Chicago, IL – Harold Ward aka “Noonie G,” is an urban legend on the streets of Chicago.  As a former high-ranking member of the Gangster Disciples, a Chicago area gang once reported to be one of the largest criminal organizations in the United States, Noonie G is highly respected as a reformed and seasoned OG.   Once considered a prominent force of terror across the country, Ward has not only changed his life, but he also continues to positively impact society as an author, political figure, businessman, gang mediator, and role model.  

As a community leader and longtime basketball fan, Noonie G feels compelled to take a public stance in support of Angel Reese, WNBA forward player for the Chicago Sky. With all the debates swirling around her performance, plays and position, Reese has been the center of controversy on issues covering not only the game but sexism and racism as well.

“As an OG street rep, I feel it’s important to publicly acknowledge Angel Reese as one of our all-time heroes. She is making us proud here in ‘the Chi.’  Her perseverance, defiance, and never quit attitude represent what it takes to survive not only the game but also life when it feels like everything is being thrown at you.  The intense drama and threats being hurled at this young warrior are not to be taken lightly. But just as importantly, how she is inadvertently touching so many lives is incredible.  She has not only ignited women’s basketball with her energy and showmanship, but she is also infusing our young people with pride and motivation.  We want her to know that the community has her back.   We are buying tickets to the game, hosting watch parties, and singing her praises in the barber and beauty shops.  From the grandmas and the grandpas to the street soldiers in the hood, we want to say to her, ‘Don’t fold Queen, please know – we love you, no matter where you are we got our eyes on you, are hands over you and we got your back.’”

Ward’s own personal story is an encouraging tale. The former gang leader has dedicated his path toward making a way for others to follow. Larry Hoover, political prisoner and founder of the Gangster Disciples, hand-picked Noonie Ward to implement a new direction of change and betterment for the community at large, with “Growth and Development” becoming the new direction. 

Utilizing the hip-hop community as his vehicle, he has garnered a list of noteworthy accomplishments to his credit over the years. He actively engages in the efforts and support of several hip-hop luminaries. As an author, Ward is preparing to release his third title, “Gangstanomics II: Prisonomics,” with brief contributions from 50 Cent and Ye (Kanye West) along with a supporting song track release, “Money In My Hand” produced by Ye, featuring Trey Songz, Dwele, and Twista.  Noonie’s behind-the-scenes street maneuverings were also instrumental in the success of the Ye and Drake “Free Larry Hoover” benefit concert in Los Angeles.  

Some of Ward’s early accomplishments include working with President Barack Obama as an activist in Altgeld Gardens and organizing Chicago’s first National Gang Summit for Peace attended by Russell Simmons, deceased NFL legend Jim Brown and Minister Louis Farrakhan.  Determined to implement change, he has run for the political offices of City Alderman, State Representative, and Cook County Commissioner in Chicago.

Keep your ear to the streets with Harold “Noonie G” Ward at http://nooniegward.com .

Senator Mark Kirk’s Call to Incarcerate 18,000 Gangster Disciples
Suggests that he is Out of Touch with Inner-City Issues

By former high ranking member of the Gangster Disciples, Harold “Noonie G” Ward
Chicago, IL – Rather than sit down with community leaders to develop a strategy to educate, mentor and employ at-risk youth, Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) recently came up with the idea to spend $30 million to arrest and jail 18,000 Gangster Disciples (GD) in an effort to alleviate the rampart violence in Chicago.

According a Chicago magazine article, Senator Kirk said, “My top priority is to arrest the Gangster Disciple gang, which is 18,000 people. I would like a mass pickup of them and put them all in the Thomson Correctional Facility.”

The full insanity of this assertion has already been addressed in the media, but as a former high ranking member of the GD’s, who is haunted every second by the escalating tragedy and violence in Chicago, I am compelled to speak. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that targeting and arresting one gang will not squash the many random acts of violence that are emanating from numerous sources.

Furthermore, Chicagoland is riddled with numerous gangs, and by far, the GD’s are not the most notorious. Interestingly though, a few months ago, they were rumored to have caused the cancellation of rapper Rick Ross’ multi-city tour. Not only does Rick Ross reinforce and instigate the madness in these streets with his lyrics and drug dealing bravado, he also makes millions for the corporate powers behind him. A tour cancellation can hit deep, far beyond the pockets of the mere rap act involved.

Senator Kirk, an inquiring mind might wonder if the targeting of one isolated gang, as opposed to the several that run rampant in these city streets, might be a political move that finds you pandering for financial favor from select entertainment industry elite versus any genuine concern for the welfare of your inner-city constituents.

