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My escape from gangland
Anna Davis, Evening Standard14.03.08
He was a crack addict by the age of 16, helped found one of London's most notorious gangs and was jailed for selling drugs.
Now Elijah Kerr, known as JaJa, has turned his back on crime and today calls on others to give up violence too.
JaJa, 28, was once the driving force behind Brixton's Peel Dem Crew, known as the PDC.
The gang has been described as one of the largest and most violent in south London. As a member, JaJa was a crack addict and served time in prison for drugs offences.
But he says he changed after discovering religion while in jail, and is trying to turn PDC into a record label and music business. He is due to release an album, Voice of the Streets, in May.
His transformation is the subject of a new book, Street Boys, which follows the lives of seven young gang members.
JaJa, a father of three who hopes to become a role model for boys caught up in gang life, said: "I am the first of a kind. It is a big thing what I am doing - usually guys like me get murdered or end up in prison for life.
"All the violence can be stopped. I want to show people you don't have to disassociate from your friends. You can turn your gang into a gang of property developers or solicitors. You can change the energy into positive stuff."
JaJa still lives on the Angell Town Estate in Brixton, where many original PDC members met and started selling drugs. He moved there from Birmingham aged nine with his mother after witnessing her being violently beaten by a boyfriend.
They were then housed in a former crack den and JaJa saw drug dealers and prostitutes from his window. Before long, he got involved in the estate's underworld. He started smoking crack at 16 and began dealing drugs. When the PDC was formed, he had the initials tattooed on his neck.
JaJa said: "The drug game bonded people . All of us from Angell Town, we were bonding. That's how it became like a big family, and during this time it gets bigger and people are talking about the Peel Dem Crew. There was lots of shootings and lots of talk about selling drugs on the block with the Peel Dem Crew. Shootings and robbings and drugging. We were on the street doing our thing. That's how the PDC started as a gang."
It was after he was jailed for three years and nine months that he discovered Islam and started to turn his life around. He said: "It opened my eyes up to a lot of things. I saw the speed of life, the scattiness, the way we were living."
In jail, JaJa learned business and accountancy and wrote a business plan for PDC Entertainments. On his release in 2004 he started putting what he had learned into practice.
Describing what advice he would give to boys in gangs today, he said: " Everyone has a core dream - they may want to be an actor or fireman, but the street distracts them. I will tell them, 'stick to your dreams'. I will be a role model."
Tim Pritchard, the documentary maker behind Sky TV series Ross Kemp On Gangs, followed JaJa and the six other men from Brixton before writing their life stories. Street Boys was published this month by Harper Collins.
Mr Pritchard said: "Writing it has given me more hope in humanity. These were the toughest gang criminals in London yet I was happy hanging out with them for three years. They have a lot of energy. If it is harnessed they could be upstanding citizens."
Reader views (20)
I have just finished reading the book and the first thing I did was googled it, I was so amazed and fascinated by this book that every time I put it down, I was constantly thinking about it. You hear stories about the violence going on around us and even though were disturbed by it, some of us do not really think twice about it. This book, there story gives society hope; it gives those that think there life is prone to crime hope. At the same time it gives you the reality of life on the streets.
It’s a shame that people have to die, get shot, take drugs and go to prison before they realise that it is not worth it.
i wish all you guys the very best and I hope u keep up the hard work.
- Sara, london - se3
i read your story,
that's brilliant book,
let the light of your religion shine on you forever,
hope u get the best thing in your life
- Coco, Indonesia _ medan
big it uppppp yo jaja blud ur book is gud man, it makes young males caught up in the drama and voilence stop and think, i cna change my life and those around me, respect
- Riz, sw9
Brilliant Book! I read it on holiday and couldn't put it down and have passed it on to 5 other people since. My friend laughed at me saying that I always read serious, morbid books, to which I answered, not "it's real life". I think it gives a fantastic insight into the reason's why people join gangs and turn to a life of crime and violence. People are too quick to judge and they must realise there is always a reason behind people's actions. The key is to nip it in the bud and educate people before it is too late. Ja Ja is a positive role model and has proven that it is never too late to change. Well done!
- Nicola, South East London, England
I take my hat off to you. I have read the book and think that Elijah is an inspiration that should be getting more recognition for his efforts.I'm from Australia, a half a world away and your story has had an inspiring affect on me. Its good to hear that people like you Jaja are trying to make a difference. Well done mate!
