Who is Kody Scott from Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member and what is their importance?

Kody Scott is the books main subject and protagonist. He was eleven years old when he joined the Eight Tray Gangster set of the Crips. His initiation called for him to join an attack on a rival set and he did so, obeying the instruction that he was not to return to the car until his gun was empty. He admits that he didn't sleep well that night but eventually came to the point of not questioning whether his actions were right or moral - anything that was good for the gang was approved by Kody. He makes his way through the ranks, eventually becoming a recognized leader. He becomes known as "Monster Kody" because of the atrocities he personally performed.

The birth of his daughter, Keondra, fails to inspire Kody to fatherhood or to take responsibility for himself and his family. Even being shot twice - once seriously - he continues his "gangbanging" until he is sent to prison for a seven-year term. It's while he's in prison that Kody comes to question things in his life. He's faced with the harsh reality that the main killer of members of the Crips are other members of the Crips. He is told that unless he joins the newly-formed syndicate which is aimed at harmony among all sets of the Crips, he'll be killed. Though he says he felt pressure to join the new organization, he says the final decision was still his own. He does join but soon begins to question aspects of the new organization. With those questions unanswered, he turns away from the gangs and into a new awareness of himself as a black man and as a member of an oppressed society.