gang slang

GANG SLANG LEXICON – AN INVESTIGATORS GUIDE

INTRODUCTION

Slang (n) 1.very casual speech, informal language. -words, expressions, and usages that are casual

2. language of exclusive group- used by a particular group of people, often deliberately created and used to exclude people outside the group

- Encarta Dictionary : English

Currently, there is no definitive meaning given to the term “Gang Slang” by any recognised or accredited source. The language commonly referred to as “Urban Street language” also lacks a dictionary definition. Urban Street language is a slang version of the English language – so relaxed that it has been deemed the “language of the streets” or “street slang”.

Far less common and much more complex is a codified version of “Urban Street language” that is “Gang Slang”. Many of the words, terms and phrases of “Gang Slang” have been derived from underground gangster rap or coined by members of Criminal Street Gangs.

Because gangs and gang members intermingle and conduct business with their associates, the codified language gang members use amongst their own group becomes learned and adopted in criminal street gang sub-culture and occasionally in the streets.

The need for a gang member to understand and speak this codified language is simple. Criminal street gangs or organized crime groups engage in illegal criminal activity. It is essential that in order to conduct business such as drug and firearm trafficking, the planning of assaults, homicides and armed robberies, members of these groups engage in dialogue about these activities. Organized criminal street gangs have become increasingly aware of the intricate investigative tools employed by law enforcement agencies. Wiretap authorizations and undercover operations are examples of complex investigations that are now required to infiltrate and prosecute these criminal groups. Armed with this knowledge, gang members and their associates utilize codified language for the purpose of avoiding detection by anyone including law enforcement intent on disrupting their business.

Project Brazen - Detective Gavin Jansz #5330


GANG RELATED TERMINOLOGYAssociated Terms

1. General Criminal Activity - involving a type of activity, usually criminal in nature when conversation is guarded

flex eg. I got a customer coming in for a $20 flex makin a move We’re making a move for some weed.

mission You must complete three missions before becoming a full CRIP.puttin in work 24/7 I’m putting in work for the crew.

2. Carrying a Firearm – terms associated with carrying a firearm

holding eg. All my little soldiers is holding…we got the block on lock down. strapped 24/7 I’m stayin’ strapped, Can’t trust no one. walking hard Don’t beef with GTF man dem. All of dem walking hard.walking heavy The boy dem lookin for any soldiers walking heavy

3. Snitching (in terms of degrees)– a.k.a. as ratting, calling out, fink, singing, chirping, and beaksing

ratting 1st degree – (v) going out of your way to actually tell someone - regardless of being questioned “Calling out someone’s name”ratting 2nd degree – (v) to indirectly rat someone out, i.e. questioning someone’s actions out loud “Why are you hitting me?” Someone overhears but “snitch” hasn’t directly told anyone ratting 3rd degree – (v) inaction or refusing to deny allegations about another, an indication of accused’s guilt by 3rd party silence no denial or contradiction to allegations of accused’s guilt

4. Associated with Violence

bedtime / bedtime story – (v) to murder When I get ammo, it’s gonna be bedtime for him.

bust / bust up – (v) to shoot (bust off) I’m gonna bust a cap in his head.

fling down – (v) 1. to shoot / shot 2. to cause injury He took out a knife and fling down a man.

jack – (v) rob / steal The liquor shop got jacked twice today.

murk / murked –(v) to kill / murder(ed)

picked up – (v) to dieshank – (v) 1. to stab with a knife or sharp object (n) 2. homemade sharp pointed or edged weapontouch / touched / touched up – (v) to shoot / to be shot / to be woundedwet / wet up – (v) to shoot / the act of discharging a firearmwet shirt thing – (n) a shooting



GANG RELATED TERMINOLOGY continued..

