NPR : A Deadly Year for the City of Compton

In recent years, hip-hop music and "gangsta" films have thrust the south Los Angeles city of Compton into the national consciousness. But now, the community is on its way to earning a new designation: America's murder capital.

Homicides have skyrocketed in the city compared to 2004. City leaders, police and the clergy are joining with local residents in an effort to quell the violence.