Hanging Out With 'Baby Gangster' The Reformed 80s LA Drug Kingpin Fredrick James Staves
With a soundtrack by A$AP Rocky, this great documentary by Luke Monaghan looks at Los Angeles drug lord Fredrick James Staves and his passion—which he spent all his drug money on—lowriding.
Known as Baby Gangster, this customized car expert owned some legendary vehicles while running cocaine imports and exports in Compton.
He's now a reformed gangster and this film about his life and obsessions, that opens with a swelling score from A$AP Rocky, is a gripping eight minutes that leaves you hankering for more.
Background
Fredrick James Staves also known the streets as “Baby Gangster” or “Gangsta,” he is one of the original member of the Santana Blocc Compton Crips (2nd generation). Fredrick started gang-bangin in the 1970s. Oak Park Boys and Mid-Town Crips, emerged as one to form the Santana Blocc Crips. He idolize Kenneth “Turtle” Johnson, who became the leader of the Santana Blocc Compton Crips. Fredrick was nic named (Baby Gangster) by OG Turtle, who was gunned down in 1989.
In 1985, Fredrick Staves was arrested and charged with first degree murder, later reduced to Voluntary Manslaughter. Baby Gangster did seven and a half years, out of a thirteen years prison sentence. However, Fredrick claim he is an innocence man and refuses to tell (snitch) on his fellow comrades. Which, resulted in him doing seven years prison.
CC Riders
The term CC Riders was founded by Fredrick “Baby Gangster” Staves, along with fellow comrade Big Marcellus, together they formed CC Riders, in the Los Angeles, County Jail in 1986. Which, consisted of an alliance between all Crip gangs, who falls under the Compton Crips brand. The CC Riders brand expanded to the streets, and All crip gangs in Compton, represented Compton Crips feuded with Blood gangs that originated from Piru Street, under the Piru umbrella.
However, Comptn Crips started feuding with each other when crack cocaine hit the streets of Compton. By the late 1980′s, gangs was bringing in thousands from drugs. This led to animosity amongst close allies, gangs started feuding for larger territory to expand their drug operation. As the tension grew, alliances suffered, as well as the CC Riders term.
DrugLord
by the late 1980s, Fredrick Staves was a full-blown Druglord. At one point, he was the presidents of the Majestics Car Club, which was a popular car club that appeared in several issues of Lowrider magazines. Fredrick Staves also owned a beeper store in the city of Compton, as well as several drug houses. His business ventures allowed him to enter act with high-ranking Mexican-Americans cocaine dealers, with ties to Drug Cartels throughout Mexico. This led to large quantities of cocaine purchases for distribution at wholesale prices.
On September 6, 2001, Fredrick Staves was apprehended on a 34-count indictment for a numerous drug-trafficking associated crimes. Their investigation consisted of surveillance stakeouts and wiretaps. The district court sentenced Fredrick James Staves to 240 months behind bars in a maximum penitentiary, followed by a ten-year term of closely monitored probation. Fredrick James Staves has since been released from prison.
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Director: Luke Monaghan
Producer: Nathaniel Greene
DP: Benjamin Kitchens
Editor: Paul O'Reilly @ Stitch
Colourist: Ricky Gausis @ MPC
Sound Design: Ari Balouzian
1st AC: Jake Bianco
Sound Recordist: Rob Reider
Production Co-Ordinator: Chris Greene
Titles: Ruff Mercy
Music: A$AP Rocky, Tev'n
Exec Producers: Mal Ward, Marc Marrie
Production Company: Arts & Sciences