Sinister (Rapper)

Timothy Wayne Johnson (Jan. 14, 1970 – Nov. 25, 2007), better known by his street/stage name Sinister was an American West Coast gangster rapper from South Los Angeles (formerly known as South Central), California. He debuted in 1994, with “Mobbin 4 Life” (album) after signing to Interscope Records. He was also part of The Mobsters (rap group) also known as the 88 Mobsters, which is derived from 88th Street, a clique of the Neighborhood Family Bloods.

During the mid 1980s, Sinister attended Fremont High School, located on San Pedro Street in South Los Angeles. Sinister, spent time in Los Padrinos (juvenile hall), a youth detention center known for housing Black and Latino juvenile delinquents with gang affiliation. Sinister is also the younger brother of Cleamon “Big Evil” Johnson, an active shotcaller of the Neighborhood Family Bloods, also known as the Family Swan Bloods.

However, in 1997, Cleamon was sentenced to death for a double homicide in 1991, at a car wash on 88th Street and Central Ave. The victims were killed because they lived east of Central Ave, in a neighborhood claimed by the Kitchen Crips. By 1987, Sinister was a reputable member of the Neighborhood Family Bloods. In 1989, Sinister was acquitted of a double homicide and later convicted of conspiracy to commit murder in a separate case.

Mobbin 4 Life

By the early 1990s, Sinister managed to catch the attention of Marion Suge Knight (Of Death Row Records) leading to a record deal with Interscope Records. In August of 1994, Sinister released his debut studio album Mobbin 4 Life, which features the popular single “I Wont Forget You G”. Other popular songs are “Life Of A Sinner” and “The East Side” as well as “Young G”.

Sinister criticized B-Real (of Cypress Hill), on several songs such as “Don’t Get It Twisted” and “Ya Get Mobb On” for neglecting and not giving back to the neighborhood after getting a record deal. Sinister and B-Real, were actual friends from the same neighborhood (Family Swans) in South Los Angeles. The album also featured Kim Armstrong (singer) and production by Tony Pizarro, a record producer best known for working with the late Tupac Shakur.

After being released from prison in 2004, Sinister immediately started working on his follow-up project. Despite, being a member of the bloods he collaborated with crips such as the Snowman Cliq, a rap group from Grape Street Crips (Watts). He also collaborated with Green Eyez and Doc-B (of the Damu Ridas), with gang affiliation to the Inglewood Family Bloods. In 2008, Mobbin Til Death, an incomplete compilation album was uploaded to the internet (YouTube).

I Wont Forget You G

Shortly after 3 a.m. on Nov. 25, police responds to a “shots fired” call on East 92nd Street in the Watts area of Los Angeles. Upon police arrival, they found the deceased body of 37-year-old Timothy Johnson, with multiple gunshot wounds. Sinister was returning home from a party but stopped to communicate with friends when an unidentified person walked and open fire. Killing him instantly, a pit bull puppy chained in the yard was curled up on his body for warmth.