The Bloods are a street gang founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips. They are identified by the red worn by their members and by particular gang symbols, including distinctive hand signs. The Bloods are made up of various sub-groups known as "sets" between which significant differences exist such as colors, clothing, and operations, and political ideas which may be in open conflict with each other. Since their creation, the Blood gangs have branched out throughout the United States. Bloods have been documented in the US military, found in both US and overseas bases. The Bloods gang was formed initially to compete against the influence of the Crips in Los Angeles.
The origin of the Bloods and their rivalry with the Crips dates to the 1970s, where the Pirus street gang, originally a set, or faction, of the Crips broke off during an internal gang war, and allied with other smaller gangs to found the gang that would eventually become known as the Bloods. At the time, Crips sets outnumbered Bloods sets by three to one. To assert their power despite this difference in numbers, Bloods sets became increasingly violent, especially against rival Crips members. The Pirus are therefore considered to be the original founders of the Bloods. During the rise of crack cocaine, the gang's focus shifted to drug production. Bloods sets operate independently of each other, and are currently located in almost all States. Blood sets on the East Coast are often seen as affiliated with the United Blood Nation, a gang which originated in Rikers Island. Their gang activities include: Murder, Drug trafficking, Robbery, & Extortion. They are allies with the People Nation & Latin Kings. They're rivals are Crips, Folk Nation, Sureños.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ December 23, 2009
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During the Vietnam War the term "bloods" was used by both black and white American soldiers to denote black soldiers. It was not a derogative term, nor was it a derivative of the LA street gang and its subsets. White soldiers (occasionally called "rabbits") who were deemed worthy by black soldiers would share the term "blood" as synonymous with "brother." The term was most often found among American infantry units, where the infantrymen were called "grunts."
by Buffalo Jack September 22, 2011
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A group of stupid, ignorant street criminals that ties red rags around their ass holes.

Bloods spend their days hanging out on street corners making idiotic signs with their hands. They take what is not theirs and delight in hurting other people.
Best thing to do with those Bloods is shoot 'em all in the street. Save the taxpayers the cost of a trial and the cost of a Sheeny Shyster defense attorney.
by The Wog Whomper May 11, 2005
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Plural form of word Blood. Blood a gang name which is an acronym for "Be loyal or otherwise die" The Gang started In Los Angeles around Compdon to help the neighborhoods. Bloods are also the sworn enemies of the Crips.
The Bloods and Crips are having a gang fight again!
by Ben Hickey June 25, 2005
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A gang that formed in the late 70's out of many sets that were bullied by the crips. The sets met on Piru Street and formed the Blood alliance. Although the Bloods are outnumbered 5 to 1 in LA County, Blood sets are always more violent, especially when present in numbers. Blood members have developed a strong love and fascination for Assault weapons.
by Jeffwacker August 6, 2005
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A blood is a member of a gang of the gang itself. Ceely is a blood and bariel is a Crip. they r in love.
Ceely: I’m in love with you and i’m a Blood

Bariel: Fukc i’m a crip bruh how will we be together. I’m supposed to hate bloods.

Mordifly: knees
by meloelo November 12, 2018
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The Bloods (Black Liberation Organization Of Defense) are one of the Los Angeles, California street gangs. The Bloods are identified by the red color worn by their members. The gang is largely composed of African Americans, although the Bloods are more racially mixed than the Crips, their rivals. The Bloods are made up out of various cliques known as "sets" or "trays" between which significant differences exist such as colors, clothing and operations. Since their formation the Blood gangs have branched out throughout the United States.

The History

The Bloods were formed in response to the growth of the Crips, which at one point had outnumbered non-Crip gangs by 3 to 1.When several members of the LA Brims, Black P. Stones, and the Pirus were killed by Crips in 1973, the embattled gangs met to form an alliance called the Bloods, joining an existing gang nation called "The People." Knowing that the Crips used the color blue to identify each other, this group decided to use an opposing color, red, to identify each other. Today, groups located in the territories once held by these older gangs will use Piru or Stones in the name of their set.

During the 1990s, there were reports of Bloods gang members in New York City. The UBN, United Blood Nation, was founded by O.G. Mack, who had been sent to Rikers Island, New York City's largest jail facility. While in New York, these groups became infamous for various slashings of non-gang members in an attempt to emulate the LA sets. Abdul Sev Kabah, member of Red Family-Black P. Stones, was responsible for educating many of these new gangs and stopping the random slashing.

Following several months of gang violence that killed 40 people, the Tookie Protocol For Peace was negotiated between the Bloods and the Crips in May of 2004. Former Crips member and founder, the late Stanley Tookie Williams helped negotiate the "perpetual peace treaty".
Bloods and hip-hop

Well Known Harlem Born Artist, Jim Jones is one of the world's more well known Blood gang members, repping what they have carried on call the Purple City Gang. A number of popular West Coast rappers claim to be affiliated with Bloods gangs or use speculation about their ties to gangs to generate media attention. Ex-G-Unit rapper The Game has said he was caught up in the gangs in his Cedar Block neighborhood, But the reality is, The Game's older half brother "Big Fase 100 was a real blood member, and The Game just used that as a background story. . Due to employing several known Bloods members, the media has speculated that Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight maintains an association with the gang . Rapper/producer DJ Quik, also a Compton native, has talked about growing up as a member of the Tree Top Piru Bloods. In 1995, Los Angeles producer Ron "Ronnie Ron" Phillips produced the self-titled debut album of the Damu Ridaz, a rap group consisting of gang members from the Denver Lane Bloods
by R3AL MuThApHuKiN E April 19, 2006
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