Let’s keep this real, violence doesn’t just stem from just gangs. Violence is a product of frustration, lack of educational resources, unemployment, financial instability, and most of all fear.

Aren’t there more productive ways to spend $30 million? With a reported 2.7 million Chicago children parentless due to incarceration, how could a blind street sweep targeting one gang benefit the community? Mass incarceration contributes to the destruction of Black and Brown communities instead of building them up.

Where is the call for legislation to implement jobs for youth, build youth centers, facilitate after school programs and create and stimulate income for the parents of these youth? Where is the real concern to analyze the real conditions that have created an environment where over 40 people can be shot in one weekend and the senseless killing of babies and kids is a daily occurrence?

Senator Kirk, perhaps you missed the 2010 report from Illinois Department of Corrections saying the state’s prison system is at 150% of capacity; or the fact that the state spent $140 million to build the Thomson Correctional Center you speak of, but couldn’t open because they forgot to allow for the 50 million in annual operating costs. Maybe if some of those millions were spent on education and summer jobs, less young people would be lost to the gangs.

Instead of dumping 18,000 ‘faceless’ individuals into an overcrowded and dangerous prison system, Senator Kirk, my challenge is for you to sit down with grassroots community leaders to talk about a solution from the bottom up. As a true street soldier, I carry not only love and understanding for my former affiliates, but love and understanding for an entire community that is dangerously under siege right now. I invite you Senator Kirk, to come sit down and strategize to come up with some genuine solutions to these very real dilemmas.

Yes, I am a former member of the very gang you plan to target, the Gangster Disciples. But, thanks to education and mentoring, I’ve walked and worked with President Barack Obama as an activist in Altgeld Gardens where I grew up, organized Chicago’s first National Gang Summit for Peace, and even ran for political office.

Headlines like arresting 18,000 gang members may make for great media, but how about putting forth a real effort to create great communities to live, grow and prosper in? Instead of arresting people, how about arresting frustration, lacking educational resources, joblessness, hunger, financial instability and fear?

Yeah, how about that Senator Kirk? I’m down if you are.

Harold “Noonie G” Ward is the author of the book and DVD “Gangster with a Heart of Gold: The Noonie G Story” narrated by Chicago natives Grammy Award winner Kanye West and celebrated hip hop artist and actor Common. Twitter: @TheRealNoonieG Facebook: The-Real-Noonie-G.

Chicago – Harold “Noonie G” Ward, a former high ranking member of the Gangster Disciples, has issued a statement about the Rick Ross/GD situation :

“It’s always an unfortunate situation to see Black men engaged in beef and senseless acts of violence. Those who know me, know me as an advocate for peace in the streets. The death threats, violations and killings happening out here on a daily basis, especially in Chicago and all over, are not a game, and are definitely realer than any lyrics of any rap song.

That said, I don’t personally know why Rick Ross cancelled his tour, nor do I personally care. What I do care about however is the ongoing tension that is building between him and factors of the GD nation. If Rick Ross is really ‘The Boss’ he proclaims to be, then he would recognize that what goes on in the streets effects all of us. It’s not about flossin’ or talking tough on a radio station. Rick ought to know that he is not dealing with no punks. Beef that is not squashed can get out of hand. Tupac and Biggie proved that.

Larry Hoover, political prisoner and founder of the Gangster Disciples, is an advocate of ‘Growth and Development’ and peace. So bottom line – that is what I would like to see happen. Squash the beef and let’s grow together and develop some real agendas for peace.”

The devastating rise in violent gun deaths in Chicago has prompted Ward, a committed community activist, to re-release his DVD alongside the new release of his book, both titled, “Gangster with a Heart of Gold: The Noonie G Story.” The DVD is narrated by Chicago natives Grammy Award winner Kanye West and celebrated hip hop artist and actor Common. Both artists provide the book’s foreword as well.

Harold “Noonie G” Ward can be reached via twitter at @TheRealNoonieG (https://twitter.com/therealnoonieg ) or via his Facebook fan page, “The Real ‘Noonie G” at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Real-Noonie-G. “Gangster with a Heart of Gold: The Noonie G Story” both the DVD and book are available on Amazon.com.

Chicago – As street gang violence in Chicago rages out of control, law keepers and politicians continue to toil with solutions. A generational saga, not many can relate to the back-story causes that rest at the root of this very tragic dilemma. With history dating as far back to the influence of the original gangster Al Capone, a recent NPR story aptly noted that many of Chicagoland gangs are “older enterprises than Microsoft and Yahoo.”

