WRITE OR DIE

Chosen One

£,
Justice must be blind, because it doesn't see me. c/[/

‘Am 1 already dead or still alive? Awake me, | must be dreaming, S/l/@
Redemption begins at cost, near the front door of retitution's plo,

f revenge is still against your laws, then execute me not.

Keeping me alive just o kil me, demented concept to play me with,
Sodium pentathol to free me, potassium chloride to slay me with.

‘What true conspiracy, label me follower of Christ, my other cheek, bruised,
Thrice refused and falsely accused, by the guards, abused,

Forced to pro-per status, the efficacious desig to lose.

‘Made guilty by way of kangarooed selection of my so-called peers,
Sentenced to death and to a witness of all thosé: so-called tears.

Pancurium bromide, that spear in my side,

S0 what's next? Do I roll my stoned heart away?

How perfect s the Machiavellian style three days? Well, anyway.
So,stil 1 e, go forth and spread this good news,

Abolish the death penalty now, before it’s you they choose.

Special circumstances, specially created, especially for you,

‘The New Chosen Ones, the next generation of our Inner City Youth,
From the prison yards at Golgotha, to the streets of lie,

Occupy that very connection, to create our own paradise.

Be in control of your own choices, steer away from Death Row,
And now that you know, what we all now know,
When we get to the future, you can't say that you don't

New Generation Rising
Ptpco 4.

New Generation Rising 5,

The Back Story 6.
Recent comments §.

Introv.
Javier 10. 4
andito 16,

Cain BN

Grade A Walk-Alones 29,

Scrappy Dog 34,

By:
XZYZST
CO"
By: Xzyzst

For the first time in California state history, A New Generation of inner-city youth
housed on Death Row at San Quentin State Prison are taking matters ino the
own hands with an inspiring movement geared to educate the public, specifically
the "next generation” of their youth, portraying ruinous patterns of social and
economic gain for corrupt law-enforcenent and justice system officials like,
redefining the words, "Political Prisoner

Despite lttle journalistic acclaim and even fewer resources, this crusade emerged
from a vision had by a wise young man who chose to assemble a creative writing
‘group comprised primarily of condemned youth, dubbed Papyrus Collective
(PAPCO)

Understood for generations, the term "political prisoner” has been predominantly
(and respectfully) tied to revolutionary and freedom fighters everywhere.

PAPCO has begun publishing their own mini magazine (ZINE) now known as,
“Write or Die". Their underground guerrilla-like periodical is fast becoming an
innovative outlet to exhibit poetry, columns, essays, artwork, photos, and
unedited shoptalk between themselves from inside Death Rowin a popular
section called "@Golgotha", made available both online at

www betweenthebars.org and in print, directed to the streets of America's inner
cities, giving rise to the fight for true freedom while preventing ilegal captures of
our next generation, lterally.

With www.deathrowinmate.org (DRI) graciously hostin the workshop efors,
PAPCO thrives online as 2 platform for society to consume relevant and valuable
information slated to impart "reality” upon today's youth,before they (ke us) all
vitim tothe deathtrap which aniously awaits them. PAPCO's many voices sim
1o unmask the foce of the new political prisoner behind the nation's every
detention facilty and penitentiary, compounds that warehouse generation after
generation of men and women serving unjustified sentences for “Street Level”
offenses.

Death Row is no longer a place for the so-called serial killer, child molester, or
‘media-born foreign bomber type. Read unending stories, solution-based ideas,
and challenging calls forself-leadership amongst our youth — forward motion
without breaks. Join hands with PAPCO in our mission to keep the next

generation informed and out of prison, stand obliged to alert commanities that
inner-city youth are indeed, "at-risk". We challenge the public, specifically our

Tocal youth leaders, to make inquiries as to the many undisclosed benefits given
to those who determine the fate of tomorrows political prisoner --- our children.

New Generation Rising Pt.

This is not a motivational speech 2
No this s not a hip hop rap,
T is not asat ofthe union address
So lcouldcae even less
1£ e alfof none of you sand up and clp
Thisis publc servie announcement
Coming o you'ive and dieet from Califoria Death Row
and nsite of whomever atiempi 0 denounce his
heres a it something al of you hould know
You ar the New Generation of incarceatedinnerciy youlh
1like o sa, Generaion Blessed e
Blessd withan opporunity o prepar this rtion
olid, strongeryounger gencration rising next
Justake ook around you
You'e surounded by allofthem
Soifyou e not spending qualty e N

with those minds between the ages of 9 10 29
‘Then you are absolutely a part of the problem

New Generation Rising, -
being accountable for oneself

New Generation Rising A
experiencing accountability with someone else

New Generation Rising

everybody reaching lowards our youlh

New Generation Rising

ot going anywhere without you

By: XZYZST

® Golgotha: The Back Story

TBEEReSc my workout o was seot 0 the Adjustent Qemer M he fock
row. Justout of the bie,Snake was gone and we ws just geting stated nthe busc
fundamentals of boxing out o the yard

1 ever et anybody know 0 what degree | was pissed off, but snce cverybody lked Sake, e wa
ot that he was gone. Todsyis May 15, 2013 snake s sill i the hole. Here's the thing, | was bout 5
seconds away from cading 1y boxing. training back in 2010 when the young homie Pankhi walked
over 0 me while | wassepping away from the havy bag andssd-1 gou leam how 1o do that (borh
Emiling)

10 taer became obvious thatoherswanied 1o lean boxing as well but Piankhi was like, the come on
Lets go ype, and because of
hat quality sione, tere wat o way | could s3y n0

One day towardsthe end o the year, afe fong raining sesion, shower and lunch, Piaskhi b 1o
et t me about the seres ofidea b had suffd n his bran, afe awhile | stopped i in i, sentence
A s "Kick tht shit oo, do it (both smiling)

s we scod inthe middie of the yard, | dircted his tenon o th vast bodies roaming te many
eathrow yards and s “Count e in. ' with you, however,you are standing i plce il for
death.and | would. not want 0 b you becaase now you lealy g0 0 reach n hell andchoose hells
inest 1o make your project pop because sl Kins of muthathez up i here, and we o' know who's
who around here.*

Piankhi ssid 1 didn ook a ke that,but thats real, but ifs 2 whole new generaton up her pow.*

Later that nigh | asked mysel what could | brin (o th crative wriing projectthat Pisnkhi ws about
10 kick off? And | Kep replaying his st words 0 me over and over agan in my ban. "But it a whole:
e geacration up here now.”

S asked Piankhi i 1 could iterview the New Generation ofiner ity youth thascoming up her 10
Geath ow. Piankhi was all happy, | sad "Let cal it @Golgorha.” Pisnkhi was ke “@ go what? What
does tht word mean” “Gothic”

| explsined o him that i my past e | was involved i ministry, and my mentorfoste ftheraced e
upabout the sl moments n the e of Jesus Christ, which ncluded his st converstion that was
“witen on papyrus whil b ws hanging on he ross between two athr dudes that had ls rceived
Vi desh penalty,and he Diiesaysthatthe narme of ha pace was Golgotha which means he place of
{he skl o 1 was ke, It conine that conversation in our e from Caliorna Death Row.

7.

Plankbi began 0 agree with me and how he undersood the connectons. We began o run of everything.
webad
i directcommon with Jesus lke:

Mt ofus wasvilously hunied
Mot of the New Generation was aestednear o orunder the age of 33
Mostofus was flely sccused

Mostofus sold ou oy our so-alled friends

Mostofus was hysiclly abased by gards in il

Mostofus had ou personalcothing and property misireted & siolen
Mostofus was cithr inadequately defended o had 1o be our own lawyers
Mostofus was not jdged by slecion of ur pecrs

A all of us was semtenced 1o di by s Romanic sysiem

1 mean, we just went on and on, everybody knows that Piankhi s wel read younsts, but | could ell
hathe has 3 stromg amily it based understandingof words ha re write i mos of the mateias
hat we chop it up bout sometmes, | ahwaysrefer o Piankhi a5 8 wise young man

Pianki sid "OK. @ Golgoth isyour section,” | tld him “lock, m going wnditd, so whatever i sid
1hat's " As b walked away from that conversation, Piankhi wat ke, "Las doa youh oricted one
st 1 bl ot you "

‘o abouta week pascd and be biindsided me withour very st @Gol o chipber bat it was e who
‘wasasking me althe questions. That wasa' my original plan, but i wascool aod ke ia run 10 ses.
ow thes chiphers would turn out and it tued ot prety mach raw and uncut.

