REAL Ness : GHETTO Gems
by RanaBahadur | created - 07 Nov 2013 | updated - 10 Jan 2022 | PublicThe Best Graphic -- R Rated Ghetto Black films .
from 1985 and above
They all must be ghetto in content.. and nearly all are R rated and above.
Films with more sedated filtered Black culture for white audience have been left of the list.. like many Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence hit films.
All Spike Lee Films have been omited..because he is a recognized brand of his own.
Training Day is also omitted
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1. Menace II Society (1993)
R | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A young street hustler attempts to escape the rigors and temptations of the ghetto in a quest for a better life.
Directors: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes | Stars: Tyrin Turner, Larenz Tate, June Kyoto Lu, Toshi Toda
Votes: 64,372 | Gross: $27.90M
2. Fresh (1994)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Death and violence anger a twelve-year-old drug courier, who sets his employers against each other.
Director: Boaz Yakin | Stars: Sean Nelson, Giancarlo Esposito, Samuel L. Jackson, N'Bushe Wright
Votes: 14,561 | Gross: $8.09M
3. Above the Rim (1994)
R | 96 min | Crime, Drama, Sport
Story of a promising high school basketball star and his relationships with two brothers, one a drug dealer and the other a former basketball star fallen on hard times and now employed as a security guard.
Director: Jeff Pollack | Stars: Duane Martin, Tupac Shakur, Leon, David Bailey
Votes: 17,071 | Gross: $16.04M
4. Jason's Lyric (1994)
R | 119 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Two brothers, survivors of family tragedy, take different life paths: one falls for a high-spirited waitress and dreams of success, the other follows a life of petty crime. Their lives reconnect in shattering fashion.
Director: Doug McHenry | Stars: Allen Payne, Jada Pinkett Smith, Bokeem Woodbine, Anthony 'Treach' Criss
Votes: 4,674 | Gross: $20.85M
5. Clockers (1995)
R | 128 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Young drug pushers in the projects of Brooklyn live hard dangerous lives, trapped between their drug bosses and the detectives out to stop them.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Harvey Keitel, John Turturro, Delroy Lindo, Mekhi Phifer
Votes: 23,509 | Gross: $13.04M
6. New Jersey Drive (1995)
R | 98 min | Crime, Drama
Jason and Midget are two young, black teenagers living in Newark,New Jersey, the unofficial car theft capital of the world. Their favourite pastime is that of everybody in their ... See full summary »
Director: Nick Gomez | Stars: Shar-Ron Corley, Gabriel Casseus, Saul Stein, Gwen McGee
Votes: 3,449 | Gross: $3.57M
7. Boyz n the Hood (1991)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama
Follows the lives of three young males living in the Crenshaw ghetto of Los Angeles, dissecting questions of race, relationships, violence, and future prospects.
Director: John Singleton | Stars: Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Hudhail Al-Amir, Lloyd Avery II
Votes: 154,377 | Gross: $57.50M
8. Poetic Justice (1993)
R | 109 min | Drama, Romance
Grieving hairdresser Justice goes on a road trip from South Central L.A. to Oakland on a mail truck alongside her friend and an obnoxious postal worker.
Director: John Singleton | Stars: Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Regina King, Joe Torry
Votes: 16,594 | Gross: $27.52M
9. Dead Presidents (1995)
R | 119 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A Vietnam vet adjusts to life after the war while trying to support his family, but the chance of a better life may involve crime and bloodshed.
Directors: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes | Stars: Larenz Tate, Keith David, Chris Tucker, Freddy Rodríguez
Votes: 24,452 | Gross: $24.20M
10. A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A fast paced, womanizing nightclub promoter gets paid back in full when he scorns a beautiful woman with psychotic tendencies who will punish him for breaking her heart.
Director: Martin Lawrence | Stars: Martin Lawrence, Lynn Whitfield, Regina King, Bobby Brown
Votes: 5,389 | Gross: $34.75M
11. CB4 (1993)
R | 89 min | Comedy, Music
A guy makes a documentary of the rap band CB4 by following them. CB4 got popular by stealing Gusto's name, background and image. He wants them dead.
Director: Tamra Davis | Stars: Chris Rock, Allen Payne, Deezer D, Chris Elliott
Votes: 10,412 | Gross: $17.95M
12. I Like It Like That (1994)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Money issues and misunderstandings divide a couple who struggle to raise their children in the Bronx.
