Trivia

Story is largely based on a real-life Detroit gang known as The Chambers Brothers. Writer Barry Michael Cooper got the idea for the film after visiting Detroit and learning about the gang's exploits.

On Inside the Actors Studio (1994), Chris Rock claimed that for several years following his acclaimed performance as a crack addict, drug dealers would approach him and put crack and cocaine in his pocket; joking that "they thought it was a documentary." He stated that, although he knew people who used crack at the time, he never did and, in his 1997 memoir "Rock This" had only smoked marijuana twice.

The highest grossing independent feature of 1991.

The story of Nino Brown was based on the Chambers Brothers story. These four brothers sold crack in Detroit. Like Nino had his apartment building called "The Carter," the Chambers Brothers also had an apartment called the Broadmoor. They moved into the 4 story, 52 unit building, selling different types of drugs on each floor. They often sold drugs alongside families who already lived in the building, forcing them to leave or deal with their illegal and dangerous activity. Officials have often claimed that the brothers ran their drug operation like a large, very organized corporation. The foursome became nationally known when they were caught on tape counting laundry baskets of money and flaunting their wealth.

Ice-T recounted in his autobiography that he was cast in the film by being in the right place at the right time. That place was a nightclub, and Mario Van Peebles was also there that night. "Mario said he overheard me talking sh*t in the bathroom," Ice T wrote. "I don't remember this exactly, but apparently I was telling someone: 'The problem is, if they could put me under a microscope and find one molecule of me that gave a f*ck, then they'd have a chance.'" Van Peebles liked what he heard and told someone that "whoever said that is going to be the star of my next movie." He found Ice T in the club, gave him his number, and convinced the rapper to contact him the next day.

Tupac Shakur auditioned for the role of Gee Money but was turned down due to the fact that he looked younger than Wesley Snipes. Shakur would later portray Bishop in Juice (1992), a character similar to that of Nino Brown.

Barry Michael Cooper recently revealed that the name Nino Brown was a reference to his own sartorial experiences growing up in Harlem in the 1970s. Cooper refers to a group of "scramblin' guys" (the idols of neighbourhood) who would shop at expensive boutiques in Manhattan. After window shopping at one store, Cooper inquired about the price of a pair of loafers and was told that they were $105. "I had a Neighborhood Youth Core job after school, and I saved up six of my $45-dollar-a-week checks to buy those shoes, before I went to my first-and last year-at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina," Cooper said. "The icing on the cake was the Nino Gabriele store shopping bag. It looked like this ultra-fly plastic valise, in shades of brown and tan, with the name 'Nino Gabriele' written in an art-deco style."

The bag earned Cooper respect, and the memory inspired him to name the film's lead character.

Ice-T was paid $26,000 for his role in the film. This is per his 2017 interview on the Howard Stern Show.

Film debuts of Vanessa Williams and Phyllis Yvonne Stickney.

On Judd Nelson's first day of work, the film's security guards, who were from the Nation of Islam, wouldn't let him on the set. Nelson had to find a pay phone and call the production office to be allowed in.

Leo O'Brien - who played one of the kids, loitering on the stairs, (who recognised that Ice-T, was a cop), actually starred alongside Mario van Peebles as his younger brother, in the movie Rappin' (1985)

Chris Rock's character was named "Pookie". Pookie has since become an alternative name or descriptive for opiate based drugs like heroin and perscription pills, sometimes referred to as "Pookies" or to get "Pookied".

Vivica A. Fox auditioned for the roles of Selina and Keisha.

Taimak lobbied hard for the role of Scotty Appleton.

Oran 'Juice' Jones was originally cast as Gee Money but he was replaced with Allen Payne.

Big Daddy Kane auditioned for a role.

Pookie tells Appleton that smoking crack is like beaming up to the starship Enterprise from Star Trek: The Original Series (1966). Cast member Bill Cobbs would later go on to portray the inventor of the transporter in Star Trek: Enterprise: Daedalus (2005).

John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, James Gandolfini, Nicolas Cage, Michael Imperioli, & Mickey Rourke were considered for the role of Nick Peretti before Judd Nelson was cast.

Chris Rock and Allen Payne were in CB4 (1994) together.

Johnny Depp was considered for the role of Detective Nick Peretti. But was considered too expensive for the movie.

In the opening Nino Brown suspends a man from a bridge and then drops him as he plummets to his death. At the end of the film, Nino is shot and falls over a bannister as he descends to his death.

When Pookie dies in the film and the police are trying to get the bomb off of his body, you can see Chris Rock blink his eyes.