Mos eopl think that @Golgotha with AL-B was our it cpher becaus it madeth cut for ou it
issu o the Wit or Die Zine Project. The rth i, that @Golgoths withsuper XZYZST s ot very
it cipher.

‘Overthe ifespan ofthe Papyras colleciv and the Wit or Die Zin Prsiect 5o far,we aresecag the
Death Penalty being put on he ballots a some form of sconomic ssu, chem o atemp 0 make
dollars make sene.

What the @Golgoth phrs do s preentthe human aspct 1 the over al isue. You catch us i our
rawest form, nonscripted and uneited Ther s a New Generaton of nne ity youth o Death Row.
et i Californi and sl over Ameria,and goess what, we arealo human beings.

“Thanks 0 deathrowiamate org for tring the thoughts of a wise young man nt esiy and beyond for
8 plac wherethey expec us 0 crumble. DRI as kept it olid s fuck.

(One day my sonasked me what do w do on deairow. | want 10 share my answer with anyone who i
wonderin e same ting.

Were i e, Weing o Live!
WRITE ORDIE]

xzvzsT hupictweenthebars onposisi6642inen-yeneration-part-i

|1} Between the Bars Blogs People About 2
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Recent comments left for PAPKR“S

crive

covrc

“Thanks much for writing, for reading, for thinking and sharing
Best, kyleproeh!

Thanks for writing

Very evocative description of your Wing

condiions.
z
Street Level things for real
A ShOOtout in the 0Od.........and you dont think you shoukl be on the row for

that. Every year black on black murders are the biggest crime statistic in the
country. Hundreds of inocents slaughtered along with the bangers and that's
just a street level thing. No big thing

Ifthis is the New Generation then God help the U'S
Paul

You are ving in hell

Thanks for sharing your experiences. This & reall hard to read. | can totall &
absolutely not understand how people can survive in such an envionment. But
they actualy do. The question is at what price.

1 send you my best wishes!
Kat

my pops is nothing but real and if yall cnt understand none of that yall stit ost

raylon
INTRO

Copuieir Sut-of-cell exercise tims, Callfornis Death fow
captives are nel-like area:
the confin

out an the' nyards .
uhere on any given
ary,gome 40 or more men might mingle for - few mours, Tern
hen"13n 92 Crade R condeancd general population yeede. et
fopt fike 8 oo, thera are other aress whare capiiocs Lot
kept that few ever get to see.

e ofolloulng BGOLGOTHA intervieus are conducted in
Dhace: A dork, dank, soul-sucking ares hidden hemsstr ol
Jhest metsl sunings and surrounded by thick enei

betueen it the cold uinds of winter end mhe
SfiecSting heat of summer, making the 32 single-gen ‘hemncrs
Quite miserable. Two rous’ of 15 side-by side’ stk Bt
SI9E% pach uith their oun algas-infasted foilet, e ioqc
Bath” GangePL%0n Crab-splottared saphalt sre cuatonery oo
Sogreqiade A and Grade 5 (Condemned Rou's: Adminieiiyeros
Sefiggation captives) who've been labelled as smsriscsscers
SPFILy,and security concerns. Used in many cases by rionok
Snpicials @s pauns for ‘one’ reason or snother. thers sol
nooe ho have remained on ualk-slon status For tige’LC
more years,

fitemting to breok the spirit of the New Generation of
saericity youth sentenced to death for agrest revelt
Prugrane " 2urvival crines, these very same ualk-slons sery
Dlforams (0T Ued to lsclate them - burdening eeis
VulnNerability with the stigms that sccompanies sechstin,

Feu folks in society are even suar
O Regulations (CCR Title 15) dossn't apply Rese
@0 operationsl procedure knoun a

the candemned "manual uhers. thin might otheruise be
gandated in CCR Title 15, are now subject to inverpesseriy
ond used to cater to prison officialal svery dlvigios corn’

"y name is Xzyzst, and the insightful dislogue cantinues.

—

@Golgotha w/ Javier by: XZYZST

GUNNER

@Golgotha

XzZI¢s
tha,
of o

JV NG rising, hey man, time i kinda flying huh? What, WOID is up co what 5
?
issues now
Between the Bars ;i Ciolgotha w/ Javicr
i
JV You should make the 3nd half upside down.
XZ Yeah huh, like scart it over dead center huh,
IV Flip dhis shic

XZ Knowing Piankhi, he'll probably do it or I'll put it on the table lke thac and
sec what he says. So leccverybody know where you was born?

IV Calba, b T was ased here.
XZ How old was you when you goxcracked t come o California Death Row?
IV 33, Pllbe 36 chisyear.

X7 Godamn Ja

JV Why do you say thar?

X7 Everybody that answered dhac same quescon sofar, all hic around che 20’ el
et

JV Man, ook, it sint no big conspiracy, they know what
‘donc on purposc.

ey are doing, this shit is

X2 Speak on dha shic, bring i

[V They handing out the death penaley lke candy to our whole generation, noc
Al of us are coming up here, or 1 should say, being sent up here physically
incligens and you know o he s drvers wouldbiced e tong o
produce strengeh?

X2 Yeah,

JV Well now i¢'s backwards, now they are aking the strong out of the community
nd out ofthe cquasion 50 they can lcave our females outhere with very lule, 35 to
be put ina situation to need o sell o give up property thats been passcd down
through gencrations o banks and so-called development projects and shi

XZ Swear 0 all Gods we al s the same shit going down cverywhere and have you
checked out WOD 4 ?

JV No, I told yall chat they on my assfor even having Anthony Rayson’s address
o anything like hat, 50 T ain’sscen not one WOD et outside of the one we all
signed for Dr. Iisa at his going away get together, that was issuc #17

XZ Yea, I'm saying chat becausc, you're hicting on points we raising in all of the
zines published so far.

JV Shit, it an no sccret chat they capeuring al of th warrors and commanders out
of socity sothey can relocate muthafuckaz man. They gave us the DP and we ainc

Petween the Bars - o

o Savier 12,

becn cating people and shi, they don't cven put us on the same yard with
mthafuckaz like that, T don’c know why Obam aint just stopped thisshicall
toeeher.

X70na sale of ane 1o ten, how do you rare Obama?
J What's the lowes?

X2 0ne

IV Then zero.

XZ Why zero?

JV He done already klled more people than Bush,

X2 I'm a supporter of Obama, teach me why he gets a zero? I it because you are
Muslim?

TV No, hell no, come on, love sccing 2 brotha in that posicion as well, but T gocta
Callitlike T it,dude i lying smooth talker.

X7 You're not giving me anyhing, because all of us are lying smooth alkers. T cell
same complaints year afierycar. So tll me, i he wis here right now, what would
yousay o him so that when he leaves he can take with him somcthing valuable to
reality.

'V Pull che troops and puc that money focus right here, why send money o Isrcal
Tndouhr comis s eape e sin A e s b o
‘muthafucka b in dept o China and iscl, yes the USA isalo in dep co fscl, how
can that be and sil be sending aid o other countries, and let not forges the
infurstucture of chis country,che roads and it aint becn touched snce
Eisenhower. Do you know how many jobs can be creatcd for cverybody i chey
would focus here? He's an absoluce embarasment, not just thac but kinds ofshic
Dotna int doing.

K2 Thas el bt ke accun b ey o i i
sortounded, also how do anybody re-do aver 400 ycars of foul st ina 4 08 year
werm?

JV You asked for my opion, 5o f he was here 1 wdld simply tell the rotha o feed
his own people, h ironically visiced hisso-called Irish roots but what about his
African roots? aint scen him drink beer, with nobod in Africa, Compton,
Riversde.

(Both 1.0L3)

X2 Let me lace you on a portion of reality that most have missed. Just before bra
gotelected, major business, land and home owners, realistare brokers, and private

13.

Between the Bars iCiolgotha w Jusi

industey packed up and Ieft America because acism s sill live. Tha blsck man s
ot only on the fron line, but h crossed theline when he demanded the sich oo
ek che s off The nanial sccor s bscd on and, propercie this councry was

copniry wasfounded pon, s ¢ nosuprisethat today people ae being kil
eloctcd and madesaves (h prison population) Obarta Enovs soméntig a1 of
us fail o address. Everybody thacs ust calking shik rom the o
threar.

IV He'son dheinside pushing th lne

X2 Exacly, imagine the walls Malcom, Garvey, 3nd all o us faced from the
outside, we cant cven imagine how to face and respond to the backdoay
andechanded shiche gocs hrough on dily because noncof chem thought he was
8oing to demand that [pag bresk)

the rich brcak bread and sick to it, nobody has donc that,
IV And thacsold moncy, like slavery money being circulaced.

