(SHEE-ites) A minority sect of Islam that believes that rule of the Caliph (Islamic leader on Earth, much like the Pope, who is voted in) should stay within Muhammad’s family line.
There is a split between Shi’ites and Sunnis due to political/religious disagreements over Islamic leadership, or the Caliph.
Delinquent Habits (a.k.a. Los Delinquentes) is a Chicano hip hop group. Formed in Los Angeles in 1991, they are known for their Latin-tinged rap, which is both melodic and hardcore. Their first album was executive produced by Cypress Hill member Sen Dog and featured guest appearances by Sen himself as well as Puerto Rican New York City rapper Hurricane G. Their second album, Here Come The Horns, again featured Sen Dog as well as Sen's brother, pioneering Latin rapper Mellow Man Ace. The melodic "Merry Go Round" featured the female singer Michelle. The group chose to focus more on hardcore rap on their fourth offering, "Freedom Band".
Delinquent Habits originally consisted of two MCs, Ives and Kemo, and O.G. Style as the DJ. Thus the group was often called "Los Tres Delinquentes" (In English: "The Three Delinquents"). In 1996, the group garnered international success with their first single "Tres Delinquentes" selling over one million copies.
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An expression that states that people may behave or act a certain way as a result of the environment they live in. So for example if someone lives in a poverty stricken area and cannot get a job, they may become a thief. If someone grows up in an environment such as Communist China, that person may become a Communist himself.
“You hear it in the strength of my voice and in my rhythm, Now you know, how I was livin, It happened to me, like it happened to Serch, Prime Minister Pete Nice`ll kick the verse, in Bed-Stuy with my boy, Kiwai Height, The K to A Kingston, Wednesday night, To the Empire, show slammin, Open for Dana, crew flammin, Mouth open wide, or listening, Dumb dope with a forty in my system, Unprotected but respected for my own self, Cause of talent, no shade, or nothin else, A time of tension, racially fenced in, I came off (and all the brothers blessed him), I left more than a mark, I left a dent, Cause I'm a product of the environment.” – Pete Nice of 3rd Bass (Hip Hop Group)
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A wooden Japanese sword used for training, usually the size and shape of a katana, but sometimes shaped like other swords, such as the wakizashi and tanto. Bokken is a term synonymous with bokutō in Japan, but is more widely used in the west.
Traditionally, the character Ken is used at the beginning of a word, for terms having to do with the sword, for example in Kendō (way of the sword) and Kenjutsu (art of the sword). In contrast, tō is used primarily as a suffix, for example, in shōtō (short sword) and daitō (long sword). Thus, in Japan, the word bokuto (wood sword) is more commonly used.
Sun Tzu is traditionally believed to have authored The Art of War, an influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy considered to be a prime example of Taoist thinking. Sun has had a significant impact on Chinese and Asian history and culture, both as an author of The Art of War and through legend. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Sun's The Art of War grew in popularity and saw practical use in Western society, and his work has continued to influence both Asian and Western culture and politics.
"All war is based on deception." - Sun Tzu
Sureños (Spanish for "Southerners") are a group of Mexican American street gangs with origins in the oldest barrios of Southern California. There are hundreds of Sureño gangs in California, and each has its own identity on the streets. Although they are based in Southern California, their influence has spread to various parts of the U.S. and other countries as well. The term “sureños” describes gangs professing allegiance to a gang set in southern California. The term was first used in the 1970s as a result of a California prison war between the Mexican Mafia (La EME) and Nuestra Familia (NF). This war resulted in a territorial division between gang members from northern California (norteños = northerners) who aligned with NF, and those from southern California (sureños = southerners) aligned with La EME.
Sureños emblems and clothing are based on the color blue. A typical Sureño outfit might include, blue, silver, and white and their favorite sports team apparel that shows their affiliation. Sureños use the number 13 in tattoos and graffiti. It is sometimes written as "X3” or in Roman numerals as "XIII" (Sur13 or Sur XIII). Some Sureños will tattoo themselves with three dots. Sureños derogatorily refers to a Norteño as a "Buster" or "Chap" (Chapete).
The Mara Salvatrucha gang originated in Los Angeles and has spread to Central America, other parts of the United States, and Canada. It is commonly abbreviated as MS, Mara, and MS-13. There is some dispute about the etymology of the name. The most common belief is that the word "Mara" refers to the Spanish word for "gang", and "Salvatrucha" (which is Spanish slang) for "Salvadoran army ant". Alternatively, it is suggested that "Salvatrucha" refers to the Salvadoran peasant guerrillas, the source of much of the gang's early manpower. The number 13 is homage to the Los Angeles gang "Los Emes" or "The Ms"(M being the thirteenth letter of the alphabet). The gang was set up in Los Angeles in 1980's by Salvadoran immigrants in the city's Pico-Union neighborhood. The majority of the gang is ethnically composed of Salvadorans, Hondurans, Guatemalans, and Nicaraguans. Their activities have caught the eye of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who in September 2005 initiated wide-scale raids against suspected gang members, netting 660 arrests across United States. ICE efforts were at first directed towards MS-13, in its Operation Community Shield. In May 2005, ICE expanded Operation Community Shield to include all transnational organized crime groups and prison gangs. ICE's Operation Community Shield has since arrested 7,655 street gang members.
In the United States, the gang's strongholds have historically been in the American Southwest and West Coast states. Membership in the U.S was believed to be as many as about 50,000 as of 2005. MS-13 criminal activities include drug smuggling and sales, arms trafficking, auto theft, carjacking, home invasion, assault, aggravated assault, assault on law enforcement officials, drive-by shootings, contract killing and murder. Many Mara Salvatrucha members cover themselves in tattoos. Common markings include "MS," "Salvatrucha," the "Devil Horns," the name of their clique, and other symbols. A December 2007 CNN internet news article stated that the gang was moving away from the tattoos in an attempt to commit crimes without being noticed. Members of Mara Salvatrucha, like members of most modern American gangs, utilize a system of hand signs called "clicks" for purposes of identification and communication. One of the most commonly displayed is the "devil's head" (formed by extending the index and little fingers of the hand while tucking in the middle and ring fingers with the thumb), which forms an 'M' when displayed upside down. This hand sign is similar to the same symbol commonly seen displayed by heavy metal musicians and their fans. Founders of Mara Salvatrucha borrowed the hand sign after attending concerts of heavy metal bands.
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