1991 | 1h 52m | Directed by John Singleton

Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut and Ice Cube

With 12 wins and 23 nominations, Boyz N The Hood is an unmissable gem among the best black movies. It follows the lives of three young men growing up together in the Crenshaw ghetto of Los Angeles and portrays several social issues, like racial discrimination, violence, and uncertain future prospects.

1993 | 1h 37m | Directed by Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes

Starring Tyrin Turner, Jada Pinkett and Larenz Tate

MTV Movie Award winner for Best Movie. A young street hustler attempts to escape the temptations of the ghetto in a quest for a better life. Legendary rapper Tupac Shakur was initially cast to play Sharif but was then fired, which led to a physical fight with co-director Allen Hughes. For this, he was sentenced to fifteen days in jail.

1992 | 1h 35m | Directed by Ernest R. Dickerson
 

Starring Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine Hopkins and Khalil Kain
 

The lives of four Harlem teenagers take an unexpected turn after robbing a corner grocery store. Follow their story as they struggle with police harassment, rival gangs, their families, and the pursuit of happiness, which they refer to as “the juice”. Did you know Omar Epps learned how to spin as a DJ even before production began? A lot of what he does in the movie is authentic.

1995 | 1h 31m | Directed by F. Gary Gray
 

Starring Ice Cube, Chris Tucker and Nia Long

If you’re a young netizen, you certainly know this movie from the memes Daaaamn! and Bye, Felicia! Winner of a Def Movie Award, it’s a true gem among black comedy movies and shows the misadventures of Craig and Smokey having to deal with a local bully that wants his money back. Director Quentin Tarantino included Friday as one of his 20 favorite movies from 1992 to 2009. That says a lot!

1992 | 1h 39m | Directed by Stephen Milburn Anderson
 

Starring Glenn Plummer, Byron Keith Minns and Lexie Bigham
 

A former gangster fresh out of prison wants to change his life for the better, but things don’t go as planned when he finds out his 10-year-old son has gotten involved with street gangs. Glenn Plummer, during an interview, said that men have approached him and thanked him for his speech at the end of the movie since it pushed them to get back into their own children’s lives.

2002 | 1h 31m | Directed by Charles Stone
 

Starring Wood Harris, Mekhi Phifer and Kevin Carroll
 

Based on the true story of Azie Faison Jr., Alberto Martinez, and Richard Porter. A young man from Harlem, forced to cope with the 1980s drug scene, ends up building a criminal empire. In interviews, the real Azie Faison Jr. accused producer Damon Dash of massively altering and watering down the script.

2001 | 2h 2m | Directed by Antoine Fuqua
 

Starring Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke and Scott Glenn
 

A rookie cop, on his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer, partners with a rogue detective who is not what he first appears to be. Acting legend Denzel Washington still considers Detective Alonzo Harris, the corrupt cop he played in the movie, his all-time favorite role. Ethan Hawke was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role despite having more screentime than his co-star Denzel Washington, who was nominated for (and won) the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

2015 | 2h 27m | Directed by F. Gary Gray
 

Starring O’Shea Jackson, Corey Hawkins and Jason Mitchell

The story of rap group NWA, who emerged from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles and revolutionized hip-hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood. The film reminded Dr. Dre of the glory days, inspiring him to secretly record his first album in 16 years, released on August 7th, 2015. The album’s name is Compton: A Soundtrack, and he stated it was his “grand finale”.

2000 | 1h 38m | Directed by Steve Carr
 

Starring Ice Cube, Mike Epps and Justin Pierce

Sequel to 1995’s stoner comedy Friday. Craig flees Los Angeles, heading to the suburbs to avoid Debo, a neighborhood thug with a grudge who has escaped from prison. As a born-again Christian, Chris Tucker refused to reprise his role as Smokey because of the film’s references to smoking weed and cussing. Instead, he accepted the role for Rush Hour with Jackie Chan. His absence from the sequel is cleverly explained by having his character referenced throughout the movie.

1993 | 1h 49m | Directed by John Singleton
 

Starring Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur and Regina King
 

After witnessing her boyfriend’s murder, Justice tries to cope with it through poetry. On her way to a convention, she meets an old face she would have preferred stayed in the past. But this meeting could have been decided by fate, as she now feels she’s not as lonely as before.
 

