New Jack City New York, New York, June 15, 1990. (Photo by Rita Barros/Getty Images)
Roommates, there are many films that rank as hood classics…and New Jack City is one of the best!! 30 years ago today, New Jack City was officially released in theaters and became an instant classic among fanswhile making Wesley Snipes a star.
Wesley Snipes completely embodied the signature role of Harlem drug kingpin Nino Brown, while Ice T played cop Scotty Appleton determined to take him down by any means necessary. Also, who could forget Chris Rock as crack fiend Pookie and Allen Payne as Ninos right hand man, Gee Money.
Directed by Mario Van Peebles, New Jack City was one of the earliest hood films of the 90s to shine a light on the Black community as it relates to dealing with violence and drugs in the inner cityother films released around the same era include Boyz N The Hood and Menace II Society.
As Nino Brown, Wesley Snipes portrayed a character that was the most ruthless drug lord seen on screen since Al Pacinos iconic performance as Tony Montana in Scarface,which New Jack City took a bulk of its inspiration from.
Previously discussing the film, co-screenwriter Barry Michael Cooper described Nino this way:
What Nino is doing to his community is vampiric as hes sucking the blood out of his people, only via crack. We wanted where he lived from the furniture to the candles to show he was a monster just like Dracula.
The film was filled with flashy fashion, quotable lines and a legendary soundtrack that is still in rotation of 90s music fans. Heres to 30 years of one of the best films from an unforgettable era, Happy Anniversary New Jack City!
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