Harold “Noonie G” Ward is one man who can intimately relate with the violence at both the cause and effects levels. “Noonie G,” as he is popularly known, is a former high-ranking member of the Gangster Disciples, a Chicago area gang reported to be one of the largest criminal organizations in the United States. Once considered a prominent force of terror on the city’s South Side, Ward has been on a mission to change the effects of causes he understands and relates to on a very personal level.

The devastating rise in violent gun deaths has prompted Ward to announce the re-release of his DVD alongside the new release of his book, both titled, “Gangster with a Heart of Gold: The Noonie G Story.” Motivated by a strong sense of responsibility and desire to inspire positive change, Ward has pledged to donate 5000 copies of the books and DVD’s during the holiday season to organizations around the country committed to curbing street violence and uplifting inner city youth. “Gangster with a Heart of Gold: The Noonie G Story” is narrated by Chicago natives Grammy Award winner Kanye West and celebrated hip hop artist and actor Common. Both artists provide the book’s foreword as well.

From convict to conqueror, pistol to pen, Ward serves as a legitimate role model and real life urban legend for today’s misguided youth. A self made entrepreneur, politician, community activist and leader, Ward is a native of Chicago’s Altgeld Gardens, one of the toughest housing projects in America. The DVD chronicles his street life, criminal enterprises and rise to a life of rightful endeavors with Atlgeld Gardens serving as the backdrop. A vivid and heart wrenching testimony to the laws of survival and success, “Gangster with a Heart of Gold: The Noonie G Story” was produced by Block 8 Productions and directed by Coodie and Chike who are best known for their music video work with hip hop artists Kanye West, Pit Bull, Lil’ Jon and Mos Def. Award-winning journalist Adam Matthews helped shape the film’s narrative and wrote Common’s script.

While the film captures and portrays the essence of gang life in Chicago, Ward’s life growing up, family ties, imprisonment, his rise in the Gangster Disciples and his transition out and beyond, the book is a more personal narrative from Ward offering straight from the streets life advice and motivation.

Ward’s personal story is an encouraging tale. The former gang leader has completely transformed his life and dedicated his path toward making a way for others to follow. Political prisoner and founder of the Gangster Disciples, Larry Hoover, hand picked Noonie Ward to implement a new direction of change and betterment for the community at large, with “Growth and Development” becoming the new battle cry.

“Street violence is not going to go away overnight,” Ward acknowledges. “It is difficult to understand what these young people are dealing with if you haven’t been there and lived that life. I’m not proud of my past, but it is what it is and because of it, I now have a unique platform to engage the possibility of change. It crushes my heart to know that it’s a war zone out here. Every time a child is killed, a part of me dies with them. I’m a soldier out here now trying to make a change. If my personal story can help someone then I know God is using me and I’m a better man more for it. I’m giving away my books and DVD’s to help get the word out on the streets that there is a better way and we have got to end the violence.”

Ward is serious about pulling others up with him. Utilizing the hip hop community as his vehicle, he has garnered a list of noteworthy accomplishments to his credit over the years. He actively engages the efforts and support of several hip hop luminaries. Cee-Lo, from NBC-TV’s “The Voice” made a personal appearance at Ward’s Chicago book signing recently. He partnered with recording artist Trey Songz to create the Songz for Peace Foundation, joined with rapper/actor T.I. to speak to youth in schools and hosted a toy drive for Chicago children with hip hop artist Wakka Flaka.

Ward’s early accomplishments include working with President Barack Obama as an activist in Altgeld Gardens, and organizing Chicago’s first National Gang Summit for Peace attended by Russell Simmons, NFL legend Jim Brown and Minister Louis Farrakhan.

As a true product of the street life, Ward possesses the unique ability to connect with youth on a genuine level. With contracts granted to him by Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education, he regularly visits local high schools speaking to the students and conducting workshops about violence and various life issues. Determined to implement change, he has ran for the political offices of City Alderman, State Representative and Cook County Commissioner in Chicago.

Organizations requesting books or DVD copies of “Gangster with a Heart of Gold: The Noonie G Story” for the holidays can send an email request to jazzmynepr@gmail.com.

Harold “Noonie G” Ward can be reached via twitter at https://twitter.com/therealnoonieg ( @TheRealNoonieG ) or via his Facebook fan page, “The Real ‘Noonie G” at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Real-Noonie-G. “Gangster with a Heart of Gold: The Noonie G Story” both the DVD and book are available on Amazon.com.

Check out the film’s trailer:

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The Noonie G Story