Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member

By: Sanyika Shakur

“Bangin’ was my life. That was my decision. (Shakur, 29)

The Autobiography of an L.A. Gangster takes you into the life of former gang member Sanyika Shakur (streek name: Monster Kody). He describes his experiences on the street, and in prison.

At just the mere age of 12, did Shakur get initiated into the Eight-Tray Gangster Crips. From there, he started his journey to becoming an original ganster (OG), which is the highest level of “honor” that you can achieve. He fought for his hood, in the brutal war against other Crips nd Bloods, and went in and out of jail continuosly. He was a devoted Crip, and was only happy when he was working for his gang. “Revenge was my every thought. Only when I had put work in could I feel good that day; otherwise I couldn't sleep.” (Shakur, 52) He was sent to San Quentin, where he was introduced to Black Nationalism and Islam. He converted to Islam, and transformed into a whole new person. He no longer was the violent gang member, but a person with passion and faith. His life story is remarkable, but frightful at the same time.

Shakur was extremely honest in his autobiography. He wanted his readers to feel the same way he felt while he was on the streets, while he was hunter or in a lot of cases the hunted, and even while he was in prison, while they were reading his story. He uses conversations he had with his friends and family to give you better picture, of what he was thinking, and what people around him were thinking. The dialect he uses is exactly how people would talk to one another, he uses slang, and mimics how gang members in the 1970’s/80’s talked.

In his book, he never held back, even if what he was talking about was a onerous subject. He gave full details of his life in prison, and the pain and suffering he endured throughout his life. No one else could have given you such a vivid description of what it was like to be a Crip in Los Angeles during the 1970’s and 80’s.

The beginning of the book is full of action, war, sex, drugs, and violence; as you get to the end of the book, the tone changes; it is no longer harsh and vulgar, but more uplifting and satisfied. The clear turning point is when Shakur is lying in a hospital bed with seven bullets in his body. He questions whether or not being an Eight-Tray is worth the risk. Then while in jail, he shifted from being a gang member to fighting for African American rights and equality.  He starts to realize that in gang life, there is too much black on black fighting. He questions why he has been fighting against his “family” for his entire life. He learns that he should not be fight against other Crips or Bloods, but that he should be fighting for them; he should be standing up for his race, not bringing them down.

Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member was a really good book, but it definitely is not a book for everyone. The scenes are brutal and violent, and the dialect is a bit vulgar. It is not a book for little kids. If you do choose to read Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member, be prepared to read a brutally honest book, that at times can be heart-breaking.