NOISEY Bompton: Violence Touches All Of Us (Part 4) [Video]

“I know a lot of people are saying that it’s getting better, but I’m the one that’s doing the funerals.”

Religion plays an important role alongside stories of Compton gang life in the music of Kendrick Lamar. In the fourth of six segments of Noisey Bompton, we pay a visit to the Greater Zion Family Church and talk to Pastor Michael Fisher about what he thinks the role of gangster rap is in the community and whether crime in Compton is actually receding. Then, we head to Campanella Park, the heart of Piru gang territory, to talk to Kendrick’s friend G. Weed about his experiences growing up Piru and becoming involved in the ongoing back-and-forth with the neighboring Crips. “Can’t nobody make this place safe,” he tells us.

Noisey Bompton is a new documentary made by the people who brought you Noisey Atlanta and Noisey Chiraq. It’s the first episode in an eight part series, NOISEY, on VICE’s upcoming TV channel VICELAND. Each episode focuses on a different city, its major stars, and the stories and issues that influence its music scene.