The dilemma of race and space is deep entwined in the history of United States. From the slave quarters of plantations in the South to redlining and housing projects, the unjust distribution of space between diff erent ethnic groups has demarcated “otherness” until recent days. Perhaps the most vocal witnesses of the spatial injustice and the socio-economic decay of the marginalized neighborhoods have been the emcees, the spoken word artists - the rappers. Often obscene and violent in content, gangsta rap was “developed out of a desire to relate incidents and experiences with a more specific sense of place and, subsequently, greater significance to local youths who could recognize the sites and activities described in the lyrics” (Forman, 2000). From Ice Cube’s ‘reality rap’ to modern day bards like Kendrick Lamar, Los Angeles rappers have lyrically documented their surroundings. While the homicide rate in the county has come down from the golden era of “gangsta” rap, with homicide numbers peaking in 1992 (2,589), and LA is now dubbed one of the safest metropolises in the United States (Carroll, 2016), in places like Compton gangs are still an issue, and violent crime is on the rise (Crime is down in los angeles for the first time in 5 years.2018). Although so called “anti-gang” programmes and various community eff orts have been succesful in combating crime and violence, segregation, youth violence and drug abuse is still rampant. My thesis is focusing on uncovering the socio-spatial phenomena behind the issues related to unjust distribution of space, violence and ghettoization in Los Angeles. The main question is, how to establish a methodology for utilizing works of art to study the urban fabric and life in a way that would generate change in socially, economically and spatially challenged areas.