,451       Meanwhile, are we losing?     1349 00:56:51,492 --> 00:56:55,746        Because we can't let go      1350 00:56:55,788 --> 00:56:57,248                                    1351 00:56:57,290 --> 00:56:59,459           Let's start thinking                  what we're doing          1352 00:56:59,500 --> 00:57:01,002               [person]                       This is how it goes!         1353 00:57:01,043 --> 00:57:03,045        [speaking indistinctly]       1354 00:57:03,087 --> 00:57:05,423            Don't let nothing                    change your mind          1355 00:57:05,465 --> 00:57:07,341    [person speaking indistinctly]    1356 00:57:07,383 --> 00:57:10,428           Let's start heading                    homeward bound           1357 00:57:10,470 --> 00:57:12,847           Get off the ground        1358 00:57:12,889 --> 00:57:16,684       Stop losing, yeah, losing     1359 00:57:16,726 --> 00:57:19,729         Keep risin' to the top      1360 00:57:19,770 --> 00:57:27,903          Give it all you got