B.G. – (n) y oung gangster (stands for baby gangstger)B/K – (n) Blood Killerbabylon – (n) the power structure; the policebait / baiting things up – (v) drawing attention toballer – (n) gang member making money (high roller) and who is good with the ladies; drug dealer who

controls the bulk of the drug deals and profitsballin’ – (adj) having it allbang – (v) to fight, to kill; to be involved in gang activitybanger – (n) a gang member, someone associated with gangs and murderbanging – (v) gang activities; fighting or violencebase / block – (n) specific location used by a criminal street gang for meetings, storing illegal /

prohibited products usually within the gangs turf or neighbourhoodbe down – (adj) member in good standingbeakage – (v) express a story / information by word of mouth (beak refers to mouth)beast – (n) policebeat grains – (v) act of shootingbeat in – (n) common initiation ritual where a recruit must fight a specified number of gang members for

a pre-determined amount of time (15-60 seconds); the assault is intended to gauge the prospective member’s toughness and willingness to endure pain for the group

beat it / beating it up – (v) act of discharging a firearm / shootingbeat off / beat – (v) shootingbeat one – (v) one shot from a firearmbeaten out – (v) to be released from a group, may involve the physical assault by others *uncommonbeef – (n) crime; infraction; argument or discrepancy between individuals or groupsbig / bigger mans – (n) members of criminal street gangs that have seniority and status above younger

membersbills / buildings – (n) units of money in $100’sbird – (n) a person people don’t like because of immature behaviour and getting into other people’s

business, like talking big (foolish) and ratting others outbite / booked / hitched – (v) getting arrestedblizzock – (n) blockbox – (v) the action of striking or assaultingboy / po po / heat / feds - (n) policeboy dem (from Patois) / boy them – (n) police (derogatory term)brand new sweater – (n) good quality bullet proof vestbuilding – (n) bill (hundred)bummy – (n) feeling upset / angry i.e. bummed out




bussing (shots) – (v) firing shots – e.g. bussing two-two’s at himbutt – (n) butt of a firearmcarrying weight – (v) trafficking a large volume of drugscheese – (n) moneychop – (v) sale of material goods, or drugsclapping – (v) shooting a firearmclique – (n) a smaller group within a larger criminal street gang also known as a crewcocked the machine – (v) the action of exposing a firearm to be fired come on road – (v) go outside in the streetcop / copping it / cop it – (v)get, purchase or buy somethingcrew – (n) members of a criminal street gangcrib / bizzaze / gates / – (n) an individual’s house / home / residencecriss – (adj) ok, everything is finecusty – (n) a customerd’ees – (n) detectivesdeal with his case – (v) delivering a penalty for an infractiondicks – (n) police – specifically Detectivesdeeks – (n) dimes = $10dime – (n) a girl or $10dip / dipset – (v) to leave or get outdirty – (adj) criminal actsdirty – (n) illegal items usually firearms, can also refer to a firearm that has been used in a shooting /

homicided low – (n) down low – information keep quiet or close to particular group / peopledrama – (n) storydrapes – (v) the action of confronting another with aggression including verbal and / or physical assaultdropping dimes – (v) providing information to the policed.t. – (n) downtownducats – (n) moneyeat / eating / jook - (v) robberyeat em / eat a food - (v) robbery of drugs or a personends – (n) refers to being on gang turf / territory, can also refer to a neighbourhoodeverything can happen – (n) anything can happen fake chops – (n) fake drug / gun sales for purpose of robbing the purchaserfams / family – (n) close relationship between members in criminal street gangs / refer to fellow

members as family



feds – (n) police


first – (n) 1st degree murderfive-o-five boys / streetcar – (n) police i.e. here comes the 505 streetcarflipping – (v) action of robbing and selling / resellingfood – (n) in robberies, can include anything of valuefreshie – (adj) someone new to the country from any islandfull touchdown – (v) complete the shooting task – murderG / G note / gino / note – (n) a thousand dollars (grand)G code – (n) the gangster code of silenceG’s – (n) a gang member / gangstergeneral – (n) leader of a group within the structure of a criminal street gangget / got me dirty – (v) caught with illegal items / substancegreazy – (adv) behaviour that is dirty, immoral, unsavoury, usually criminal in naturegreen boy – (n) $20 billgrilling – (v) posturing aggressively, a hard, aggressive stare, similar to “mad doggin” or “screwface”grimey – (adj) nastygrizzind – (v) grindhave it up – (v) to be armed and ready to shoothead busters – (v) shooting someone in the head (n) killers / hitmen / enforcersheat – (n) attention / or causing attention to the policeheatbag – (adj) someone who attracts attentionholding down – (v) ability to manage or control Criminal activity in relation to gang turf / gang

