What up gang.
Back with the real you know what’s the deal. The city loves you until they hate you. When you down bad everyone pretends to cheer for your come up, but soon as you level up higher than them, they wish death on your life. Boosie said it best https://youtu.be/ah3WKr_5150 (3:24-3:51) The late Jimmy Wopo knew this all too well, but after two attempts on his life by the opps, the third time was the cursed charm.
Insider Hotspot Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRomM7ZedDRRo8bPBG8XuFA/videos
Once he was gone, the cops swooped in like vultures and tied up loose ends. Today, we’re going to take a look at the troubled life of the alleged notorious Pittsburg gang leader and the indictment that took down his organization.
The streets of Pittsburgh is known for mega superstars like Wiz Khalifa
and the late Mac Miller
Both of which showed love to Jimmy Wopo https://youtu.be/ref552ldGa8 (2:42-2:52) but Pittsburg has a darker side that has been plagued with violence and bloodshed. The Hills aka Chauncey Dr., home of Jimmy Wopo, is one of the hot spots in the city of Pittsburg that have been known to influence negativity https://youtu.be/_zCsfRHrVn8 (0:14-0:39) https://youtu.be/A5haxfBGx98 (2:47-2:57)
Before the world knew the up and coming rap star that became Jimmy Wopo, he was a young boy named Travon DaShawn Frank Smart trying to make it through his fatherless upbringing beside his three brothers and younger sister https://youtu.be/_zCsfRHrVn8 (2:53-2:58) They had to endure struggles, but his moms tried her best to make sure they were comfortable https://youtu.be/_zCsfRHrVn8 (3:03-3:11) These circumstances pushed Wopo down the end of Pittsburg that would ultimately bring blessings but curses with it. With the choices laid out before him, he made the decision to follow the streets https://youtu.be/_zCsfRHrVn8 (1:59-2:10) https://youtu.be/huHj11YO_uc (2:48-3:09) You know what they say, the villain is more entertaining than the hero. That decision controlled his fate. Being legally employed was already wiped off his list because his street beefs placed him at risk, beefs that would later be brought to light by undercover investigations by the cops. In an interview with Say Cheese Wopo stated his hatred for working due to schedules that can be used by the opps to pinpoint his location and routine https://youtu.be/Jj7WYWzQBy8 (0:40-0:54)
Jimmy Wopo started off small, stealing, lying, tricking people out their money, but all that changed once he got in the game https://youtu.be/_zCsfRHrVn8 (3:52-4:16) While his life was being wrapped up in the streets, he was always passionate about rapping https://youtu.be/bBGfMYDaqAk (6:28-7:08) Jimmy Wopo would rap for old heads for $1 with his homie https://youtu.be/bBGfMYDaqAk (5:30-5:42) https://youtu.be/_zCsfRHrVn8 (4:22-4:30) Even if his moms was against his lifestyle, she always supported his love for music. When Wopo was 8 years old, his moms called in the radio station to let him spit, it was one of the first big musical experiences of his life https://youtu.be/A5haxfBGx98 (1:40-1:52) https://youtu.be/7mrvnEba48g (4:23-4:53)
But the influence of the streets pulled him to be young and reckless with the homies. It only got worse when he experienced death firsthand. One of his day ones would be murked in the streets. Instead of the trauma causing fear and panic, it pushed Wopo to be a ruthless, not caring about anything but the come up https://youtu.be/Jj7WYWzQBy8 (1:29-1:40) In his eyes, it was like his boy died so that he could have the chance to make it out https://youtu.be/Jj7WYWzQBy8 (1:41-2:04) That mentality nearly cost him big time. In just the 9th grade, Wopo was so deep into hood politics and beef that he was the target of an assassination. He would be shot 3 times after a fight broke out and shots were fired into the crowd https://youtu.be/_zCsfRHrVn8 (5:00-5:05) and after that school was the end of his vision https://youtu.be/_zCsfRHrVn8 (4:34-4:43) Wopo turned into a menace that was fueled up for revenge https://youtu.be/_zCsfRHrVn8 (5:22-5:37) It wouldn’t be till later on when news reports broke that the demons from Jimmy Wopo would be exposed.
Before that came, the most fans knew, was that his life was being targeted in the streets and on wax, a rapper by the name of Stunna2Fly came at his neck in 2015 with the diss track “Fuck Ya Gang 2 (Jimmy Wopo Diss)” https://youtu.be/dOvJ9PDwL6s
Wopo, being the dude he is wasn’t going to back down and returned fire with the diss track “Walkn Bomb” https://youtu.be/nCm2YkEkjKk While this was going on, Jimmy Wopo was nearly taken out by a second attempt on his life. He was laid up in the hospital fighting to survive https://youtu.be/ref552ldGa8 (4:21-4:23) This time his opps came close to taking him out, leaving him with holes in his stomach, leg and arm https://youtu.be/ref552ldGa8 (3:55-4:20) He was only 18, still a youngin and already shot 6 times https://youtu.be/_zCsfRHrVn8 (5:08-5:17) Unlike his first brush with death, Wopo realized that somewhere along the line, he lost sight of the goal. The streets was consuming his entire life https://youtu.be/Jj7WYWzQBy8 (2:14-2:35) Now with a daughter depending on him, his second near death experiences opened his eyes to what his life has become https://youtu.be/ref552ldGa8 (4:14-4:18) His moms wisdom replayed in his head https://youtu.be/bBGfMYDaqAk (0:36-0:55), at the same time “Walkn Bomb” was running up numbers https://youtu.be/_zCsfRHrVn8 (5:38-5:57), that was enough to push the rapper in the direction of focusing on music and stepping away from the streets. He would make a positive step, squashing his beef with Stunna2Fly and featuring on a track together titled “Bout Bread” https://youtu.be/PlsvaLM-50c
The streets however, was too much a temptation for Jimmy Wopo. On October 2015 he was sentenced to 3 years’ probation on felony drug conspiracy charges.
