New Jack City (1991)

Editor's Note A violent, kinetic gangster film with a strong anti-drug message, NEW JACK CITY is set in the mid-1980s during the height of the crack epidemic. Two street-wise undercover cops (Judd Nelson, Mario Van Peebles) go after Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes), a ruthless drug lord with extravagant taste in home furnishings. Desperate to bring down his multi-million dollar cocaine empire, they send Pookie (Chris Rock), a former street hustler and rehabilitated crack addict, into Nino's drug factory as an undercover spy. When the plan misfires, the cops must face Nino and his henchman in a bloody showdown.

	Vanessa Williams
	Michael Michele
	Judd Nelson
	Chris Rock
	Ice-T
	Tracy Camila Johns
	Wesley Snipes
	Mario Van Peebles
	Charles C. Bennett - Production Designer
	Mario Van Peebles - Director

New York Times
"...[Van Peebles directs with] energy and flash....Played commandingly by [Snipes]..." 03/08/1991 p.C15

Rolling Stone
"NEW JACK CITY codified the hip-hop-gangsta image as much as any Ruthless Records release..." 08/25/2005 p.114

Uncut
"[I]t helped kick-start rap's march into the mainstream, and ignite black Hollywood." 02/01/2006 p.104

Mojo
4 stars out of 4 -- "Ice-T, Queen Latifah and 2 Live Crew provide the soundtrack....It's still extremely watchable." 05/01/2006 p.135