By Thomas Sellers Jr.
The year 2023 really has me going back 30 years.
I still can’t believe the 1990s was that long ago. Things from 1998 have turned 25 years old. My 25th class reunion will be next and I partied like it was 1999.
Growing up in the 1990s meant I enjoyed many trends like the birth of the internet, Michael Jordan shoes and “Hood” movies.
Some say the origin of this genre came in 1975 with the urban classic Cooley High. Some toss any movie with a mostly black cast as a “Hood” movie.
I believe the definition for the style of film is more detailed. It can be a comedy, drama or thriller set in an urban area depicting life from that perspective of the individuals growing up in the setting.
For example in Cooley High, in 1964 Chicago, a group of high school friends navigate the trials and tribulations of adolescence life. With uncertain futures, the main characters navigate their friendships and create a coming-of-age tale that is relatable to any viewer. “Hood” movies normally bring to light a gritty reality, involve violence and feature an awesome soundtrack.
With so many official “Hood” movies to choose from, I have located 10 urban classics that are the best of the genre.
10. Above the Rim
Starring: Duane Martin, Leon, Tupac Shakur
Released: 1994
Directed by: Jeff Pollack
My first “Hood” classic takes us to New York and features the plot of basketball. Martin’s Kyle Lee Watson is a promising high school basketball star facing the challenges of inner-city life while being torn between two worlds. Watson can turn his life to a charismatic drug dealer “Birdie” (Shakur) or a former basketball legend turned security guard “Shep” (Leon). The two opposite characters are the standard mentors of a 1990s “Hood” movie. There are some standout performances from Marlon Wayans, Wood Harris and the late Bernie Mac.
9. Jason’s Lyric
Starring: Allen Payne, Jada Pinkett Smith, Bokeem Woodbine
Released: 1994
Directed by: Doug McHenry
That same year a Southern “Hood” movie hit the box office with the drama Jason’s Lyric. This movie has a storybook energy and a Shakespearen vibe. It’s a Romeo and Juilet rip off that works because it is updated and has an urban style.
Two young lovers in Houston, Texas, as they navigate the challenges of their turbulent pasts and strive to find hope in their circumstances. Jada stars as Lyric and Payne as Jason. Lyric has a thug brother who crosses paths with Jason’s troubled little brother.
This movie’s greatness lies in the twist ending, some memorable performances, timeless cinematography, and a solid love story.
8. Boyz N the Hood
Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding
Released: 1991
Directed by: John Singleton
When most people think about the genre “Hood” movies, Boyz N the Hood comes to mind first. The late John Singleton created a classic and a film that belongs in the Library of Hollywood Most Impactful Movies. But I have been entertained by other films more than Boyz N the Hood.
I still do get emotional when (spoiler alert) Morris Chestnut’s Ricky is shot in the back. Ricky and his childhood best friend Tre grow up among a group of friends navigating the challenges and hardships of growing up in South Central Los Angeles.
Boyz N the Hood placed a spotlight and microscope on the violence and despair in this part of L.A. The best way to describe this movie is a groundbreaking masterpiece of African-American cinema.The All-Star cast was a timeless ensemble.
7. New Jack City
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Judd Nelson
Released: 1991
Directed by: Mario Van Peebles
Let’s head back to the East Coast for this next urban classic. How was life for blacks near the Atlantic Ocean? According to New Jack City, it was just as rough and tough as West Coast thug life.
Thanks to the masterful performance by antagonist Nino Brown brought to life by the amazing Wesley Snipes, this film is unforgettable.
New Jack City is full of quotes, parodied scenes and a strong message.
The movie has the backdrop of the crack/cocaine epidemic. Nino is the ambitious crime lord who ascends to power in The Carter projects. The team of detectives try to bring his drug kingpin down. The movie is a fun cat & mouse journey.
6. Menace II Society
Starring: Tyrin Turner, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vonte Sweet
Released: 1993
Directed by: Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes
Another quotable masterpiece on this countdown is “Menace II Society.” We are back in Los Angeles looking at another young black man trying to be a street hustler. For some reason this way of life was romanticized and he rejects the Christian upbringing of his grandparents. The film focuses on the many wrong turns of Caine played by Tyrin Turner.
The most powerful performance in this movies comes courtesy of Larenz Tate playing “O-Dog.” The convenience store scene is brutal and shocking. This film was shot with a “Scareface” flavor and was on a mission to be a gangsta’s classic. Mission accomplished.