He would be sent back to prison in 2017 after violating his probation for traveling out of state, particularly to New York to meet with record labels, also failing to meet with his probation officer and having unpaid court fines https://youtu.be/rCNkhQKw2lI (0:55-1:04)
The rapper was hot and not even jail could stop him. While detained, Wopo continued to release heat for the streets, following up on past viral bangers like “Elm Street” https://youtu.be/rCNkhQKw2lI (0:00-0:08) https://youtu.be/B-agUlNitPE
Jimmy Wopo was doing it, moving in the direction of the music even with the run ins with the law. That was until June 18th 2018 when news broke that the rapper was targeted and shot up while in a car with his homie. Wopo would be rushed to the hospital where he passed away https://youtu.be/wJxcokKoIDQ https://youtu.be/HmX1lCkU3FU
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/19/entertainment/jimmy-wopo-dead/index.html
An eye witness detailed seeing a car following Wopo’s white Mazda before pulling up alongside them, opening fire then skrting off https://youtu.be/lD2rQSbTUmQ (2:00-2:24) Even after Wopo was laid to rest https://youtu.be/eToirB0Ix4A his name wasn’t forgotten by law enforcement, who without the knowledge of the public was already hot on putting together a case on Wopo, and it involved some damning accusations and evidence. In August 2018, a string of news reports broke through the media on a RICO charge that took down a gang that has been terrorizing the city of Pittsburg. The gang was called “11 Hunnit,” one of the leaders, the late Jimmy Wopo https://youtu.be/JDGl9u8Gjrc Authorities state that the name originates from a combination of two blocks in the Hill where the members live – the 800 block of Memory Lane and the 300 block of Burrows Street. The numbers 800 and 300 were combined to come up with 11 Hunnit
The members that got hemmed up were Dionte Griffin, Sydney Pack, and Richard Kelly.
Reports state that 11 Hunnit has been responsible for shootings, robberies, trafficking of heroin and prescription pills, and homicides, including murking members of a rival gang called the “Wavy Boyz” https://youtu.be/JDGl9u8Gjrc (1:28-1:34) And get this, they’re claiming that the one instructing members to do these deeds was none other than Jimmy Wopo. Throughout the entire report released, they refer to him, a main leader, as T.S. which abbreviates his government name Travon Smart.
They painted Wopo like he was the mob boss of the Pittsburg crime syndicate, stating that members would commit criminal deeds as a way to get in his good graces and receive monetary rewards or given a spot in his music video https://youtu.be/l-RUQOY34pc (1:11-1:28)
This came with a price to those who fell short of Wopo’s expectations according to law enforcement. If a gang member failed to impress, Wopo would instruct others to punish them along with his rivals. https://youtu.be/JDGl9u8Gjrc (1:00-1:14) Damn. Reports had Wopo sounding like a medieval times ruler
The more the report extends, the more the reasons for Wopo being murked started to connect. The man was a demon in the streets to his opps. Authorities state the beef between 11 Hunnit and the Wavy Boyz was sparked due to a 2012 feud over stolen Heroin, but intensified with the hit of Wavy Boyz member, “Lumber.”
What followed was a blood trail that led right up to Wopo’s murder. Reports used abbreviations to detail the members lost to the beef. April 2015, Pack and another gang member identified as “T.D.” killed a Wavy Boyz member “C.R.” whose real name was Christopher Richardson and wounded two others https://youtu.be/l-RUQOY34pc (1:30-1:50)
December 2015, Wopo ordered the gang to kill Wavy Boyz associate “M.B.B.” January 2016, the deed was done. October 2016, Pack and Griffin took out Wavy Boyz member “J.H.” and injured a 7-year-old in a vehicle passing by. November 2016, 11 Hunnit member “J.P.” was shot twice in the head by Pack in the presence of Wopo. This coincides with their reports of Wopo putting out hits on rivals as well as punishment on his own members.
But what can he say? He’s already gone and cannot defend himself. Granted though that Wopo was not listed as charged under the indictment but used to tie together the RICO. According to law enforcement reports of this case, Wopo was way more connected than he showed in the public. They compiled their case on crimes between the beef along with evidence from social media and music videos showcasing violence and guns. One example of a song they paid attention to was “What u know” featuring 018 Lane https://youtu.be/lXkz-6WtTiE
According to officers, Wopo’s power and reach was so feared they had to wait until after his death to interview witnesses due to witnesses fearing for their lives https://youtu.be/DtmvmJNsNeg (1:07-1:27)
Griffin, Pack, and Kelly all pled guilty to the charges laid before them. Griffin was sentenced to 117 months, a better deal than the 25 years the judge originally wanted to give but had a bit of a conscience that 117 months was enough time to reform him. Kelly was sentenced to 78 months. While Pack’s sentencing date was rescheduled to October.
https://allhiphop.com/news/jimmy-wopo-gang-sentenced-to-prison/
Wopo was on his way up right when he was taken out https://youtu.be/wJxcokKoIDQ (1:40-1:47). He told the story of the other side of Pittsburg through his music and uplifted many in his community and inspired the youth with a way out through music https://youtu.be/HmX1lCkU3FU (1:20-1:31) https://youtu.be/wJxcokKoIDQ (1:04-1:13) He wasn’t perfect, but he tried. RIP Jimmy Wopo https://youtu.be/A5haxfBGx98 (4:45-5:01)
Insider Hotspot Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRomM7ZedDRRo8bPBG8XuFA/videos
Chad is a professional journalist specializing in Hip-Hop culture and writing music reviews.