X7 Real tlk, Obama s saying basically look, we know that our ancesiors broke
thet backs 5o the rich could have his portion of the hemisphere of ths planec. now
break a mothafucka back off.

19 Lcan sc hat,buc you know me, from the et leve,we se it geveing worse,

X2 We will agrec o disagree, buc Les agree chat inche hiscory of this couny,shic
alvaysgot wors for somcbody i order for i w0 et beser for ohers. Was Desd
Row anyching like you though it would be befort you go heres

JY Hell o, amasingly, not to besmerch his memory, but I read Bluc Raged Black
Sedemprion and i ain nothing lke Suanley Tease Willams was describing in
chose books. 10 the last book I read whil inche county il

XZ Keep inmind that h was discribing how shit was over a peiod of e that our
gencration did noc expericnce, nigga we was kids during all thac.

TV 16 ke, wha heppend? Scudying was mandiatory, and unity and solidarty,
hat happend? because across the board the only unity T see i what Pianky sad
‘The New Generation s doing with these prices man | houghe s going o
come up he and earnsomeching from chese older catr, but, man, 1 jut expsed
for people o be smarcer and more togecher, I don't know wha happend, or f shere
everwasunicy on Deach Row, but chis shi s sad and embarassng,

N2 What,if anything would you sy o the older brochar incarcerated and also on
Deach Row.
eteen e Bars - G@Cilgoths v 14

JV Snap out o e, wake up, we all necd y'all nd that wannabee big dog shi s so
1980, man, we a 013 now and, man, cal talk, 1 don't know wha (0 sy o these
cats because some of them ge thi cnergy and ora tht make cheres of us no even
want t fuck with nonc of them because 1 be wanting to chop it up about legal
maccers,spiricualicy and scf chac will prepare us for the fucure, bt they jus cant
have a solid conversacion without alking shit about some 19805 sht they got
agains somebody cls, alot of people here hate cach other bt they ace ke i's all
good aver the wirc and in passing, but they all alk behind cach others back when
they gecting at us. Two faccted aineeven the word.

XZ You know what you sound like right now?
IV Whae

X2 The resof s, chey sl s e b oo chesme e cgecher nd.
andic i o st e s g e shi s off b i h
brochahood,and e e nching b chapet i these wa ory s books

JV Thacshicis soold, i I read another failure scory, man, change the subject,
" X s
thats some depressing ass... anyway, next topic plese

XZ Deach Penalty on the ballad in the election?

IV Money

XZ For or against stemeell rescarch?’

IV For, of cours.

XZ 1f you was asked to parteipate in colonizing another planct, would you go?

JV Absoluely, i’ in man's nature, o leave a legacy and ercate new beginnings, I'd
be on the next thing smokin.

XZ Doyou hink Michellc Obama could run for president in about 8 years?
JV Yeah, from what undersiand, she's che g o in hat family, so yeah I can sce
that, that's 3 good question becausc who knows, that may cven be. plan coming in
the vare, Tnterscing,

X2 Ifchey valked juvenile incarcerated kidsup o us ight o, what would you
Say o them?

IV Asbigas T

I prokaby jus: sarecrying and no say nohing o my hope for
hem nok oo his vl of VTN would ke o ow peit, o Tk kg,
they need t0 see this shit, not like no scare tactic shit, bu more of a human

X2 Wit fanything would you ey o our ellow new G ll v prvons i e
sees, females s wellin case any of them read ths lin, ike speak t0all of us
coward the new year.
B the Bars - Colgotha ! Jasier 15

JV Think, read, read, read, read and be action oricnted by communicating morc
‘with family and fricnds in outter society because our inncr city communitics necd 3
breathe of fresh air coming from the true young Gods and Goddesses of our €arth,
No macer where you are, you are the masters of your own destiny, also, scarch the
hiscory of your gencalogy 5o o provide full knowledge of clf s0 we can get at the
next generatiop with an appreciation of what our ancestors had to endure for us (o
even b able to have chis very conversation. Somebody survived all chat horror so
our gencration could sl exis.

X7 That's some valuable shit you jus sid, what about your tachers, got
Something 10 say to them?

JV My apologics all the way across the board, | was taught way more than to be in
a position o end up in chis kind of icuation, not to cxcuse the babylon' viccs and
actacks, I'm just saying, my communicy laced me well, but a¢ the time, survival
mode had my focus on those srects.

XZ Happy New Year, and take me with you when you con it your kindom.

JV Oh, that Golgotha? Al tis time 1 was meaning to ask you about where ya'l gec
that word from to make the conncction to the zinc, hey man thac’s pretty rather
impressive shit and today you will be with me in paradice.

e

6.
@ Golgotha w/ Bandito
an interview by: xzyzst

XZ - A eal prince of our people ight here. what's up Bandita?

DTO - Just Kickin'it, what you got ight hre in that folder, some homework or s
ook like you on your way to school.-LOL!

2 You

XZ -+ Why are you taken off on me like you'e, George Lopes

andry bag chewin ss..LOL

DTO - State sonp cherwin
mustache havin ass!

of fistaround here..With your Richard Pryor.

XZ - Let the peaple know where you was raised.

faumily.but s ar s being raised. it was,

Lymnwood Californi.

X Let me get a you withthis routne questi
haunting. So. how old were you when you got artested for whatever

because the answers compared with othrs is
ded you onto deathrow?

DTO .- 22 years old. Awh yeah, that's crazy, huh? all of us are young hub?

XZ.-- s like they exccute people when they get ke i they'e 50' and 60'. feel me? But the eafty
s they are giving the young generation the death penaly.from the jump.

DTO - Thats cold

? Because I won't cven be done with appeals when |t 35 in the future.

XZ - Not even close! Trip, is deathrow anyihing like you thought it was, before you got here?

DTO - You know t0be honest | never realy thought abou it before, because | though tis place
‘was for fools thalrape and Kiled ike 18 females and caseslike that. 1 dida't know, how you say.
“Strcet Level®things. Like a shoot out n the hood could do this, They don'tcven put us on the same
yard with those peopie that be eating victms and crazy shit.

XZ - You'e iring on all cylindersright now, because i like our generaion that up here, got
*Street Level" crimes, We were accused o things compared to how the 70's & B0's got down, with
2210 *Sirect Level” shit. We are here with individuals that were eating people, Boy, whatthe hell?
Lo,

DTO -- S0 what happen? They just sarted; Oh yeah they added that new listof special
circumstances? 1 seen some of them. Now just saying you'e from a gang can be used a3 a specal
circumstance.
17

XZ - To qualify o get put up here, exactly. Man ifs all about money and power orsome demonic
sick shit Whatever it s, foul They can legally kill me if | admit I'm 3 member of a gang. | wonder
how many of our next generation even knows this?

DTO - Thats some sick and twisted shit because they say dont kill but they wani t kil legslly.
Like Kilingis only legal fo them and unlegalor not legal forother people. That don't make sense.

Z - 1 mean | never said it like tha but you're right. | wonder if you can explain sick and twisied in
‘your art work because I've seen some your art work,can you say that with art?

DTO - And you mean ke tella story but not with words? I funny you say that because | just did a
drawing and | putsick and twisted on it | mean everybody gota way o explain the death penalty,
but st think of it n that way, 50 that's wh 1 say its sick and twisted. Tell Piankhi I shoot it s0
people can check it out in the zine.

XZ- Nomber one, thank yousumber two how long have you been drawing?
DTO - 14 say n clementary school was when I started.

X Man 1 cant draw 0 save my lfe, but I'm noticing lot o our new generation can get off 50
before | challenge you with an idea, les open some history.

10 - O shit, come with i, what you got?
XZ - The other day you shot me an ld 5.Q. news arice from back in 2010. | ormally dor't eve

rip offtha paper.but that Sept/Oct, 2012 tited *S.Q. Murals...The good and the bad" was good,
52d and a wake up call (0 our generation.

the south

DTO - You see that's the thing. back in 1952 inmate Alfredo Santos put up a mural
dining hall here on the mainline, it was ke a story he was teling about Californ

X2 -- Do you think s stillthere because we on deathrow _never £0 o the dining hall so
‘wonder i is wark i sil up, ol school potna was on some 1890's vintage shi man I wish | couldve:
seenit

DTO - Did you read the part where it says th original 1982 mural acrossfrom the new hospital on
hat AIC wail oh, you got it ook right there for Gabriel rea that.

XZ - Okiay, it says “Due o inclement weather, th colors faded quickly and a group of men
breathed new lfe intothe image” those inmates were John Sklut, Scott McKinney, Gabriel Enriquez.
and Ron Goodman.