controlled territoryholler – (v) to call, greetinghomi – (n) homicidehood is talking – (v) people in the neighbourhood / turf are talking in general or to the police or openly

discussingI only have a full – (n) only having one full revolution of shots, full clipjakes – (n) policejook – (v) to robkeep’n it grimy / gully – (v) repp’n the hood, loyalty to the gangkick away the football – (v) disposing of a firearmkick off the house – (v) police executing a forced entry or describing the execution of a search warrantkicking it up – (v) causing a commotion / disturbanceknocked – (v) got arrested leaving footprints – (adv) leaving your mark to make a statement or leave an impression about the

criminal activity



let it off - (v) discharging / shooting a round of ammunition


lick – (v) the action of hitting or striking, also shotlick him out – (v) shooting someone deadlick one – (v) shooting a round of ammunitionline / liline – (n) telephoneline up – (v) arrange, set up, facilitatelink – (v) contact via telephonelinks – (n) contacts or suppliers of goodslittle men – (n) younger members of a criminal street gang – also derogatory to describe members of

rival gangsmad greazy – (adj) very dirty, nasty, generally bad or negative, can also refer to an individual’s

behaviour or actionsman dem (from Patois) – (n) a fellow member of a criminal street gang or associate gangmen – (n) members / associates of a criminal street gangbig mens– (n) senior or ranking members of a criminal street gangsmoss – (n) hide (normally used in the context of incriminating evidence)moving deep – (adj) gang movement / activity in numbersmoving greazy – (adv) dirty (filthy), slippery (sly) and suspicious behaviour (actions), is also

paralleled to criminal activitymoving militant – (adj) characterization in the term of militant soldier, the role of enforcers within a

criminal street gangmy mom’s end – (n) area where the mother resides, may be a gang turf, but can also simply refer to the

turf she resides inmy team – (n) a person’s street gang, crew, cliquenizza – (n) n*gganot clean – (n) an unclean police record, used in criminal activity i.e. firearmon house – (n) house arrestone – (n) everything is ok (v) byephizzone – (n) phonepop off / let off – (v) fire shotspush it – (v) act of selling material goodsray, ray, ray – (n) blah, blah, blah, a term used in place of “and so on”, also used if the speaker is

attempting to limit revealing information about a particular topic, yet hopes the person he is speaking to understands what is being said

recent come out – (v) being released from jailroad – (adj) to be out of custodyrock a jaw – (v) assault at varying levels



roll proper – (n) conducting business / criminal activity while being armed with a firearmroll with me – (v) belonging to my gang (crew)


rolling deep – (n) large number of gang members moving in a grouprolling heavy – (v) carrying a firearm while on the moverub him – (n) assaultsafehouse – (n) a location unknown to police used as a hideout and / or to store illegal goods show – (v) tell, inform or advisesitting on their shoes – (v) not using their firearmssoft – (adj) wimpy, weaksoldiers – (n) members of a criminal street gangspitting out his grill – (v) talking / providing informationsquashed – (v) to be finished, oversqueeze – (v) the act of discharging a firearm by squeezing the triggersquillers / scrilla – (n) moneystanding six / six – (v) acting as a lookoutsuck him – (v) being apprehended or confronted by forcesuck it / suck – (n) robberysuck off – (v) to get takensucked off – (v) taken off the streets (i.e.boy dem suck off a man dem)sweep that two shoes – (v) take / steal two firearmstakin’ it dry – (adv) letting someone treat you badly / screw you overteam – (n) a crew – clique – or subset of a criminal street gangtouch inside – (v) to go to jailtouch road – (v) to get out of jailtouchdown – (v) shoot down or murdertracey – (n) police as in Dick Traceyt-shirt – (n) bullet proof vestturf – (n) territory claimed by a criminal street gangundees / uc’s – (n) undercover policeVersace – (n) a Criminal organizationweed man’s house – (n) a marihuana growers / distributors property – often found to be a marihuana