Director: Darnell Martin | Stars: Luna Lauren Velez, Jon Seda, Tomas Melly, Desiree Casado
Votes: 1,843 | Gross: $1.78M
13. Friday (1995)
R | 91 min | Comedy, Drama
It's Friday, and Craig and Smokey must come up with $200 they owe a local bully or there won't be a Saturday.
Director: F. Gary Gray | Stars: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Tom Lister Jr.
Votes: 124,351 | Gross: $27.47M
14. Paid in Full (2002)
R | 97 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A young man from Harlem, forced to cope with the 1980s drug scene, builds an illegal empire, only to have a crisis of conscience.
Director: Charles Stone III | Stars: Mekhi Phifer, Wood Harris, Chi McBride, Kevin Carroll
Votes: 14,209 | Gross: $3.04M
15. Belly (1998)
R | 96 min | Crime, Drama
Two young friends involved in organized crime and drug dealing find that their priorities differ.
Director: Hype Williams | Stars: Nas, DMX, Taral Hicks, Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins
Votes: 12,613 | Gross: $9.63M
16. Baby Boy (2001)
R | 130 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
In South Central L.A., a misguided 20-year-old African-American man, a "baby boy", faces the commitments of real life.
Director: John Singleton | Stars: Alexsandra Wright, Tyrese Gibson, Taraji P. Henson, Omar Gooding
Votes: 16,522 | Gross: $28.73M
17. Juice (1992)
R | 95 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Four inner-city teenagers get caught up in the pursuit of power and happiness, which they refer to as "the juice".
Director: Ernest R. Dickerson | Stars: Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine Hopkins, Khalil Kain
Votes: 30,305 | Gross: $20.15M
18. Cool Runnings (1993)
PG | 98 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
When a Jamaican sprinter is disqualified from the Olympic Games, he enlists the help of a dishonored coach to start the first Jamaican Bobsled Team.
Director: Jon Turteltaub | Stars: John Candy, Leon, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis
Votes: 113,625 | Gross: $68.86M
19. Sunset Park (1996)
R | 99 min | Drama, Sport
A white school teacher takes over a talented, but undisciplined black high school basketball team and turns them into a winning team.
Director: Steve Gomer | Stars: Rhea Perlman, Fredro Starr, Carol Kane, Terrence Howard
Votes: 1,859 | Gross: $10.00M
20. Who's the Man? (1993)
R | 85 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
The two worst barbers in Harlem become cops while a real estate developer forces people out of Harlem.
Director: Ted Demme | Stars: Ed Lover, Doctor Dré, Badja Djola, Cheryl 'Salt' James
Votes: 8,801 | Gross: $11.30M
21. A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994)
R | 100 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
An ex-cop, now a private detective, takes on the search for the millions stolen by a drug lord.
Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans | Stars: Keenen Ivory Wayans, Charles S. Dutton, Jada Pinkett Smith, Salli Richardson-Whitfield
Votes: 7,775 | Gross: $29.39M
22. House Party (1990)
R | 100 min | Comedy, Music, Romance
Kid decides to go to his friend Play's house party, but neither of them can predict what's in store for them on what could be the wildest night of their lives.
Director: Reginald Hudlin | Stars: Christopher Reid, Robin Harris, Christopher Martin, Martin Lawrence
Votes: 16,692 | Gross: $26.39M
23. House Party 2 (1991)
R | 94 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
When Kid's college money is stolen by a crooked music promoter, Play's solution is to stage the 'mutha' of all pajama parties. Starring Kid 'n Play and Martin Lawrence.
Directors: George Jackson, Doug McHenry | Stars: Christopher Reid, Christopher Martin, Martin Lawrence, Bowlegged Lou
Votes: 7,097 | Gross: $19.28M
24. House Party 3 (1994)
R | 100 min | Comedy, Music, Romance
Kid, after a lifetime 'playing the field', is about to get married. 'Play' plans to throw the best bachelor party ever - until 'Kid's' three wise-crackin' nephews come to town, intent on showing them what parties are all about.
Director: Eric Meza | Stars: Christopher Reid, Christopher Martin, David Edwards, Angela Means
Votes: 5,622 | Gross: $19.28M
25. Sugar Hill (1993)
R | 123 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A drug dealer tries to get out of the life and start anew with his girlfriend, but the transition is tragically difficult.