IDTO - So they saved i, he said something about us (0, the ncw gener
hat part you just read.

itshould b right under

XZ .- Peep, what he was saying was the §.Q. murals was painted over around here and okay here’s
the quote you was talking about: “These murals show a differen sde of the person who painted
these walls. o matier what the atist was in prson for. Now a ot of that is gone and thre i nothing,
forthe new generaton to appreciate”

DTO - You see what 'm saying? Carry on tradition. 18.

XZ - Real talk, 1 lready know where you going wit this so | dont need tochallenge you because it
Sound fke yoire about 0 ead the new generation on deathrow o come together and do 3 murl.
man why not?

DTO - Why mot? And on top of tha, dedicate the mural to Lynelle Herrick because she was the ars
and caft ldy that inspird and helped the prisoners o keep those muralsalive, it ays she died of
breast cancer,

XZ - No it was Wihitey's daughicr,man 1 can' wait 0 sk them 1o allow you 1 do a jont dedication
thatincludes hsbaby gir. i fact Q" is Ging (o type this conversation up so 'm going 1o ssk him
10 getat "Whitey” and s if the new generation can dedicate mural in her honor along with

Lyn

DTO - Al the administration ca say s 1o, bt why say no when allthey need 10 do s give us these
walls on the yards and pop the tops off althat umused paint. rst ofa it ws very disrespecful o
paint over the murals of men thot worked on ‘sm, and we pose no security threat because we asking
10 do this topether and this hasn't been done before on deathrow, never, i o time.

X7~ o lon you think it would take? | mean.

IDTO - ' taking a wild guess and say 6 months cause I'm factoing i prison interuptions ke
Tockdowns and shit,but it could probably be done sooner because when we work outall the details
a5 one generation il can gt done fike that..rea quick..Like in dry summer monihs._lke June/July
Aug and Sept. feel me?

XZ - So offthe head, what would the mural be?

DTO - When tings g0 goo. our multple ideas can tu into multiple murals, but the first one
would have 0 be something timeless and appeals to al cultues ik, something ike.

7. Like what music? No, yeah or what?
DITO -t you con't relly drw i
XZ - Hell T bip-hop 50 you can drave e (LOL:)

DTO - T think that will be an eye sore (LOL:)
9

XZ-- Smart ass (boh laughing)

DTO 0 gonna be hrd totink of something that the cops WOl ry o turn ito some gang sit
like aways.

X2 Nawh man, give me something, | know you already gotsomething in misd, bring it

DTO - Wiat sbout peopleof each race, and above each man will b another rising pictue of
ach man afer he got out o prison o of the row, ke the latino could ie ito a good fther holding.
His kid, the black inmate can is into restaurant owner (che), the naive american can risc inlo &
solar energy tech and on and on you feel me?

XZ-- Awh, 50 tight a fuck, what abou a tle?

DTO - Like you always say, "new generaton rsing | don't know, what about a sriesof cutural
evoluton ideas like a panoramic view of prison cultue over the years like a story about rom. no
Fadio t0 Bracks, o cssetis, 1o boomboxes, o cd's 10 1pods 0 Ipod nanos we can wear lke wist
watches on the yard

XZ-- T can see & visual of that mural in my mind right now because cach generation even we
prson clothes 5 not the same as time technology and fashion evotved. And | can se us with [pod
nana watches and sull candy on the yard..

DTO - That' funny,same prison clothes but s the way we wear s ke those skinny jeans you
goton. Lol

XZ — 'm rom the hip-hop generation,but that dont mean you willever catch me i some skinny
jeans. just ke | bt not ver catch you with your pans pulld sl the way up past yourchest ke
they did inthe 80 (both laughing).

DTO - You stupid! LOL I've seen some ofthose old photos

XZ - Man s belleva cold out here huh?

DTO - Ifscrszy how the emp just drop ke that here on deathrow, creepy ass shi. (both
simultancously put o beanies).

XZ - Wel,m Il mesican potaa, bace up for the last ultmate queston. Lets say all gocs wel and
{he administation shock us with yes for this project, how wil you tespond tothe haterz that dont
want 10 5e¢ a muliculura diverse new generation moving in the same direction because you ltcady
Know how foolz ae, and projec ik this could make that jealousy shi crack cven more feel me?

DTO - Most o usalready think like Pisnkbi anyway and if | was worried about any eritcizm |
wouldtbe doing this at all and 'm s grown ass man and those ndividuals are juststuk in them ol
ways and with of without them a new generation i on he ise an thinking for urselves. What
would b better i f some of those older individuals would be involved i the crcatve aspect of the
evelopment of this mural project because et be honest we il can be taught some shit, but unil

20.

foolz are able o somehow pop ther heads ow of hei asses. we are going 10 confinue to move
forward

Xz
havent
1 Golgo

cxme s hit and you sound like alo ike Piankhi and th other youth up here and Y1
et cnch ther yet nd 1 gl 1o b sesing llof tis i this new era. o lke they ssid
oind 4 B.C. man, ake me with you when you come inio your kingdom.

DTO - Yeah, tbe continued.

Date: Aprl 20,2012

I herweenthebars ong posts 6837 otha--handito
N] 21,

@ Golgotha w/
By: XZYZST
52613

XZ: Now we got the old school up in here, I was
trying to hollar at the homie Ocean, but since he's
like two exercise yard away, | can barely hear him.

C:1heard ya'll, whats going on with you anything I can do?

XZ: Yeah, 1 just shot him my hard copy of that
109th Congress HL.R. 1279 session about how they say
millions are being given 1 all law enforcement agencies
1o deter @ tisk youth from joining illegal street gangs,
but O.G. it don't say nothing about education, or helping
youth, it's al about arrst, arrest, arrest.

C: The biggest siret gang s the muthafuckin police, of,
yeah, one thing before we go on, ever trip on how the
police get pissed when a cop gets knocked down, but
when one of ours gt smoked, they don't take it 85
serious? Even thei facial expressions change a funcral
processions, or media interviews,is like they don't value
life equally, because a loss is a loss.

XZ: Speakin about loss of life, what do you say to those
that choose to, oris contemplating on taking their own
lives faster than the old slf-destruction route to
suicide by sireet violence?

C: You're comect, it is all suicide, no matter which way
youslice it,and it don't eed to be a youngsta

because the lack of self-worth don't age discriminte

For one thing, his e has meaning and purposed. I'd say that
some peoples lives also serve a multitude of purposes,

but until he seeks to explore wha they are, it would

be impossible to find meaning, or a reason.

XZ: That's tip because we look for that one reason, and
et caught up searching for that one purpose and
fail to see.
:all the other things that have meaning, when people:
begin to understand that, we willalso begin to see the
greater value in other people 22.

XZ: You s, normally | would ask a few routine questions,
but I can alrcady see where this convo is going,

Took man, alot of our new generation face some lying

ass catsthat think we all hella stupid, speak on

the truth

C: The truth is that what s a lie is not the truth
unless you believe it or can prove it

XZ: Ok, I get that, now as you know, somebody that
may be cffected by the re-alignment process thats
going on all over Califomia just might be

reading this cipher right now, so now that you

spoke on truth, or what may be perceived as true,
what do we do when these slave drivers just

start kicking people out o the streets, I mean

how do we make the transition from being around

a bunch of wannabee manipulators, beck into society?

C: First and foremost,if we are headed towards keeping
it all the way real with oneself, we got (o tart
with making amends with the family.

XZ: at least the worthy ones

C: We tend to forget the burnt bridges after being
gone for so long, so moving forward must include
the truth coming from us by jumpstarting the next
levels of fansily relationships by making amends,
one of the saddest things a person can do i allow
misunderstandings, egos, ignorance and the lack of
communication to dictate the pace of love. So own
up to your mistakes because mistakes don' ast
forever because in the end it doesit matter who's
right or wrong if the love is gone.

XZ: Sowdlike a old pimp LOL; or one of
those old soul songs from back in your day
(both singing "because in the end, it doesn't matter who's right or wrong,
IFthe love is gone” LOL:)
2%.

XZ: I'm saying tho, alot of people my age right now may
be like on some FTW shit feel me? Or have

been betrayed by family and even our baby mamas,

and can't wait to get out for round 2, 50 speak

diretly (02 YG out there on the mainine, or in
Juvenile Detention about amending shit 0 start over.

C: Since you are right here, let me get at you straight up,
one day, look snipe, one day, you are going (o run across
a younger you, and.

XZ: But,a younger me? Coulda't nobody tell me shit.