grow operationwhip / vehics (sounds like leeks) – (n) a motor vehicle / carwhole of them – (n) all of themwin the game – (v) to complete the taskyard / yardie– (n) an individual’s residence / Jamaica (back home) you done know – (v) you already know



you n*ggers better stand – (v) advising crew they must stand up and rise to whatever zeen – (v) seen ? i.e. do you understand ?

FIREARMS RELATED TERMINOLOGYGENERAL TYPES 9th floor – (n) a firearm9th o’clock – (n) a firearmbig things – (n) large calibre i.e. 45 cal or 357 calbiggest shoe - (n) largest calibre firearmburner – (n) firearmcassette – (n) firearm cd – (n) firearm drill – (n) firearmdummy – (n) malfunctioning / broken firearmfizzie – (n) firearm football – (n) firearm gat - gauge – (n) shotgun girl / girlfriend / bitch – (n) specific firearmshammer - hand / hand burner / hand thing – (n) hand gunheater / heat – (n) firearmjuby – (n) gun or girlkizzy – (n) firearmlittle ones – (n) small calibre i.e. 22 calmach / mash / mosh – (n) machine gun or generally a firearmmachine / chine / mach – (n) firearm matic – (n) automatic or semi-automatic firearmone / two size down – (n) one or two calibres down in size from the largest calibre piecepumps – (n) shotgunresolve – (n) firearm shoes – (n) firearmsshottie – (n) shotgunsix-spinner – (n) six chambered revolversixteen shooter – (n) a firearm capable of storing and discharging sixteen rounds of ammunitionsnub – (n) snub nose revolversnubby – (n) short barrelled firearm



snuggy – (n) firearm spinner – (n) revolver

GENERAL TYPES continued..

spitter / spitta – (n) auto / semi-auto action firearm – usually a machine pistol/ak47 etcstrap - streetsweeper – (n) high capacity / Rapid firestrizzie - suzy wong – (n) firearm (possibly Smith &Wesson)thing / ting / brand new thing – (n) firearm tool – (n) firearmtwin – (n) shotgunvideo / video game – (n) firearm whore – (n) firearm wife / wifey – (n) firearm

SPECIFIC to MAKE / MODEL / CALIBRE

12 o’clock / 12 cents – (n) 12 gauge shotgunak – (n) AK 47beretta – (n) brand name beretta firearmbird – (n) desert eagle firearmbrowns / browning / brown skin / brown girl – (n) browning firearmdeuce deuce – (n) .22 caleagles – (n) desert eagle (all calibres) eighty – (n) .380 riflefifth – (n) .45 calfiftharoo - (n) .45 calfifty-seven – (n) .357 calfive seven / seven shooter - seven chambered .357 cal revolverfive-seven - (n) .357 calfo fo – (n) .44 calforty – (n) .40 calfour / four zero / four point zero - (n) .40 calfour fifth - (n) .45 calfour five - (n) .45 calfour fizzle / forty five - (n) .45 cal



