Gangs and glamour of Los Angeles revealed in stunning photos of rappers and Hollywood A-listers

FROM sinister street gangs to Hollywood royalty, this gallery evokes life in LA in all its forms.

It offers a glimpse into the world of Los Angeles as seen through the eyes of photographer Estevan Oriol, who is famed for chronicling urban culture in the City of Angels.

These pictures are a selection of just some of those compiled in Oriol’s new book "This Is Los Angeles".

Taken over 25 years, they have been curated to shows two sides of the city — of glamour and gangs — and where the two sometimes meet.

He is known for photographing gang members and lowriders in the California underworld.

But the LA native has also captured Hollywood royalty such as actors Dennis Hopper, Robert De Niro, Ryan Gosling and even a younger model called Kim Kardashian.

Notably in 2008 he snapped intimate pictures of the recently murdered rapper Nipsey Hussle in his home neighbourhood of Crenshaw in south Los Angeles.

Nipsey was shot dead aged 33 on March 31 outside a clothes shop in the city. 

Oriol, an Mexican-American, started out as a security guard for rappers Cypress Hill, where he used to take pictures for fun.

The hobby was to turn into a successful career spanning more than two decades.

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