C: Exactly,so that makes you qualified o deal with
your younger self, because now you have experienced
his future, and although he may not think he's
obligated o lsten to you,the truth of you is

obligated to lace him, and or at least offer him

a blueprint on how to navigate through what's coming,
and in this situation, we know how things can

tum out when we miss opportunities o make

amends with people, especially family.

XZ: Dama OG, now cool, but what about those of s that
dont have no family?

C: Some people create family inside of prison, like &
family of lost souls that gravitate toward each other.

XZ: Real fuckin talk

C: 1 mean, the way yall doing this is family building,
and s good thing, its simple, you Write or you Die.

XZ: Yeah, islike alot of il unity movements going on
all over California like inside of prison, I'm glad

‘you just said that because | wanted (0 ask

‘Your thoughts about how my generation is more
multicultural than how your generation was.
C:1seethat, but why ar you posing tht question ) 4.
tome, 1 don't .

XZ: Okay, 50 like most of us know whites and Mexicans
and Asians from the streets, like we got

brother in-laws of different races, and baby mamas

and wives and shit of all races, but when we

come (0 prison, all ofa sudden they become.
unapproachable. I'm really talking about prison

politics like our table, ya'l side of the yard,

and alot of shit that we see as 3rd grader

mentality stuff, and.

C:let me stop you there, great question, and within
this context, Il paraphrase a George Jackson quote
‘with a 2013 spin on it. Man, if I'm trying to

Tove myself, and learn how 1o love myself, and this
process is a change for the better, if anybody,
including my friends can't accept my transformation,
then itis in my bosom interest to exclude them

from my life.

XZ: Young AI-B just yelled out Soledad Brothers, he

likes Mr. Jackson's witings, | mean, ths is a

new generation and it like people expect YGZ' to walk
these yards fake as fuck because alot of us

been cool with cach other and are alrcady not

fuckin with those, well idiots and they always

say we don'listen, but look, we only listen

10 the worthy, because the worthy ain't coming with strings.
That may be where George Jackson was going, who knows?

C: S0 yeah, I feel ya'll and that's one of the reasons
why he was assasinated because he was an
intellectual, you see, the gorilla can be controlled
with cages, visits, phones, foodsale. and superficial
shit, s proven by today's version of prison, but
there is no limitation to an intellectual entity, and
Tl say that again to make my point clear, if

You came to me and said that you was working
towards being the best R&B male singer that

ever lived, and I said that goal was so
astronomical that it wil never happen, then

rocis

XZ: and right now alot of people are being told to
Kick rocks, yeah, and one of the challenges

we are having s in prison, friendship is taking

a backseat (o association,

C: like that, it called guilty by association, the
inverse of that is becoming not guilty by
disassociation with idiots, and befriending the
worthy. New G'z and YG'z shoulda't allow for
the poor performance of old idiots to cause

all of you 10 think all older cats in prison

is on some foul shit

XZ: Yeah, real alk, | already see it because thats
why we came up with the term “The Worthy”
because we are running ino alot of 0G'z that

as so0n s they caught wind of the

Papynus Collective and our Write or Die Zine Project,
without a blink, they rushed to Piankhis

side with, realness, commentary, poems, photos,
encouragement and all types of shit that we
didn't even know existed here on the row, 50

we know it some hella worthy G'z out there

on the mainline or stuffed up in those.

SHU' all over California and in other sates

C: Yl coming with something new, creative and
multicultural and all of these elements

together have not been achieved before.

here on the row, never.

XZ: Let me ask you this, some people get all perfect, and
expect for us to grow at the same rates that

they evolved, and when some of us don't, some

old school dudes just give up. That wasn't my

question, just a segue into, How old was you

when you had like your, like, self epiphany

and began to think like you do now, feel me?
26.

€223 years old, | can remember it ke it was
yesterday, my second oldest brother and I had
a conversation and in that dialog, I started
reflecting about the love and the respect and
gratitude that | had for our parents. | started
crying and my brother said, he asked me why
am ! allowing tears and sorrow to beat me
‘down because of the mistake | made and the
‘misguided love that | was living by

XZ: You mean that stret life?
CYep

XZ: You know I'm going to put yep right he
501its yep?

C: Yep, see, my parents instilled all things valuable
in us, peace, love, blessings, all that, | grew up
in the church (both LOL;)

X2: As most of us did, I grew up COGIC, now I've
grown away from that as well

€2 My parent’s was some amazing people man,
taught us right from wrong and.

XZ: Letme stop you there so you can microwave
his though for us. Look man, alot of

inner city youth, especially out there n them
streets ain't giving a fuck about no church,
Umean, we done alrady seen the preachers
rying 10 get at Moms sexually, or all up in

the choir trying to sex the youth and

fools be knowing that people can' even pay

the damn light bil but sl want o pass

the plate around $ times, is just a gang of.

C: And its not just the Christians, for some reason
in our community, we tend to only see Jesus and
not...yeah man, but that's not what our

parents tught us, | mean, we was even
taught the difference between child molesation 2/«
and homosexuality

XZ: Yeah, because child molestors don't have a sevuality,
I mean, even in prison fools be like oh, if
that person is gay, they must be a sicko.

C:or s not cool for two dudes, or males, but
is all good when two females go at it

XZ: Thats called selective morality

C: Exacly, and its some good ministries out there
thar's spiritual based and ot religious that

don't down people because of that kind of

stuff and the YG'z would be discriminating

if they think all churches disrespect people

and children lke that, you see, it those

sets of values that my parents taught us

and | understood it at 23 years old and

1 stopped treating other people all fucked

up, especially another man; even more so women

XZ: S0 that's what you mean by making amends?

C: Yeah, starting with family, then the community
and overall society, especially a mans babie's
‘mama, even if the cops played her children
against him in a case...

XZ: Awnwh thats hella valusble right there because
you already know how fools s ready to go

big on her for testifying in court and all

that

C: See, cats don't understand, #1. He should've
never allowed the streets to touch his Kingdom,
his houschouse, he put her in a position to
even be all up at the police station being
treated all fucked up and threatened to have

her kids taken away in the first place, Hell,

she cracked because he made her choose

the kids over him
XZ: 1 imean, thats e but 1 jusi
hat before

never looked 28.

C: Voungsta, we dortt sse alo of shit during times
of war, so even f people dortt agree with my

ionale owards "saying out” of prison when
ey do touch down, at least they now have
another perspective as 1o bow 1o begin 1o look
e i sttty i that means we
st relize that there s lso other people
o this planet with us, s0 ind a way to do
o it without puttng your kingdom in harms way.
Yall keep building man, this i whor you are supposed to
o, give my wimost 10 young Piankh and 11 send yall
more sl soon tha ya
ot
wih,

can use as well. My wife
ack of materials she is about to il me
stand by.

NZ: Thuank you, and that's some real G.shit right her.

i,

Change ‘9/[»
Realicy can be a crip huh? The good news i that realty can change, real calk. ~ C

Change, so, who possess’s the power to change you? Not all change is bad because
you can always change for the beter.

The best ching abou change is it's access to freedom, think abou that, you have
the frecdom to change your own mind, make your own choices

‘You now have the power to change the direction that your life s headed in right
now. Take a good look at my reality yeah, theres a new generation being sent to
death row and we're geing younger and younger, YUz up here now, feel me?

Neverin a million years did T chink I could be on death row, espeeially for surcct
level crimes, wow, this can happen to anybody, including you.

Own your own frecdom o change the future and
the fiture is? I you want co take a brief
in che mirror.

s direction, oh yeah, gucss who
impse into the future, T suggest you look

T'm just saying tho!
By xzvZST
29.

@Golgotha w/The Grade A Walk Alones (Day 2) By: XZYZST

XZ1t's my second day out here with the grade A cats here at California death tow,
this time with a whole new group, sup Yall? Let me start shooting the first
question in Gunner's direction.

Gunner: Why me? Why the white guy? (Everybody LOL;)

XZ: Crazy ass, yesterday [ asked the homies did they see the morning news about
the death penalty.

Ocean: What? I didn't see that, what did they say?

‘Gunner: Some court put the DP on hold, indefinitely because San Quentin can't
et their shit right 50 now, untilthey follow them around like a little kids.

Dee: Exactly, it boils down to nobody will be executed ntil they can come up
with the drug cartel protocol

XZ: Cartel? Damn homie, does your Asian accent cut up the word. cocktail like
that? (All LOL)

Dee: (Laughing) So, they can't import the shit from Australia, Canada or
Germany, so they can't do shit.