Director: Leon Ichaso | Stars: Wesley Snipes, Michael Wright, Khandi Alexander, DeVaughn Nixon
Votes: 4,867 | Gross: $18.27M
26. Caught Up (1998)
R | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Daryl wants to go straight after years in prison. He meets a cute girl who helps him find an honest job driving. He wants to save up and open a nightclub. But then gems and mayhem pop up.
Director: Darin Scott | Stars: Bokeem Woodbine, Cynda Williams, Damon Saleem, Jeffrey Combs
Votes: 1,096 | Gross: $6.72M
27. Talkin' Dirty After Dark (1991)
R | 89 min | Comedy
The laughs and overlapping love lives of a handful of raunchy stand-up comics at a late-night L.A. comedy club. Dukie's is an L.A. hot-spot featuring a lineup of both novice and notorious comedians who get big laughs with dirty jokes.
Director: Topper Carew | Stars: Martin Lawrence, John Witherspoon, Phyllis Yvonne Stickney, Jedda Jones
Votes: 7,152 | Gross: $0.98M
28. Dangerous Ground (1997)
R | 95 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Vusi Madlazi returns to the South African village he left as a young boy (he was organizing against apartheid and left in fear of his life) to bury his father. He meets up with his brother ... See full summary »
Director: Darrell Roodt | Stars: Ice Cube, Elizabeth Hurley, Thokozani Nkosi, Ron Smerczak
Votes: 2,018 | Gross: $5.08M
29. Brooklyn's Finest (2009)
R | 132 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location after enduring vastly different career paths.
Director: Antoine Fuqua | Stars: Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes
Votes: 66,348 | Gross: $27.15M
30. State Property (2002)
R | 88 min | Drama, Crime, Action
Beans decides that the only way to grasp the American Dream is to take it. State Property follows Beans and his crew, as they take over the city creating mayhem as their empire builds.
Director: Abdul Malik Abbott | Stars: Beanie Sigel, Omillio Sparks, Memphis Bleek, Damon Dash
Votes: 2,243 | Gross: $2.10M
31. Deep Cover (1992)
R | 107 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A uniformed police officer is recruited by the DEA to infiltrate a drug smuggling ring looking to expand its operation.
Director: Bill Duke | Stars: Laurence Fishburne, Jeff Goldblum, Lira Angel, René Assa
Votes: 14,014 | Gross: $16.64M
32. Mo' Money (1992)
R | 89 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A con man, seeking to gain the affections of a woman he saw entering an office building, aquires a job in the same building working for an executive who has plans to use his skills for more than just the workplace.
Director: Peter MacDonald | Stars: Damon Wayans, Stacey Dash, Marlon Wayans, Joe Santos
Votes: 8,257 | Gross: $40.23M
33. Ride (1998)
R | 90 min | Comedy
A group of young people take an old bus from Harlem to Miami to make a rap music video there.
Director: Millicent Shelton | Stars: Melissa De Sousa, John Witherspoon, Cedric The Entertainer, Malik Yoba
Votes: 830 | Gross: $5.48M
34. The Players Club (1998)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Drama
A woman must contend with rival strippers and her boss in an attempt to make a legitimate living.
Director: Ice Cube | Stars: LisaRaye McCoy, Dick Anthony Williams, Judyann Elder, Chrystale Wilson
Votes: 7,321 | Gross: $23.03M
35. Hustle & Flow (2005)
R | 116 min | Crime, Drama, Music
With help from his friends, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip-hop emcee.
Director: Craig Brewer | Stars: Terrence Howard, Ludacris, Anthony Anderson, Taryn Manning
Votes: 43,195 | Gross: $22.20M
36. New Jack City (1991)
R | 97 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A crime lord ascends to power and becomes megalomaniacal while a maverick police detective vows to stop him.
Director: Mario Van Peebles | Stars: Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Allen Payne, Chris Rock
Votes: 38,772 | Gross: $47.62M
37. Never Die Alone (2004)
R | 88 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A drug kingpin's return home touches off a turf war.
Director: Ernest R. Dickerson | Stars: DMX, David Arquette, Michael Ealy, Drew Sidora
Votes: 6,119 | Gross: $5.64M
38. Set It Off (1996)
R | 123 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Desperation drives four inner-city women to bank robbery in Los Angeles, then they start mistrusting each other.