5. 3 Strikes
Starring: Brian Hooks, N’Bushe Wright, Faizon Love
Released: 2000
Directed by: DJ Pooh
By the year 2000, we realized not all “Hood” movies needed to be bloody dramas. You could still have the guns and shooting, but coat the action with laughter. By the time Brian Hooks starred in “3 Strikes”the new interruption of the genre was a box office draw.
Rob Douglas definitely has a troubled past and is looking to turn his life around after getting two strikes in the justice system.
Of course he finds himself back in trouble as soon as he touches the soil of freedom. Let the jokes, classic one-liners and goofiness unsue.
Heads up, any scene with the legendary comic George Wallace will have you crying.
4. Juice
Starring” Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine “Huggy” Hopkins
Released: 1992
Directed by: Ernest R. Dickerson
By the time I graduated from Raleigh-Egypt High School in 1999, I was a part of the Dawg Clique with my three best friends Danny Spears, Rosheay Ragland and Eric Forte. Although we were four Memphis youths, we had parents who made sure we didn’t grow up like the quartet in “Juice.” Our crazy mothers had the juice in our lives.
In the New York based film, four Harlem teens navigate friendship, love, loyalty and respect. The respect one of the kids is seeking comes through a gun. Tupac’s Bishop was unforgettable in this movie and his performance alone made it a classic. Once he felt the power of the juice, he was a danger to everyone around him. Tupac’s cinematic debut was gritty and captivating as he turned that gun on his own friends Q, Raheem and Steel.
3. South Central
Starring: Glenn Plummer, Byron Keith Minns, Lexie Bigham
Released: 1992
Directed by: Stephen Milburn Anderson
The best “Hood” drama of all time is “South Central.” He has all the elements of previous entries on this countdown but it does the best job of redemption and depicting the importance of fatherhood.
Most of the troubled young men in these stories just needed the guidance of a loving and devoted dad.
It took Glenn Plummer’s “O.G. Bobby Johnson” a prison stint after murdering a man to realize he needed to be there for his son.
The streets were mere moments from raising his son into another menace to society.
Another element “South Central” brings out is the attraction of gangs to most youths. It gives them a sense of belonging and creates a family atmosphere. If you don’t have a cohesive unit at home, you can create it in the streets. Then the blood shed will bond them forever.
2. Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
Starring: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Tracey Cherelle Jones
Released: 1996
Directed by: Paris Barclay
After a stacuration of “Hood” movies, 1996 was the ideal time to finally parody them all. Full of memorable scenes, unforgettable lines and easy-to-identify characters, the talented Wayans brothers were the perfect ones to bring it all together in “Don’t Be a Menace…”
This movie is a satirical classic using the tried formula of a young man growing up in the ‘hood” learning valuable life lessons. Of course “Ashtray” navigates violence, love, crime, and family dynamics.
Pay attention to Keenen Ivory Wayans’ mailman character shouting “Message!”
Through all the hilarity and silliness, the movie does try to deliver a serious message about the reason why we have a “Hood” movie genre in the first place.
And a shoutout to Marlon Wayans for his outstanding portrayal of “Loc Dog.” We do not have a problem here!!!
1. Friday
Starring: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long
Released: 1995
Directed by: F. Gary Gray
Before there was “Don’t Be a Menace…” we got our first chance to laugh with the “Hood” with the all-time classic “Friday.” That faithful and funny day with Craig and Smokey on the porch is still a fun 24 hours for us almost 30 years later.
Thanks to this epic comedy, we have a name for the neighborhood bully, “Deebo.” Even the woman who dresses provocatively is now “Mrs. Parker.”
Friday is simply hilariously full of relatable humor, memorable catchphrases, and the standout performance of Chris Tucker as Smokey.
Even as our heroes are chased down toward the end of the film by gunfire, you just knew we would get a happy ending. With the wisdom of our “Pops” John Witherspoon as “Willie Jones,” we finally got an important life lesson and happy ending in a “Hood” movie.
THOMAS SELLERS JR. is the editor of The Millington Star and both the sports editor and a weekly personal columnist for West 10 Media/Magic Valley Publishing. Contact him by phone at (901) 433-9138, by fax to (901) 529-7687 and by email to [email protected].