Ocean: Same subject, but off topic; but they called Hitler all kinds of shit for
trying to discover different ways to execute Jews, like shooting, burning, gas
etc...Now the USA is doing the same shit by so-called trying to find a more
humane way to kill somebody, man, it ain't no humane way to kill a muthafucka.

Dee: And the shit these fools agreed on, they won't even use it to kill dogs, I've:
read that before.

Ocean: Hitler was a dog,
XZ: Fool smoked himself tho.
‘Gunner: Whoever reads this is gonna think we are racist. (Everybody LOL;)

Dee: Hitler did it to.a point where all he wanted to do was leave the earth with
one race, s race on the earth, but in our situation, the reason they use, s the ‘so
called' deterrence from crime which is a bunch of bullshit because the death
penalty has been around the world for centuries and it aint stopped shit. And on
30.

the other side to that, look at how many innocent people are here on the row right
now, this is some bullshit

Ocean: And, you can't say that this is humane, look at how we being treated
everyday.

Dee: Locked up in a chicken coop.

Gunner: And then they wanna drop bombs on other countries and some of them
ain't even got the DP.

Ocean: I guess you can say we are fortunate we ain't in China or we'd be gone
already, like remember when the USA called over there getting at them about
finding large amounts of led _in imported chicken?

X2: Man, what, ummn...toothpaste, children's toys, and...

Ocean: All kinds of shit. The Chinese government found out who was the head
supervisor of the places where that shit was coming out of and straight exccuted
his ass, what was it? Fish and everything.

XZ: On the spot? They smoked him like that, same day?

Ocean: No appeal, no nothing,

X2: Couldn't write a 602 (institutional grievance system) (everybody LOL;)
Dee: Lucky to live for 30 days, in a few countries.

Ocean: You see, but they're not in denial about what is humane or about what
they dotoa fool

XZ: Let me ask y'al this, since you've been on death row, have you changed? T
mean, after all the shit we experience on the daily, how has this experience
affected you?

Dee: Hell yeah, good ass question because mentally and physically, | would say
positive because you see lfe at a turning point, like, no grass, no sun, women, it's
things we become more aware of now because... 1 mean, come on homie, no sun?

Ocean: We wasn't thinking about thase
place.

tle things before we was put in this

31,

Dee: Yeah, but I was saying like you get to see your family really for the family, or
backstabbing friends, words can be powerful, anger, mistrusted words can affect
‘amans mind... I’ just so many things.

it's good to know for a fact whose words are the real
shit in your lfe and now that I've experienced that truth, my mind is like, what
the fuck? Because the ones I thought was solid, turned out to be the ones that
have become invisible, and vice-versa, it like, all that time out n society, [
thought, at least my niggaz was, | don't even know what to say about that no
more, I'm like numb to what I thought love was. I get depressed too, but I shine.

Dee: Some people just got that spark, that life, can actually see the end of the
tunnel as a bright fight.

Ocean: Depends on who's evaluating,
Gunner: Yeah, because everybody don't view change the same way

‘Ocean: Right, because what I see as positive can be viewed as negative by another
prisoner,for instance, I can get in an argument now, and 10 minutes later, we
kickin' it like 2 muthafucka because I've..

XZ: Matured? That's change...

‘Ocean: Over time, and some view that as a negative behind these walls because
they still expect me to take offlike I did when I was younger, but for me, I know
that I've made changes in my lie for the better, I'm not the same person.

Gunner: What about psychologically? Because it's impossible for anybody to be
on death row and not be.

Ocean: And that's real, but, it's different levels of crazy, all of us is crazy, now, on
some level,it's just some people can hide it better than others or else how can one
view another man's positive change as negative? Crazy!

Dee: Hater shit... (everybody LOL;)

Gunner: I've definitely been degrade in every way, even if I don't want to believe
it, 'm not the same person, but [ haven't changed into a serial killer or none of
that,
32

Dee: Shit they put us through makes you wanna be a serial kller, (everybody
LoL;)

X2 Alvight,check this out, if they Kicked you up offthe row and back into society
tonight, would you be on your way back here, or further away from here?.

Ocean: Further away.

XZ: Dee?

ee: Further away, o the Pacific Ilands and enjoy more lfe, specially with
family,family is what { believe wil, oh yeah...sway from Calfornia forsure.. but
like I was saying, family man,

X2 Gunner?
‘Gunner: 've g0t to go to prison in Missouri,so
Ocean: What about f they drop that shit too?
Gunner: Well, I still got to be on probation.

X2: Goddamn, homie, what tha uck is you,a caeer criminal o something?
(everybody LOL;) OK, let's say, you get a clean slate?

Gunner: Further away.

X2: Damn, I'm trying to kep this as shortas possible because Piankhi wants
these shorter so Twon't be able o put down everything we chop it up abour.

Gunner: Alright... | understand,

X2: Gunner, a lot of people don't know this but California Death Row at unit east
block have 8 group yards, at least 0 people on valk alone small cage yards
people that is on grade A which is the highest grade, my question to you 15 most
ofthese 80 people are black, Latino and Asian, you ae white, the minority,
what's up with that?

Gunner: Most whites go into Classification Committee and become another
person, but they bit the yard and now they are Indian all of a sudden, I dortt play
that bullshit...
33

Ocean: Gunner and whites like him is the new negro to these cops, he ain't gonna
change for nobody, they treat him different than the other whites, Gunner is the
new kind of white and they not used to... Serious. (all LOL;)

XZ: Dee, do they treat you different because you are Asian?

Dee: Yes and no, 1 just don't like the committee like, look man, this shit is all
backwards, they got yards full o serial kilers, but I'm the threat? What kind of
shitis that?

XZ: Real talk, T be like, man, I ain't no more dangerous than the next muthafucka
and fools don't want me on the yard?

Dee: They should knock some gates down so we can run some full court
basketball with the homies and be like a regular prison, most of these, anyway,
it's all backwards here, 7 dudes on one group yard and 80 dudes on walk alone?

Gunner: 1 know, hub, I've been to a regular prison, and this shit s not i,
backwards

‘Ocean: Like I said, this place wasn't built for regular muthafuckas, it’s bult for
those that got crazy ass crimes.

XZ: That's what we've been saying, they don't know what to do with this
generation of cats up here for street crimes, and now look, foolsis on the yards
telling the administration not to put certain people on the group yards with them
and now the walk alone cage are overflowing because it only 32 cages and over
80 peaple on walk alone cages like we are pitbulls, or animals and.

Dee: I don't give a fuck man, this is till a prison no matter what yard I'm on, all
ofitis the same.

XZ: Here's the thing tho, it's people that's been here 5o long, that they look at
these yards like their home, so what is prison to us, is home to others, and that's
where we will end this cipher, some sun sure would be nice tho, huh?

Gunner: Yelling; rollin’, rollin’
‘That's a universal heads up to all that it's yard recall... here comes the Babylons.
The end!

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@Golgotha w/ Scrappy Dog
an interview by: xzyzst

XZ s July 27,2013, Saturdny, out here on the yard with yetanother prince of the steets, now, 5.
Pac would sy, "Stranded on DeathRow". Got a few routine question fo you,then we. il Jus,

il
SC Atright

X2 HHow old wasthe Scrap Dog when you got arested for whatever it was tha got you up on
Tow?

scas,
XZ Okay,tha's fucked up, where do you call home?

D South Centeal Los Angeles California.

XZ Oh befors we get into tis, ' going (0 say one name and you say the first i
‘your brin... George Zimmerman

SC Racist murderer

XZ Now we gol that out i the universe, 1 back tha up with a *Fuck'em,” snd tht should be the
e ofthar, “Tel me what's a black life worth.*

SC Yeah...(Knodding head)

XZ Outside of your family.if i akes vilage to ise a child, in etrospect,name one ting that you
‘wanid from your community that you never got, like close community? because alot of people think
‘we'e all strangers out here. andthe word homie i becoming over rated, o iyl do sh together?
Hike what about the biock you grew up on?

SC:Shit, on the black I grew up on, our parenis knew each other, o...itwasn't othing that | wanied
that | couldn' get, 5o what do you mean?

X Right now, we always hearing abou, like the lack of recreation and it in the iner ciy, 50
realistically,give us a quick look into your block, feel me?

SC Hell yeah, man. we had some kind of ecreation or function to do a cach house,lke at my hous
we had al kinds of video games,next door we had sl kinds o fui recs, down the street we pad.
il teams for the girls and we played the drums, and we also played footbal in the street we had

aloto... slapboxing. it real fights.
XZ 0K, 0 wht about if we st forward t0 20132

35.

SC Change? yeah,is more Mexican familis now.