four four / double four - (n) .44 calfour O - (n) .40 cal

MAKE / MODEL / CALIBRE continued…

fours - (n) .40 calg-lock – (n) glockheather / hector – (n) brand name heckler & koch firearmlock – (n) glock luger – (n) brand name luger firearmmac – (n) MAC 10nina – (n) .9 mm nine - (n) .9 mmnine o’clock - (n) .9 mmnino / neeno - (n) .9 mmnizine - (n) .9 mmnizzle - (n) .9 mmnizzy / nizi - (n) .9 mmnumber five - (n) .45 calplastic – (n) glock pistolplastic hammers - (n) glock remington – (n) brand name remington firearmruger – (n) firearm specifically of the makeseven - (n) .357 calsixteen – (n) m16smith & wesson – (n) brand name smith & wesson firearmsniper thing – (n) sniper riflestate – (n) .45 cal (as in state trooper)tech / tek – (n) tech 9ten – (n) mac-10 firearmthree finger deuce / three deuce / three two – (n) .32 calthree odd odd - (n) .357 calthree zero – (n) .30 calthree-eight – (n) .38 caltrey-deuce – (n) .32 caltwelve / twelve gauge – (n) 12 gauge shotguntwenty-five cents – (n) .25 caltwins / two deuce / deucy - (n) .22 caltwo two - (n) .22 cal



ultra – (n) brand name ultra firearmwalter – (n) brand name walther firearm

AMMUNITIONGENERAL TERMS

boxes – (n) box of ammunitioncharger – (n) ammunition or a clipclizzy / clizzip – (n) clip or magazine for a firearmcopper heads – (n) copper tipped bulletscopper tip – (n) ammunitioneight boxes of food – (n) ammunition ordered in boxes (one box = 50 rounds)food / food for ting – (n) bullets / ammunitiongrains – (n) bullets / ammunition hollow / hallow point / hawks – (n) black Talon hollow point ammunitionholls for nizzy – (n) hollow point .9 mm ammunitionklizzy – (n) cliplaces – (n) bulletsninos – (n) .9 mm ammunitionnizi hollows – (n) .9 mm hollow point ammunitionnizzy - (n) .9 mm ammunitionpebbles – (n) ammunition rice – (n) ammunition shoelace - (n) bullets / ammunition silver heads – (n) lead tipped bulletssleeve – (n) magazine clipteeth – (n) bullets / ammunition those things – (n) ammunitionthree-eight hollows – (n) .38 cal hollow point ammunitionthree-eights – (n) .38 cal ammunition



ILLICIT DRUG TERMINOLOGY

DRUG TERMS

‘dro – (n) hydroponic marihuana - chinesedrizzo – (n) hydroponic drugscess – (n) marihuanachron – (n) chronic – drugs chronic – (n) mixture of cocaine and hydroponic marihuanacorn – (n ) crack (kernels)E – (n) ecstacyfood – (n) typically used to describe crack cocaine/ drugs / marihuanagrades – (n) describing high grade marihuana, weed usually meaning better than “DRO”grains / greens – (n) marihuana hard – (n) crack cocainehigh grade – (n) good quality marihuana (high level of THC)ice cream – (n) cocainesnow – (n) powder cocainesoft – (n) powder cocaine trees – (n) marihuana uncut – (n) uncut cocaineyard-cess – (n) natural grown higher quality

TERMS ASSOCIATED TO DRUG TRAFFICKING

ball – (n) 3.50 grams / 1/8 ozbird – (n) package cocaine (usually one bird = 1 kilogram of cocaine)brick – (n) kilogram of cocainecarrying weight – (v) trafficking a large amount of drugschicken / ½ chicken – (n) small quantitieschippin / chippin off – (v) selling crack cocainechoppin / chops – (v) selling crack cocaine cook / chef up – (v) process by which powder cocaine is cooked to form crack cocainecuban – (n) quarter pound of drugs



custie – (n) drug customerdeego – (n) $10 worth of drugs eat him food – (v) rob for his drugsfiend – (n) crack cocaine user

ASSOCIATED TO DRUG TRAFFICKING continued…

key / ki – (n) kilogram of cocainelb / elbow – (n) weightsnine pack – (n) quarter kilogram of cocaine onion – (n) ounceoz - (n) ounce P – (n) poundQP – (n) quarter pound / cubeweight – (n) large quantity / pounds (weed)

* These terms must be analysed in the context of the conversation to truly define the use of the word or phrase relating to criminal activity.


gang slang

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