In fact, Aurora has nearly 1,400 gang members across 36 gangs, according to a July 2023 report by the National Network for Safe Communities. In contrast, Los Angeles is considered the gang capital of America, with 450 active gangs with 36,000 members, by Department of Justice estimates. That's down from 1,300 gangs and 150,000 members in the '90s.
Connor came to Colorado with his then-girlfriend, who was trying to get out of Dorner Blocc, an L.A. gang; she had family in Denver and he found work in Aurora, a city where he soon felt at home. "Now I'm adopted by Aurora," he says. "I don't really have any connections with L.A. I don't go there anymore."
Today, Connor runs New West Management, a local music label with rappers from across Colorado, including Aurora, Denver and Pueblo. A musician himself, he used to perform as Young Fait but swapped that a few years ago for CallMeWhoElse. These days he spends most of his time getting bookings for his rappers and producing their music, but he's occasionally motivated to make his own.
He was inspired when former president Donald Trump said that Venezuelan gangs were "taking over the buildings in Aurora" — so inspired that he wrote the song "Boyz in Aurora," in an attempt to turn the discussion to "real issues in Aurora," like gun violence and police brutality.
"Don't mention our city, that's real weak," Connor tells Trump in the song released today, October 1. "These rappers live in a city that's safe, but some stay with they mom."
The song is his first rap about his new hometown. "I really haven't done any Aurora songs yet, just because you're stuck doing stuff as manager," he says. "I haven't been able to write songs lately." But when he saw reports on the Venezuelan gang rumors on the national news, he knew he had to write a song because "it just gave me that same familiar feeling like they did with saying Black people in L.A. were gangs," he says.
Coming from Los Angeles, Connor is a fan of N.W.A., the ’90s rap group from Compton. The name of his new song plays off "Boyz-N-The Hood," a song from a 1987 compilation album that talks about the gun violence and crime on an ordinary day in Compton.
At the time, L.A. was dealing with "a lot of violence, a lot of police activity, a lot of misinformation," Connor recalls, and the media was trying to make L.A. sound worse than it actually was by "saying every dude standing on any block was a gang member."
Now he's seeing the same thing happening in Aurora, he says, with the media "trying to paint Aurora as a war zone" when the police are part of the problem. "Aurora really pulls up and shoots, Police pulls up and shoots," he raps.
Lowdy Trails, a rapper from Aurora who is managed by New West, says that Connor's song is great for Colorado, because it tries to combat the bad press while still staying relevant to what's really happening in Aurora.
"I thought the song was hard as hell, bro, and matches exactly what's going on," says Trails. "The only time the news of the world pays attention to Colorado is when some major shit is happening: We shot up a movie theater, we shot up a high school, Venezuelans took over the apartments. Now you know Aurora."
But in reality, Aurora is much safer than Los Angeles. Connor never has an issue with the colors he wears, something he had to watch for in L.A. because of gang rivalries and turf wars.
"I don't think I've been asked where I'm from in Aurora, so I don't see the gang problem," he adds. "I can wear whatever hat I want. In L.A., you can't wear certain hats. It can be your favorite basketball or baseball team, and they'll be like, 'Nope, take it off.'"
He hopes that "Boyz in Aurora" offers a more reliable account of Aurora's problems than the media puts out, just as N.W.A.'s song showed the reality of life in Compton against the backdrop of negative media attention.
"I don't think I've been asked where I'm from in Aurora, so I don't see the gang problem," he adds. "I can wear whatever hat I want. In L.A., you can't wear certain hats. It can be your favorite basketball or baseball team, and they'll be like, 'Nope, take it off.'"
He hopes that "Boyz in Aurora" offers a more reliable account of Aurora's problems than the media puts out, just as N.W.A.'s song showed the reality of life in Compton against the backdrop of negative media attention.
"I just took something from the N.W.A. days. What N.W.A. did for L.A., maybe I can do for Aurora," Connor says. "The media use these scare tactics, but they don't come to Aurora. It's up to us as musicians to tell you the real truth. We see everything every day, we hear everything. I want people to listen more to us."
Connor filmed the video for the song at the Edge of Lowry, the apartment complex at 1218 Dallas Street that is one of three owned by out-of-state company CBZ Management. A video taken at that complex went viral last month; it showed six armed men walking through the halls, and has been used to back the claim that Venezuelan gangs had taken over the complexes.
While he was filming there in mid-September, Connor says he realized that Aurora's real problem is a landlord problem.
"It's a slumlord situation," he says. "They're saying it's gangs...but nope, it's slumlords. Those apartments are, like, totally abandoned by the owner, with trash. It's disgusting."
"Boyz in Aurora" is available now on YouTube, Spotify and iTunes and the CallMeWhoElse channels. Here's the rap:
Verse 1:
Baby I'm repping that dangerous A
We do not hesitate
Pull out a weapon and spray
Follow the leader my niggas will do what I say
These rappers live in a city that's safe
Some stay with they mom and suck on a titty today
They made a state anthem I'm digging their group
They from the CO that shit was so cute
Music videos the only thing these niggas really pull up and shoot
Hook:
Aurora really pulls up and shoots
Police pulls up and shoots
He pulls up and shoots
She pulls up and shoots
We pull up and shoot
Aurora really pulls up and shoots
Police pulls up and shoots
He pulls up and shoots
She pulls up and shoots
Pull up and shoot
Pull up and shoot
Pull up and shoot
Pull up and...
Verse 2:
They pass Havana stay away from Hampden
The ’Fax is active them junkies camping
He told yall bout the bright side
Not our side this shit gritty
Like Mississippi we're cruising Sable
Gots codes and labels
Them other cities sound like fairy tales
But it's hot out here this A, we the best cause we came from hell
Out here we smoking on brimstone
Eating on dim sum
I'm talking that chin li
When I'm outside everybody friendly
Online threats don't offend me
I be outside like 10th street
Making a Colorado anthem don't mention our city that's real weak
Take ’em to church headed to Iliff hit up the drive-thru grab me a 10-piece
New West in the house no weapon shall prosper against me
Fuck the law if the cops come get me
I hit the wrong bitches raw
Aw
Had to leave them hos alone
Left L.A. and made the A my home
Met the one she went to Hinkley
She well reserved never think of her as kinky
But for me she show another side she super freaky
We gotta bag no help down and out no love was felt
Used to be part of a team that wanted no part of me
I was the game to G to skeet treated me like doggy shit
I been banned from clubs
Blackballed 86
They hate me still
Decades later they can barely pay them bills
That's super glue they stuck for real
Moving up and we all gritty
Shout out to the pretty bitches making moves in the city
