Lime Hood Piru

Full Name: Lime Hood Piru
Also Known As: East Side Lime Hood Piru, Lime Hood Pirus, LHP, 547 Gang
Founded: Late 1970s (exact date unknown)
Founding Location: Compton, California
Years Active: 1970s–Present
Territory: East Compton
Ethnicity: Predominantly African-American
Notable Members: Dusty Loc, T-Mo, YB 547

The Lime Hood Piru (LHP), also known as Lime Hood Bompton Piru and 547 Gang, is a predominantly, but not exclusively, African-American Piru street gang located on the East Side of Compton, California. The neighborhood is named after Lime Avenue, a residential street that runs through the heart of its territory. Members of Lime Hood are known to wear the color green, which represents “Lime,” alongside the traditional Piru burgundy and red colors.

Early Origins

Lime Hood Piru was founded during the late 1970s and traces its roots to Lueders Park Piru. As a result, during its early years, the neighborhood was reportedly known as “Lueders Park Lime” before developing its own identity.

As new Piru neighborhoods formed throughout East Compton, younger members from surrounding blocks established their own neighborhood identities while maintaining ties to the larger P-Funk movement. Over time, Lueders Park Lime evolved into what became known as Lime Hood Piru.

Older newspaper articles later referred to the neighborhood as the “Lime Street Gang,” while later gang-history sources identified the set as Lime Hood Piru.

Notable Members

Dusty Loc

Dusty Loc was a member of the East Side Lime Hood Pirus who gained national exposure after appearing in a late-1980s CBS West 57th news segment documenting gang life in Compton. At the time of the interview, Dusty Loc was 17 years old and openly discussed gang culture, neighborhood identity, and gang terminology alongside other Lime Hood members.

The interview became one of the most widely circulated pieces of archival footage documenting the early Piru era in Compton. Decades later, the segment gained renewed attention when audio from the interview was sampled on multiple hip-hop records, including “Five Hundred Dollar Candles” by The Game featuring Dom Kennedy (2019) and “Colors” by League of Starz featuring Freddie Gibbs, G Perico, and Mozzy (2018).

Audio from the interview was later sampled on multiple hip-hop records, including “Colors” by League of Starz featuring Freddie Gibbs, G Perico, and Mozzy (2018) and “Five Hundred Dollar Candles” by The Game featuring Dom Kennedy (2019). These references introduced the historic West 57th footage to a new generation of listeners and helped preserve Dusty Loc’s place in Compton gang history.

Because of his appearance in the documentary, Dusty Loc remains one of the most recognizable individuals associated with Lime Hood Piru.

Territory and Identity

Lime Hood Piru generally claims an area between Rosecrans Avenue and Compton Boulevard, from Atlantic Avenue to Gibson Avenue. Members are known to congregate at East Rancho Dominguez Park, which has historically been one of the neighborhood’s primary gathering places. Parts of the neighborhood overlap with areas historically claimed by Compton Varrio 70 and Compton Varrio Segundo, contributing to longstanding territorial disputes.

Lime Hood is best known for its association with the color green. In a 1988 Los Angeles Times article discussing gang activity at Kelly Park and Lueders Park, police identified green as the color associated with Compton’s Lime Street gang. Members commonly identify with the initials “LHP,” use the term “Bompton,” and have been known to use the number 547 in graffiti and neighborhood references.

Documented Incidents

Kelly Park Color Ban (1988)

One of the earliest public references to Lime Hood appeared in a 1988 Los Angeles Times article covering anti-gang enforcement efforts at Kelly Park and Lueders Park. Police stated that individuals wearing green associated with Compton’s Lime Street gang were being ordered out of the parks.

The Yetunde Price Case (2003–2004)

Lime Hood received national attention following the killing of Yetunde Price, the older sister of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. Prosecutors alleged that South Side Compton Crips member Robert Edward Maxfield opened fire while protecting a drug location from rivals identified as the Lime Hoods. Price was not the intended target.

The Murder of Questshawn Irving (2004)

On October 23, 2004, Lime Hood Piru member Questshawn Irving was shot and killed near Atlantic Avenue and San Luis Street. Investigators alleged that members of Compton Varrio 70 were responsible for the attack.

Allies and Rivals

Historically, Lime Hood Piru has maintained close ties to several East Side Piru sets such as Lueders Park Piru, Holly Hood Piru, and Cross Atlantic Piru.

Lime Hood’s oldest rivalries are Duccy Hood Compton Crips, South Side Compton Crips, Kelly Park Compton Crips, Neighborhood Compton Crips, Compton Varrio 70, Compton Varrio Segundo, Compton Varrio Chicano Gang, and Compton Varrio Locos 13.

Among these conflicts, the rivalry with Compton Varrio 70 has been particularly significant due to overlapping territory and decades of violence between the two neighborhoods. The feud has been referenced in multiple homicide investigations and remains one of the most notable rivalries involving Lime Hood Piru.

Current Status

Lime Hood Piru, formed over four decades ago, remains a significant part of Compton’s East Side Piru community.