5 Poppin 6 Droppin is a slang expression commonly used by street gangs originating in Chicago, specifically those associated with the People Nation and Folk Nation alliances. This phrase spread notably to cities like New York, becoming widely recognized due to violent incidents involving gang members demanding random individuals to respond correctly to their greeting, "What's popping?" Failure to reply with "5 Poppin 6 Droppin" sometimes resulted in brutal attacks, including face slashings.
In gang culture, symbols play a significant role in identity and rivalry. The People Nation uses the 5-pointed star as a primary emblem, symbolizing unity and identity within their alliance, while their rivals, the Folk Nation, use a 6-pointed star. Thus, when members of gangs affiliated with the People Nation say "5 Poppin 6 Droppin," they mean that the People Nation (represented by the five-pointed star) is actively attacking ("popping"), whereas the Folk Nation (six-pointed star) members are being targeted and killed ("dropping"). Members of gangs within the Folk Nation respond with the inverse phrase, "6 Poppin 5 Droppin," indicating their retaliation and hostility towards People Nation gangs.
Expansion and Adaptation: Bloods and Crips
Although the terms and symbols originated within Chicago's gang scene, they became widely adopted and adapted by other gangs, particularly on the East Coast. In the early 1990s, when the Bloods moved from Los Angeles to New York City, OG Mack founded the United Blood Nation (UBN), incorporating Chicago gang symbolism into their identity. Thus, Blood gang members adopted the 5-pointed star, while Crip gang members associated themselves with the 6-pointed star.
Consequently, Blood members often use the phrase "5 Poppin 6 Droppin," explicitly signifying their intent against the Crips. Blood gang members sometimes expand this slogan, adding provocative lines such as: "5 poppin 6 droppin, Crip killer 'til my casket drop, 5 alive, 6 must die, rest in peace to OG Ty."
Conversely, Crip gang members use "6 Poppin 5 Droppin," explicitly indicating their opposition to the Bloods.
Regional Variations
It’s important to note that this terminology is mainly used by Bloods and Crips outside of Los Angeles. The original Bloods and Crips gangs in Los Angeles do not traditionally use or recognize the 5- and 6-pointed stars. The use of these symbols and phrases is primarily a phenomenon associated with gang sets influenced by the Chicago-originated gang alliances in other cities and regions.