XZ Youre about o say something about & cultural shift?

SC As farasrecreationally,al that's gone, i's only ke 6 orginal familis stllon that block, look.
e got the Webs, we got the Edmonds, we got the Jenkings, the Davis and Gibsons, those families
been ther for generations,our family s one of those original familcs datng back (0 the 50's and
600550 peopl sill come back, bu lot of families have moved offthe block. not because Mexicans
moved in nfact, they moved into homes that black families moved out of, | can only speak for my
block, with or without other races, s lways shit o do, now the Mexican families mightdo things
diffently culturaly speaking, and | don' know al of what they do, but | don't know; we dor't do
alotof stufftogether, thats what | was about (0 say.

X2 Your childhood homie "Godfather.* b, Wesley, what?
SD His lastname is Hunter, they always come back and tay connected, utomatic, hats famly.

X2 On dethrow and prison mainlines all aver California, Godfather i fast becoming more and
more popular because of the books that he now writes, when yal was Kids, could you or anyone
around yal foresee into the foture that.

SC He would end up in prison?

X2 No,like since you and him was childhood friends did you see him a5 an author? | mean like the
prolific urban cultre type witer that he is growing into? Wesley "The Godfather” Hunter, feel me?

SC Witer? No, entreprencar? Yes, | always saw him as a chaser, a huster, making §, tha’ what
‘we always had in common, so now that we are now adults, and when 1 look back, | cansee him
being alot of things

XZ You are well known on tha ow, especially when it comes to lowriders,unlike some fake ass
‘wannabee... et me stopthere... bu your history involvement with cars nd business is no
sectet, my question o you i, if your folks, Godfather, was here right now, would he b able 1 look
back and see business n your future? What about cars?

C Yes,duc 1o the fact that we had our toys, minibikes, go carts and moorcycles, we had it all,
worked on e, built, ismantied, rebuit hem, everything, ell 1 puton rollerkates one day jumped
on my motoreyele nd popped a wheelie ll the way down the stret.

(both LOL) Wi

X Shit,you pot he whole block an otce with tha crazy a5 shi, m akin tese economical
Question becausecven hough you'e on death row.nd your childhond potrs Gediahr s some
rison, and without businss 101 i 2013, both of you acully reproo ht ety youth arc
Sereaiped,pu o 3 box tha sciet s foreed t view you n

36.

SCMedin and they hardly cver showed up unlfucked up it happened

IV el e gt ot offke ass il from prison dminisiraion, ke Forcxampe, the common
ot s prisoners ar lookin fo bandout, o donation, o webpage pmpin s g s o
reg's Hoays O SOmC e e me hit, but wha they won' 3y, abou, wel it ke you o
e and bow YOu £ You sister on business level o for claiy ive s brief g e
how that popped off.

o siclly goied ofhetingher el me for yersthat sh coud' i job.You know,- siting
pand complaining about, was’. ik it ain't nthing o do | sid what do you ke 16 o3 Fhas
e she s Cooking, i, hiad a1 $ o the steets 501 i OK. It star & €xesng st s
e like, what, 4 years now, and....

2 ottt sitis rackin, exacly,so I ke, ber you ar on destro, lierally waiing 0 be
o end. siter o not, you b the presence of mind 0 contos 1o b what you was ot you
0t locked up, “business minded,” i a utshel, thats you serap

G 1 mean it comes from being stuck on hustle mode, a0d no 0 mention my Grandiather and
Srondmother et ht sandard i o family st cpecially when it came 5, they taugh me 0
save my chips atan early age, | didn' just spend .

AL Man ' gla you st aid that about your G pops & G momz because echiclly n the hood,
that's where it al.

SC Thats whett it comes from, so | give them accolades, you kaow, honor, o, oh yeah,
say tha being in prison can also Kick that hustle mode inio overdrive for some induduals

XZ Hell yeah because outin society we be movin huh?
SC Moving. here. you got time (o think, here it slow motion
X2l hood ivia for ya, I'm just saying to. e’ see what you know about your own; o the

Aoenes OK. e 2 books writen by your childhood homie Godfather... Fucked you op hu? | only
Know one..

SC ABA! You ain't aid shit, uhm, let me see. OK, *South Central,*
will, and he got another one called "Things She Needs to Know*

ftread that one yer, but |

XZ How long has it been since yal seen each othe

5C.26 years oo long,

X2 1 asked that quesionfo eason because it ncds 0 be put out thre hat ncarceration can sop
tha hood connect, 26 years? Godamn Scrap!

SC Thats that ibalizm, that we ar n syne with each ober hroughout th years,and afer growing
up with people, sometimes you can pretty much tell, well, | wasn suprised shat Godfather &
sucessfl. and ifs 15 no supis (ha | Support my Siste du 1 how we was raised,you e st

57

because we'e injail dor't mean that we turn into other people. You know what I'm saying? Fm sl
me. oo mater what

XZ That's my point,prison is the plac that people say is flled with losers and st and tha’s a
Stereotype that even parolec'scatch afte they get out, s ke, young white, blacks, laino and

oz and ssians from the inner cityare viewed as loses that need (0 b saved. rehabiltated and
broken, and domestcated, and tht fucks me up because i the same breath they Say ol t blame the
victim, 5o what can we do?

SC Thats good queston
XZ I 3 good question because the sysiem is not oly designed to explot the poor, and the well to
o, butis speciically designed 1o keep society fucked ino believing that inner city youth are
helpless, and not argetsof n curupt bazillion dollar industry feel me? Single parnt homes my ass.
broken homes my ass thse are often not selfinficted conditons. Got kids?

SCYeahs

XZ.67 Whattha? But you're sill | mean, at your age?

SC1 gotsared early. they all grown now

XZ Sothey wasnt raised i single parent home because you was on poin from death row right?
Peopl dort seem 1o get that

SC 1 mean, even before that s wel, and alsoduc t my huste mode, you ke that st hu?
X2 LOLS hstle mode oo, ke you st got 0 o switch, ke ghtto superhero or some shit
(@otnLoL)

SC When you got Kid,hll it dont tu ff, bt 1 had sready st up lucraivefunds for al of them
XZ And thatsslso viewed as rar orpisonrs, people just somehow avtomatically hink s a cot
oo total shutdown when niggxs et ocked up. You know? | was thinking; 55, you know. the

prison isout here loakin for one hotdrug 0 Kill us with,have your kids sked you about € You
can pass on hs Q..

SC Like | sid,they are all grown now, 50 we can talk about anything....nawh man, good question.

XZ What advice can you lace the new G'z with thats coming up o deathrow that ot toddlers,or 12
10 15 year old kids, how do we answer that question? Most don' even know what 0 say.

SCThen it becomes a question of discretion because you justcan' tellevery kid certan things hat
they st eady for, shit, | just said that “Is possibe, being that 'm here, but the likelyhood? No," |
putt that way because i truc, anything can happen on appeal.

XZ And age appropriate true answers ain' sy to find.
38

SC You canft I 10 kids man. because they remember shit and wil call you on shit lateron, and i's
ust distespeetful 1o i to kids, Lt thing you want 10 o i that shit,oh, and also don' forge that
every kid is diffreat, my kids arc smart, they have experienced alot, so some kids have a ifferen

temperment and can comprehend things at diferent levels, so d say. know your kids irst, then
answer that question.

XZ Now that'ssome valuabie hitright there. wha about, uhim, what adviee can you give a Y.G. out
Hhere on the mainline of some prison, or sil n the hood. or how... wait.. i
Younger you that would help o keep you off of deathrow?

SC My advice would be to “think before you move

XZOK, great shit, now say tht 0 a Il nigga thars ke, "you only saying that because you got
caught” because | hear that alo.

SC 1 mean, no bullshi, .. would say the same shit

XZ We used 10 be hat kid. you'e ight, finish your comment

SC Exactly. but on 0p of that. my comprehension levels was OFF the radar,all | knew was | had a3
year old daughter when | was 17 years old, she wanied the world. and | had 10 go get . 50 eally. s
muthafucka couldo't el me shit, that was my reaity

XZ So now what do we do Serap? no say shit? because what you are saying is some real shit, you
g the last words in thi... o,

SC Even though they dont want (0 hear it hey at feast need 1 know that ife i ferally ke a chess
e, one wrong move can be fatal; worth more on the stret,or on deathrow?

XZ Being on deathrow is some fatal shi, e’ end on your last words that “at leat they need (o
v and here comes the babylon for yard recal,did you understand the Golgotha connection?

