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Sanyika Shakur | |
|---|---|
 2007 mugshot | |
| Born | Kody Dejohn Scott November 13, 1963 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | June 6, 2021 (aged 57) Oceanside, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Monster, Monster Kody, Monster Kody Scott |
| Occupation(s) | Author, speaker |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Ernest Scott, Birdie Scott |
| Conviction(s) | Armed robbery, assault, illegal possession of a weapon, parole violation, attempted murder, grand-theft auto |
| Criminal penalty | Imprisonment of six years |
Sanyika Shakur (born Kody Dejohn Scott; November 13, 1963 – June 6, 2021),[1][2] also known by his former street moniker Monster or Monster Kody, was an American author and former gangster. He was a member of the Los Angeles-based Eight Tray Gangster Crips. He got his nickname as a 13-year-old gang member when he beat and stomped a robbery victim until he was disfigured.[3][4] Shakur claimed to have reformed in prison, joined the Republic of New Afrika movement, and wrote a 1993 memoir called Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member.
Monster describes how Shakur was drawn into gang life, his experiences as a gangster both on the street and in prisons, and eventually his transformation into a Black nationalist.
Shakur spent 36 months at San Quentin State Prison and five years at Pelican Bay State Prison, most of which was spent in solitary confinement, where he converted to Islam.[5]
In March 2007, Shakur, already sought by police for parole violations and named on the city's most-wanted gang members list, was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department for allegedly breaking into the home of an acquaintance and beating him in order to steal his car. The charges represented a possible third strike that could have sent Shakur back to prison for life.[3] In May 2008, Shakur pleaded no contest to carjacking and robbery charges, and was sentenced to six years in state prison.[6] Also in 2008, Shakur made his fiction debut with the publication of T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E. (Grove Atlantic Books). He was released from Pelican Bay after serving two-thirds of his 6-year sentence in August 2012.
- ^ Shakur, Sanyika (December 1, 2007). Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member. Grove/Atlantic, Inc. ISBN 9780802198235. Retrieved June 18, 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ ”SANYIKA SHAKUR, FORMER GANG MEMBER TURNED MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER, PASSED AWAY AT 57”, Black Enterprise, Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ a b "Gang Member Turned Author Arrested in L.A." NPR.org. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
- ^ ”Throwing the book at' “Monster’”, Los Angeles Times
- ^ "Transcript of Sanyika's taped message". Retrieved June 18, 2018.
- ^ "Monster Author Pleads No Contest, Sentenced to Six Years Prison". Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2010.