Graffiti Analysis

Start upper left hand corner:

1. Crips - gang to which he belongs.

2. A*A - for a.k.a. - "also known as".

3. Shorty - his street name; young gang kids are often called 'shorties.'

4. At the end of SHORTY, the Y is altered to a C - for Crips.

5. C is the first of three letters -the second is a gang sign (forks up) that here stand for a U; the third letter in that series is a Z - they spell CUZ - and CUZ is repeated near the middle of the folder, under JOSE.

6. JOSE is his given name.

7. Cuz or Cuzz is an affectionate term used among Crips; is derived from a nickname given to an early gang member who evidently was crippled and used a cane.

8. The two forks that form the U in both the small and large CUZ are gang signs, and stand for 'Forks Up.'

9. In the upper right part of the cover is the word Folks - A nationwide gang with which Crips often affiliate.

10. The three round balls above the Fork are often used by Hispanic gangs to represent 'trece' or the number 13, which is a gang symbol used by "Sur" (Sureno - South) and other affiliated Hispanic gangs out of California, Texas, and other southwestern states.

11. In JOSE, the letter O has been X-ed out as a deliberate Crip and Folk 'dissing' insult to Bloods.

12. ATX stands for Austin, Texas.