SCThat's a ip huh? Fatal

Execution chal at San Quentia State Prison

X2 Yep. Fatl

g beeenthebaes or posts 06 Vinew-eneration-part. 3
@ Golgotha w/ Spooky 9
an interview by: xzyzst

XZ Firs things s, ics my honor o be with you today, new generation rising,

SPK New generation on the move, the honor s all mine.

XZ Where was you borm?

SPK Palmdale California, it way closer o Los Angeles than here.

XZ 1 got peoples in Palmdale, it ice, a il dangerous sometimes, bt nice. So, about how
old was you when you got aested o come uphere 10 deathrow?

SPK 19 years old

XZ Spookie, serious? 197 Man whattha?
SPK Yeah | had just turned 19, crazy huh?

XZ Hey man, thas like one of my routine questions because as you know we did hell these already
and do far you ae ke the youngest ese | know of so far on deathrow.

SPKC I never looked at t ke thatbefore but now that you say thl....you know whal,t i alot of
youngsters uphere now. | don' normally trip off o stuff like that.

X2 S0 where i your family originally from? Or is Southern Californis your oots?

SPK Awuh..thisis gonna trip you out because my great grandfather was apartof ponchio vilas army.

XZ Now I know you don' expect nobody o believe that come on Spook.

'SPK No, I hear that allthe time, bt i true, my uncle vito, who jus passed away told mewhen they
Started breaking up the army, theederales started searching for people and my grea grandfather
actually escaped from Mexicoand moved this family to America and changed his last name to his
Mony's maiden name which was Aldans, but our original name wasDelarosa.

XZThe Rose?)

SPK. Bt that' not i check this out, 5o he escaped anid they eventually caught him and took him back

10 Mexico and he was facing death
XZ And here you are two generations lateron deathrow

SPK That's why my uncle vito brought it up because | didn' know nothing sbout it uni hey gave.
me the death penalty.
40.

XZ wasnt it ike the fiing squad in those days? Did he actualy get exccuted?
SPK Yeah, he did. I sl got my uncle vitos lettr n th cell.

XZ What tha Is that right? That may be a collcctors tem one day, | mean evenif you ae never
executed, that leter s il valuable o your people, your ancestoria.

SPK Legacy

XZ Let me ask you this, s death row anywhere near what you thought it was goin (o b ke before
You got here?

SPK Nope, I thought it was going to be alot worse (o tel you th truth.

XZ what about how our generation is more multiculural and diverse and how the older dudes is
stuck in whateves time zone itis.

SPK I not suprising,issad tho, you would think the old folks would know betier and learn from
everything tha has happened and how outer sociey, at least with the younger generaions don'teven
e rippin off of racal stuf and things like that because nomatier how you look at i, from a religious
view ora scienific stand point, we all end up coming from the same.

place anyway.

XZ They say you can't teach an old dog new ticks.

‘SPK This is not a trick tho, and that's what they dor't get because everything i a game or some sort
of trick 1 them so rality s not something they are used to, I dont know what 10 say about that man,
1 don'think 1 want o understand how people rationalize hate and raism. I's al stupid o me.

XZ I'm with you on that, we all are, Lec's shit gears here. Let's just say for the new year the cops
will start waiking Kidz that are alrcady locked up in Juverile Detention Centers over hre. | mean
they bring them in S.Q. alrcady but they never bing them over here, bt if they did it oday, I'm
talking about ight now, what would be that one thing you would say o them?

SPK Probably nothing because i they are anything ke | was, tha kid wouldn'tcare because it a
ot of us that just dont car.

XZ Thatsthe kid. let' say thats th kidz they bring, what about when they leave, what would you
52y 10 them o make the remember what you sai.

SPK Now that's a good question because it would be impossibie for them to forget anything said by
peoplc on deathrow because just coming 10 deathrow by tself would be hard to forget and when that

experience is positive, now that would in my opinion have & major impact, or we can It them meet
1. Danks

(Both LOL hysirically)
41

X2 Now hats cxacly what we don's want hem 1 s, ofe boy will have them Kid ready o smash
Him on G P for just being super tupd,

'SP Alotof us had 0 Iearn the hard way. it don't matir how much hoog'n and hollar you do, |
Know s one or wo youl that willead thisand tar 10 think, but et jus b ral, i thas wht hs
5 all about, the truth i, maybe one or two yeah, bul mostof them gota learthe hard wy and afer
realiy it them then they will emermber that thy should've listened 0 0 on deathrow.

X2 One or two st enough forus you feel me, becaus ke cousin Tucei told us thatif we only help
ne, then we v filed the rest and we ar already masters of filue. We've been messing up our
‘whole livs, 50 we should be the very peopl i our sociey that intjustgoing 10 celebate jut
helpiog one kid

SPK S0 we g0t 10 5y 1 them what wasa'sad 0 us because 1 guess nobody knew what the hell 10
2y 10 us because | always had 10 lear things the hard way.

XZ Me 100,14 thats ke a connecion right there that they can el because they need what's real
nd on a e live level so what you got? You'e young, g at your generaion

'SPK My Dad was mardered over drug del gone bad. it was heroin, or at lesst that what they old
me, 1 was 0o e back then, but the truth i, ain' nsuch thing a8 3 good drug dealbecause
somewhere down the line is g0ing to get al bad.

XZ Growing up without 5 pops is common inthe inner cites, i
murdered

i 520 but aving pop's

SPK My sistcrs Dad was abusive 1o me and my Mom, so tht also layed s part i why most of our
generation i quick o beal buddy buddy with foolz Moms bring around orany so-caled male
igure. 1 mean even though | wasa it id i th tme | e ke 1 was the man ofthe hovse 0

protect my Mo and family.
X2 Bt Moms b tinking we just don ke older dudes,or we are being badass kids,
SPK Thats notsomething # kid can explain, not at that age anyway.

XZ Mothers nec to know this too man because we aint mad at the world el me. We jstare
aturally siepping in the protector mode, he £00d par about that ws the othr day when e al
‘was alking sboutanimas. you spoke on your siep pops 3nd how you and him kicked it withanimals
a0 even looked ou for tha crow.

SPK Yeah, we just staied ick's it afer my Mom was done with my sisirsfaher,but my sep fther

is very sick right now.

o0 for?

XZ O, thats who you ssid you ws drawing ha

ke for him o have surengthfrom inside (o make ..

SPK yeah.i

X2 Why a dragon?
42.

SPK In some cultures, dragons symboliz fire, earth, water and al kinds of things, i ik fear
makes dragon's monsters o sonie, but when one has no fea that same dragon can become a source
of strengeh

X2 People say that your artwork i beter than you think it is.
SPK m just mever satisfed if my work s not up to my standards.

XZ Ate your standars set 100 high? O i everybody tht sees your dragon standards set 00 low?
Lets put your Uncle's ragon with ths,

SPK That's cool because i my way of saying stay strong no mater what we go through, we siways
et atacked by something in lfe and we don' always got a bunch of people o help us in whatcver
we go through, 5o | think there i it dragon of srength in each of us that can come ou i those:
time's when we really need 10 dig deep in order (0 survive and my tep father is someone that | want
o survive in his sruggle.

XZ Damn man, fora youngt, that sounded like wisdom, no, et me guess. you hated school?

‘SPK No, lked school, | was just bored with thoseteachers,especially the math teacher, man she
Knew how much | ated math and she would pick me 10 come up 10 the board and..man | got 1 the
point where | just nuttcd up and statd tearing everything in he class p.

XZ Spook, she was whal, puttng, you on blast? If she knew you did't ike math how come she didnt
a5k you 10 draw on the chalk board apic o something that was relted the math problem?

‘SPK She didn' know | could draw and what are you alking sbout because they took al of the at
classes and stff outof ourschool. | mean music and everything, so she wasn'tno art cacher, she
was teaching me math

XZIf somebody wouldve put you i

school, would you be on deathrow right now?

SPK I'm not going 0 say that but, you know what my uncle vito would show me some stuff when
we vsited him in Los Angeles soinretrospect,afer all of the B.S. s set side, no, what | needed
was rehab man.

XZ Rehab at 197 I'e never heard of teenage rehab.

‘SPK Just being honest with myself, i rehab works, ' have 1o say, no | would not be on deathrow
right now, | never been. so | don't Know i it works, 1 think younsters nced to say what they need.
insicad of people eling them what they need.

X2 And with hat, | must say,take me with you when you come into your kingdoms n fact take il
Of the youth with you 0.2 greate existance than how these strcets and prison are now.

SPK Wan 1o lay some UNO?

XZ Hell yeah. my davgbtcr tught me how 0 ply in the isitors room, bring i
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