Man Behind Cult Flick The Warriors Passes

RIP Sol Yurick, the man who gave us the classic book The Warriors died in his Brooklyn home over the weekend from complications to lung cancer..He was 87. For those who are unfamiliar the book is a cult classic was written in 1965. The movie of the same name and adopted by Walter Hill came out in 1979.

Warriors was based upon a book Anabasis by Xenophon who a Greek solider. It tells the tale of the Greek Army stranded deep in enemy territory, where they are set and ultimately have to escape..However, many in Hip Hop upon seeing the movie drew parallels to the movie and the early influences of gangs on the then emerging Hip Hop scene. For example, the Gang Summit shown in the opening scene, was thought to be loosely based upon he historic Gang truce of 1971 (the Hoe Avenue Peace meeting) put together by the Ghetto Brothers. This was highlighted in the book Can’t Stop Won’t Stop by Jeff Chang. The large mostly Black gang depicted in book and movie the Gramcy Riffs which everyone bowed down to was thought to be the Black Spades.

The WarriorsYurick was familiar with NY street gangs because he had done intense research and wanted his book to shed light on the tribulations those who were poverty-stricken were going through. The movie which it was said he didn’t like sensationalized the gang aspect and made it cartoonish with all the crazy costumes folks were wearing.. Nevertheless, the movie struck a chord and was embraced by Hip Hop to this day.  Excerpts from the movie are frequently sampled or referenced by everyone from Lakim Shabazz to NWA to the MOP. A video game emerged from it and many feel intended or not Warriors is a Hip Hop’s unofficial first flick..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTUrWYv2vtU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL0ipXUD-uU

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Comments

  1. Reblogged this on Dogma and Geopolitics.

  2. Great fff’in flick. I’ve seen it many times. My only complaint was that Cyrus got shot at the very beginning.

  3. Yo DJ,..freestylaaa,…joy,…as I have watched a lovely NYC author the literacy cine of good comoon talks…precious – the young aborigenee – lets have some antifascist action..http//:stilldangerous.blogsport.de

    Now after not having a fortnight in 15 years,..the so called white Kraut mentioned the debate of POP:
    https://metalust.wordpress.com/2013/01/09/die-saxophon-dialoge-folge-1/ …is that a ‘No tears for Krauts’-Anifascist Action? spread it in color!

  4. One of the all time greats…RIP

  5. The Spades was a Bronx gang that kind of morphed into like the Zulus later.
    You also had the Latin Kings which was mostly like puerto rican and they were in different parts of mid town and around.
    In Brooklyn, there was a violent group called the Rampers who were into major car rink rackets. They were used kind of like a bench for the mob. In other words recruit out of their depending on your earning power ect.ect.
    Lots of these gangs charters however was way differnet then nowadays; where they would also serve and respect their local communities.and had a diffenent side that maybe only their close community saw..

  6. history right here, green

  7. Man.. why u had to spoil the beginning.. now we gotta step outside (RED)

  8. can’t help but say this . . . warriorssss come out and playyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy cobalt.

  9. The deficit capital_Ism on slavery in BraZillahs white aesthetics is a course against Rat by my pain…okay Davey and Ladyz!

    Salaam!

  10. RIP (black)

  11. Still did not have time to look into this film.. Soon … (RED)

  12. wow.. sad to hear that he died.. but great facts about him.. I need to check out that book! -seeme

  13. sad to hear – yellow