Director: F. Gary Gray | Stars: Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise
Votes: 18,438 | Gross: $36.05M
39. Gridlock'd (1997)
R | 91 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Two friends try to kick their drug addiction after a friend dies from an overdose, when they try to enroll in a detox program, things quickly go wrong.
Director: Vondie Curtis-Hall | Stars: Tupac Shakur, Tim Roth, Thandiwe Newton, Charles Fleischer
Votes: 16,578 | Gross: $5.48M
40. Waist Deep (2006)
R | 97 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An ex-convict (Tyrese) gets tangled up with a gang after his car is hijacked with his son inside.
Director: Vondie Curtis-Hall | Stars: Tyrese Gibson, Meagan Good, Larenz Tate, Shawn Parr
Votes: 10,503 | Gross: $21.32M
41. Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club (2008 Video)
R | 76 min | Drama
An ex-con goes back to his old ways, wondering if he can ever turn his life around, but things become more complicated when he falls for a woman who makes her living upholding the law.
Director: Ivan Frank | Stars: Game, Taye Hansberry, Ski Carr, Michael Kenneth Williams
Votes: 680
42. Gang Warz (2004)
97 min | Drama, Action
L.A.'s top Latino gang leader is release from jail on a technicality, swearing to kill both the cop who put him away and the priest who testified against him.
Director: Chris McIntyre | Stars: Derek Barbosa, Coolio, Reni Santoni, Robert Vaughn
Votes: 184
43. Deliver Us from Eva (2003)
R | 105 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Eva doesn't let her 3 sisters' men push them around. She's always butting in. How to pacify Eva? Find her a man. The men pay a playboy to be that man. The problem is - he falls in love with Eva.
Director: Gary Hardwick | Stars: Gabrielle Union, LL Cool J, Essence Atkins, Duane Martin
Votes: 7,715 | Gross: $17.33M
44. South Central (1992)
R | 98 min | Crime, Drama
A former gangster fresh out of prison wants to change his life for the better and must save his 10 year old son who has already chosen a gang life.
Director: Stephen Milburn Anderson | Stars: Glenn Plummer, Byron Minns, Lexie Bigham, Vincent Craig Dupree
Votes: 6,703 | Gross: $1.37M
45. Cut Throat City (2020)
R | 123 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Set after Hurricane Katrina, four boyhood friends out of options reluctantly accept an offer to pull off a dangerous heist in the heart of New Orleans.
Director: RZA | Stars: Shameik Moore, Demetrius Shipp Jr., Denzel Whitaker, Keean Johnson
Votes: 3,170
46. Daddy's Little Girls (2007)
PG-13 | 100 min | Drama, Romance
A mechanic and his family are struggling to make ends meet with his ex-girlfriend and her drug dealing boyfriend He struggles to get custody of his children during the way he falls inlove with his attorney.
Director: Tyler Perry | Stars: Gabrielle Union, Idris Elba, Tracee Ellis Ross, Louis Gossett Jr.
Votes: 8,281 | Gross: $31.34M
47. Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005)
R | 117 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
A tale of an inner city drug dealer who turns away from a life of crime to pursue his passion of rap music.
Director: Jim Sheridan | Stars: 50 Cent, Joy Bryant, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Omar Benson Miller
Votes: 50,111 | Gross: $30.98M
48. Obsessed (2009)
PG-13 | 108 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
A successful executive's seemingly perfect career and marriage starts falling apart when his firm hires a seductive office temp.
Director: Steve Shill | Stars: Beyoncé, Idris Elba, Ali Larter, Jerry O'Connell
Votes: 34,316 | Gross: $68.26M
49. Booty Call (1997)
R | 79 min | Comedy, Romance
Two friends who have gone too long without sex set out to get some.
Director: Jeff Pollack | Stars: Jamie Foxx, Tommy Davidson, Vivica A. Fox, Tamala Jones
Votes: 9,522 | Gross: $20.06M
50. Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998)
R | 116 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Three women each claim to be the widow of 1950s doo-wop singer Frankie Lymon, claiming legal rights to his estate.
Director: Gregory Nava | Stars: Halle Berry, Vivica A. Fox, Lela Rochon, Larenz Tate
Votes: 4,538 | Gross: $12.41M
51. Two Can Play That Game (2001)
R | 90 min | Comedy, Romance
An arrogant career woman plays a series of heartless mind-games with her boyfriend to "put him in line," only to discover that he has a few tricks up his own sleeve.