- Anna, Australia
the books sick.. people who have already commented and referred to jaja as having to be a gangster rapper or a "lordy-lordy religious type" need to realise that this is society today. being 15 everybody around me looks up to gang activity and violence and crime and its us who need people like jaja to step out and show us dat there is an alternative. i respect jaja so much because without him, hardly anybody would be making music as he raised that among teenagers. people look up to jaja as somebody whos positively turned his life around coming where he came from and seeing what he's seen, dat must of been difficult - and being socialised in angell town doesnt really leave a positive result so im proud and glad that we have him as a positive rolemodel. i believe without him alot of other young males would be worse off den they are because its that "blood in blood out" attitude of the crew which gives kids no hope, but seeing you can turn your gang into a legal business, it gives children aspirations. so what if hes not the first, this is modern society not 35 years ago. big up jaja keep doing ur ting man!
- Rianna, south west london
Just finished reading the book (10hrs couldn't put down)was amazed by the true trust and bond formed by the crew, most people in modern society would sell you down the river for a cig.
Typical how the Police can influence the public on how the real struggle for survival, by doing what you know and the lack of oppotunity given when required.
Success was in the belief
- Zac, Essex
i am reading the book now ..and by be doing that i would love to meet JAJA and the other members of his crew and to ask them a few question and for them to tell and for me to hear it from their own mouths
- Sarah, london
jaja has turned his life around and is an inspiration to youths not only in the lambeth area but all inner city areas and beyond. as a youth worker myself i know how important it is for under privilridged youths, or even youngsters in the care of the local authorities to have real role models whom have real life experiences to show and guide them toward the right direction. if jaja can do it anyone can do it.and thats what the kids are thinking.jaja i salute you, well done!
- Naheemah, london
Yeah... they are doing just great. I saw his right hand man was charged with murder a couple of months ago.
- Luca, Streatham
i read the book and it was facinating!... and i hope those guys are doing all good now! good luck for you all 
- Lisa, Ireland
I'm very happy for you mates from the PDC, I think I can imagine a little bit of all the suffering times you have been going through and all the suffering you have caused too, but the good thing is all you guys still have time to help the young ones to change their paths giving them a different perspective. It's difficult but it's possible. Go ahead mates, you can do it.
- Will Gama, London and Lisbon
In response to al stuart, 'why cant they be normal like the rest of us' interestingly al lives in Ealing an affluent less'troubled' part of London, the reason these 'kind of people' are at the extreme ends of the spectrum is due to the fact they live in an extreme environment and have been exposed to some extreme realities that exist in our city unlike normal al stuart who more than likely was not exposed to such things and is unfortunately ignorant to the occurrences of his neighbouring environments.
- Incognito, london uk
Just interested to know, if he has had this 'epiphany' and spiritual awakening - whether he will be helping the police with their enquiries into unsolved murders, shootings, robberies and firearms offences. Similarly, why he appears on PDC websites with known current criminals, all of whom are making the PDC gang symbol.
Is this a true re-birth or has he now made enough venture capital to go 'legit' from the above - will he apologise to the victims of the crimes he committed and repay them what he has stolen in the past....
Actions speak louder than cheap words....
- Luca, Streatham
Good to reform & live good ordinary life out of gang life. Jaja should be moving to a Commonwealth country like Kenya to promote Peace. Jaja welcome to Kenya, our City of Nairobi need people like you to reform cruel violent gangs spraying our neighbourhoods with bullets.
Am glad you got your full punishment in Prisons & you saw the light, let the light shine on you forever!
- Charles Ibrahim, Kenya
These kind of people seem to fall into two extremes. Either gangster rapper types or lordy-lordy religious types.
Why can't they be "normal" like the rest of us?
- Al Stuart, Ealing, UK
"was jailed for selling drugs, he changed after discovering religion"
To quote Marx, "Religion is the opiate of the people".
- Arthur Smith, Balham, UK
I hope you stay reformed although the odds are against it. Make yourself an example to other youngsters who can be saved from this downward spiral they are in. Well done!
- Brian, Wiltshire
All admirable stuff - but JaJa you are not the first of your kind, sorry mate - London history is littered with - bad boys made good - and going back into schools, communities to warn people off the bad life - remember it myself from 25 years ago - similar character to yourself coming in and warning us off drugs and violence - so all good stuff - but remember - in 13 years time this lot of 15 year olds will be saying the same thing - shame they can't miss out the abuse they inflict on themselves and society in the meantime.
- Jules, London, se1
I am always dubious of those who claim to have 'found' religion in such a manner. I hope he doesn't take on many of the negative aspects of Islam in the process.
- Marc, Harrow, UK