Some random fact? When Justice is driving in her car in the beginning, she passes Crenshaw Boulevard near the shopping center, damaged during the Los Angeles riots in 1992, which Tupac Shakur also joined.

2007 | 2h 37m | Directed by Ridley Scott
 

Starring Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe and Chiwetel Ejiofor

Inspired by the life of drug lord Frank Lucas, American Gangster follows cop Richie Roberts who’s charged with bringing down Lucas’ drug empire in Harlem. While filming on location in Thailand’s Chiang Mai province, director Ridley Scott hired many extras who had actually participated in Frank Lucas’s drug-running operation during the Vietnam War.

1996 | 2h 3m | Directed by F. Gary Gray
 

Starring Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise
 

Four desperate women start robbing banks to solve their financial and personal problems. The first attempts are a huge success, but policemen are on their trail. With every robbery, their interests begin to change, and their trust in each other is on the verge of collapsing. Starring Queen Latifah in her first leading role and Kimberly Elise in her film debut.

1994 | 1h 36m | Directed by Jeff Pollack
 

Starring Duane Martin, Leon and Tupac Shakur

The story of a promising school basketball talent and his relationship with two brothers, one a drug dealer and the other a fallen basketball star who now works as a security guard. This was the final movie with Tupac Shakur to be released during his lifetime; Bullet (1996), Gridlock’d (1997), and Gang Related (1997) have all been released posthumously.

1991 | 1h 37m | Directed by Mario Van Peebles
 

Starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T and Allen Payne
 

When Nino ascends to power and takes over Harlem’s criminal scene, the maverick cop Scotty vows to bring him down for good. The story is based on the real-life Detroit gang, The Chambers Brothers. Writer Barry Michael Cooper got the idea for the film after visiting Detroit and learning about the gang’s exploits.

1998 | 1h 36m | Directed by Hype Williams
 

Starring Nas, DMX and Taral Hicks
 

Gangsters Tommy and Sincere have learned how to make a good living by dealing drugs and pulling armed robberies, but both realize that their lives are headed towards a dead end. Sincere begins getting in touch with his African roots, while Tommy has a religious awakening and joins the Nation of Islam. The pot smoking in the movie is as real as it gets. In fact, the blunts being smoked are not props—they’re actual joints.

1995 | 1h 59m | Directed by Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes
 

Starring Larenz Tate, Keith David and Chris Tucker
 
In 1973, a Vietnam vet tries to adjust to life after the war while supporting his family in the Bronx. But the chance of a better life may involve crime and bloodshed. Tupac Shakur’s feud with director Allen Hughes during Menace II Society caused Jada Pinkett-Smith to turn down the role of Delilah for Dead Presidents since she was a long-time friend of Shakur.

2001 | 2h 10m | Directed by John Singleton
 

Starring Tyrese Gibson, Omar Gooding and Adrienne-Joi Johnson
 

Jody, a misguided 20-year-old man, lives with his mother and a child on his own while facing the commitments of real life in South Central Los Angeles. The movie features a mural of Tupac Shakur on Jody’s wall; Tupac was originally supposed to play the role of Jody, but the rapper was killed in a drive-by shooting in 1996.

2002 | 1h 25m | Directed by Marcus Raboy
 

Starring Ice Cube, Mike Epps and John Witherspoon
 
The third installment of the Friday movie series. Craig and Day-Day, now working as security guards at a local mall, run into the thief who robbed their house. The original script for this sequel movie included Roach’s character but was then rewritten following Justin Pierce’s suicide about six months after the release of Next Friday.

2000 | 2h 4m | Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood
 

Starring Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps and Alfre Woodard

Monica and Quincy share the same dream: take their deep love for basketball to the next level and play in the NBA. In the end, fate always seems to drag them to each other. With 13 wins and 15 nominations, Love & Basketball established itself as one of those classic black movies that will never tire you out, doesn’t matter how many times you rewatch it!

2005 | 1h 57m | Directed by Jim Sheridan
 

Starring 50 Cent, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Walter Alza
 

Based on 50 Cent’s own life, the story follows a former drug dealer who follows his dream of pursuing a music career after deciding to leave his criminal past behind. The movie features 50 Cent in his debut as an actor. Although he had no acting experience, he’s been praised for his performance.