“This ain’t what you sign up for?”

By Darren Harris

Young Blood, I know Little Wayne, Baby from Cash Money and dudes like them makes being a Blood seem like it’s the thing to do… You see them flamed up! (Dressed in all red) talking about “It ain’t tricking if you got it!” as if being a Blood is synonymous with fashion and fame. Young Blood, you’re unaware that behind the scene’s dude’s like these are buying status and rank. Like Gang Affiliation is a Fortune 500 company where you can buy a large amount of stock and over night be acknowledged as a CEO i.e. A 5 star General, I-20, O.G or Big Homie.
Now days being a Blood has become somewhat of a trending topic, dudes are writing songs and books about it, when in fact they haven’t bust a grape in a fruit fight and are nothing like the persona’s they portray. Look at Suge Knight, Blood was once viewed as the most infamous and influential blood in the music industry. He once called shots, had homie’s pressing lines for him, die for him and even went to prison for him. Base on their love and loyalty to Blood! But now that he’s facing a life sentence and his future is up under the gun. Blood is falling out in court, claiming he’s legally blind in one eye and he’s to physically ill to be incarcerated. (For real!!!) Yeah… I know “That ain’t what Blood signed up for.”
What he signed up for; was the ability to manipulate, use and take advantage of the homies courage, love and loyalty. Instead of teaching them about college and how it helped him start one of the most successful rap labels on the west coast of all times. It hurts me deeply, seeing so many young homies signing up for something they really aren’t prepared for and homies are allowing them to do so knowing they are blind to it’s reality. I can’t and wont say the same for myself, my Big Homies prepared me for what I would be facing, they never used me nor did they lead me to believe this life was paved with Wishing Well and Champagne dreams. I’ve been gang banging majority of my life, coming from Tulsa Oklahoma, entering the federal Bureau of Prison in the early 90’s was far from easy. Gang members we’re the minority and in most instants the most hated. So Bloods and Crips who were once enemies had to stick together, it was be the victim, go hard or go home in a pine box.
Currently gang affiliation is at a all time high, but once they find themselves facing the prison gates. Suddenly they’re looking for a ‘Get-out-of-Jail-Free’ card or they’re pulling a Suge Knight falling out claiming mental illness and all types of other ailments. Homie don’t get it twisted… I would rather you ‘not’ sign up for the gang life and all that really comes with it. Young One’s you need to understand that being Blood or any set below or above isn’t about Ballin- “Blood that ain’t what you’re signed up for! If you think banging is about the women and the fame-“Blood that ain’t what you’re signed up for!” If you think the hood and the homies are going to be all about you-“Blood that ain’t what you’re signed up for!”
What you’re signed up for is a life where nothing positive is promised, what you signed up for is possessing a mindset were you don’t care whether you live or you die and if you’ve got to spend the rest of your life wearing shackle shoe’s…so be it homie! That’s why I’ve changed my life, I’ve realized I shouldn’t of sign up for this. 25 years of my life has been a constant roller coaster ride from one institution to another I’ve traveled more behind these walls than I did when I was out. I’m committed now to being a mentor to the youth building programs that are geared toward prevention, as a MENSTOP mentor I now know that I am the solution to the problem and I feel blessed to be able to show my positive worth by way of Convict Soap Box.

-Baby D

DARREN HARRIS
Age: 44
Offense: Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
State of Origin: Tulsa Oklahoma
current time of incarceration: 25 years and 6 months
Estimated release date: November of 2015
Place of confinement: Federal Prison Lee county, Va.
Affiliation: Blood