Director: Mark Brown | Stars: Vivica A. Fox, Morris Chestnut, Anthony Anderson, Gabrielle Union
Votes: 7,365 | Gross: $22.24M
52. Black and Blue (I) (2019)
R | 108 min | Action, Thriller
A rookie New Orleans police officer is forced to balance her identity as a black woman after she witnesses two corrupt cops committing murder.
Director: Deon Taylor | Stars: Naomie Harris, Tyrese Gibson, Frank Grillo, Mike Colter
Votes: 26,631 | Gross: $22.06M
53. Queen & Slim (2019)
R | 132 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A couple's first date takes an unexpected turn when a police officer pulls them over.
Director: Melina Matsoukas | Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith, Bokeem Woodbine, Chloë Sevigny
Votes: 34,583
54. Shottas (2002)
R | 95 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Wayne and Biggs grow up together on the tough and dangerous streets of Kingston, Jamaica. Eventually moving to Miami, they begin a ruthless climb to the top of a criminal enterprise as they aggressively take control of the Jamaican mob.
Director: Cess Silvera | Stars: Ky-Mani Marley, Spragga Benz, Louie Rankin, Paul Campbell
Votes: 4,803
55. In Too Deep (1999)
R | 95 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Right out of police academy, Jeff/Omar Epps starts as undercover cop in Cincinnati. First it's small time cases but he proves himself and moves up to a big case - befriending a brutal crime boss.
Director: Michael Rymer | Stars: Lloyd Adams, Philip Akin, Anna Carolina Arias, Karina Arroyave
Votes: 7,117 | Gross: $14.00M
56. Body Cam (2020)
R | 96 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
When a routine traffic stop results in the unexplained, grisly death of her colleague, a cop realizes footage of the incident will play for her eyes only. As the attacks mount, she races to understand the supernatural force behind them.
Director: Malik Vitthal | Stars: Mary J. Blige, Nat Wolff, David Zayas, Anika Noni Rose
Votes: 7,359
57. Deuces (2016)
TV-MA | 87 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An undercover agent infiltrates a crime ring run by a charismatic boss.
Director: Jamal Hill | Stars: Larenz Tate, Meagan Good, Rotimi, Rick Gonzalez
Votes: 1,083
58. Barbershop (2002)
PG-13 | 102 min | Comedy, Drama
A day in the life of a South Side Chicago barbershop.
Director: Tim Story | Stars: Ice Cube, Cedric The Entertainer, Eve, Anthony Anderson
Votes: 33,514 | Gross: $75.78M
59. Love Jones (1997)
R | 109 min | Drama, Romance
Darius Lovehall is a young black poet in Chicago who starts dating Nina Mosley, a beautiful and talented photographer. While trying to figure out if they've got a "love thing" or are just "... See full summary »
Director: Theodore Witcher | Stars: Larenz Tate, Nia Long, Isaiah Washington, Lisa Nicole Carson
Votes: 5,634 | Gross: $12.51M
60. The Hate U Give (2018)
PG-13 | 133 min | Crime, Drama
Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Now, facing pressure from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what's right.
Director: George Tillman Jr. | Stars: Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Anthony Mackie
Votes: 40,064 | Gross: $29.72M
61. Straight Outta Compton (2015)
R | 147 min | Biography, Drama, History
The rap group NWA emerges from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles, California, in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes Hip Hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood.
Director: F. Gary Gray | Stars: O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Neil Brown Jr.
Votes: 218,245 | Gross: $161.20M
62. All Eyez on Me (2017)
R | 139 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Tells the true and untold story of prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist Tupac Shakur.
Director: Benny Boom | Stars: Demetrius Shipp Jr., Danai Gurira, Kat Graham, Annie Ilonzeh
Votes: 24,704 | Gross: $44.92M
63. Notorious (2009)
R | 122 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The life and death story of The Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Christopher Wallace), who came straight out of Brooklyn to take the world of rap music by storm.
Director: George Tillman Jr. | Stars: Jamal Woolard, Anthony Mackie, Derek Luke, Momo Dione
Votes: 46,028 | Gross: $36.84M
64. Love & Basketball (2000)
PG-13 | 124 min | Drama, Romance, Sport
Monica and Quincy love and play basketball together through many life challenges from childhood to adulthood.
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood | Stars: Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps, Glenndon Chatman, Jess Willard
Votes: 24,252 | Gross: $27.44M
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