Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes), a drug dealer at the dawn of the crack cocaine epidemic, enriches himself and enslaves his people via an inner-city crack factory. Meanwhile, cop Scotty Appleton (Ice-T) will do anything to penetrate Brown's empire. From its thrilling opening shot to its tense closing frames, director Mario Van Peebles' action flick is part crime thriller, part urban history lesson and all entertainment.