Bloods, particularly sets like the Piru gangs that originated in Compton, often refer to it by its nicknames, such as the "Hub City" (due to its central location) or by names tied to specific parks or streets like "Lueders Park" or "Bompton" (a variation of Compton used by some Piru sets). They identify with the city as their birthplace and a key location for the formation of their alliance against the Crips.
Known as the Hub City because of its location in nearly the exact geographical center of Los Angeles County, the City of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and the eighth to incorporate.
Who is bigger, Bloods or Crips? Historically, the Crips are the larger gang. The Bloods formed in part as a means to protect themselves against the Crips due to their domineering presence.
A 1991 social sciences text on organized crime notes that members of the Bloods often replaced the letter C in words with a B—turning cigarettes into bigarettes or, here, Compton into Bompton—to avoid association with the Crips gang.
Compton (South L.A. County)
Crime Patterns: In 2022, Compton's murder rate was 22.5 per 100,000—more than triple the national average. Overall violent crime remains sky-high, with recent stats showing Compton's violent crime rate around 620 per 100,000 (compared to ~220 per 100k U.S. average).
Mayor Emma Sharif has served as the Mayor of the City of Compton since July 2021.
Ranked: Top 30 U.S. Cities by Homicide Rate
With Apple Inc.'s recent purchase of Beats for $3 billion, Dre (real name: Andre Young) is now being hailed around town as Compton's first billionaire and an even more powerful role model in a community where opportunities for young people often seem few and far between.
Throughout the twentieth century, Compton was a middle-class suburb with relatively inexpensive housing. Prior to World War II, Compton was 95 percent white. The city adopted racially restrictive covenants in 1921 to bar African Americans and other people of color from the municipality.
Rivalry with the Bloods
The Bloods are the Crips' main rival. The Bloods initially formed to provide Piru Street Gang members protection from the Crips. The rivalry started in the 1960s when Washington and other Crip members attacked Sylvester Scott and Benson Owens, two students at Centennial High School.
The gangs themselves are distinguished according to their aims and activities: the 28s are regarded as the senior gang, and are distinguished primarily by their organized system of "wyfies" or coerced homosexual partners; the 26s are associated with cunning, obtaining money and other goods by means of fraud and theft; ...
They were in existence from at least 1873 to the 1950s with some indications that they may have existed since the late 18th century. There are mentions of young women and girls connected with or acting as accomplices to a male gang named "The Forty Thieves" as early as 1828.
Dr. Dre – rapper, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, founder of Aftermath Entertainment and member of N.W.A. The Game – rapper, actor.
Compton is a city located in the Gateway Cities region of southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated south of downtown Los Angeles. Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county, and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city in Los Angeles County to incorporate.
The county with the highest percentage of White residents was Nevada County (93.4 percent). The ten counties with the highest proportion of White residents were all relatively small. They had an average population of 60,460, and none had a population of over 200,000.
The city is known for its vibrant African American community, which has played a significant role in shaping its cultural landscape. Compton has been the birthplace of numerous influential musicians, including Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, and The Game, who have put the city on the global map of hip-hop and rap music.
In the year of 2023, Compton, CA had a population of 93.5k people with a median age of 33.9 and a median household income of $74,270. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Compton, CA declined from 94,822 to 93,525, a −1.37% decrease and its median household income grew from $69,728 to $74,270, a 6.51% increase.
Dre. Let's get this out of the way: Dr. Dre is obviously most known for his production than for his rhymes. Nonetheless, he is arguably Compton's architect-in-chief, born in the city and shaped by its clubs, house parties, and lowrider culture.
Others face chronically low wages. According to the 2020 census, the median annual household income for Compton is $52,883, which is less than the national median annual income of $67,521. As for those looking for housing assistance, resources are tapped out and waiting lists are closed.
Q: Is Compton Safe to Visit? A: Compton is becoming a destination and a safe place for visitors. While gang violence is still a citywide issue, many individuals from Compton have taken it upon themselves to provide for their city in a number of innovative and supportive ways.
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth was born on June 17, 1987, in Compton, California.
World's most dangerous cities, by crime rate 2025
In 2025, Pietermaritzburg in South Africa ranked as the world's most dangerous city with a crime rate of 82 per 100,000 inhabitants. Five of the 10 cities with the highest crime rates worldwide are found in South Africa.