The American Gangster Meets Mr.Untouchable
In next week’s New York magazine, on newsstands Monday October 29 and online now at NYmag.com, contributing editor Mark Jacobson moderates a historic conversation between 1970’s drug kingpins Frank Lucas and Leroy “Nicky” Barnes, who are being featured in the upcoming films American Gangster and Mr. Untouchable. American Gangster is based on a Jacobson piece that appeared in New York magazine in 2000, “The Return of Superfly,” . Some highlights of the conversation, which touches on everything from the presidential race to hip-hop to snitching are below.
Chek out, “The American Gangster“(11/2) and, “Mr.Untouchable,”(10/26) in theaters.
Mark Jacobson: Did you ever think there’d be this whole hip-hop thing? You guys are both mentioned in a million rap songs.
Frank Lucas: Call them songs? When I came along, we had singing. They might make up songs about me, but I don’t have to like them.
MJ: What about you, Nick? You’re like a hip-hop folk hero.
Nicky Barnes: I never thought anything like this would happen. When hiphop first started, everybody—I mean the music entrepreneurs—predicted that hip-hop would be dead in five years. They said, “Those motherfuckers ain’t gonna make no money.” But hip-hop rolled along, and look what they’re doing now. They got Jay-Z, Damon Dash, Kanye West, 50 Cent. These guys are doing something legitimate.
FL: At least Nick knows the names. I don’t know none of them. I know Puffy Combs, because of his father.
NB: Oh, Melvin! Melvin Combs.
FL: Melvin used to be at my house a couple of times a week. I’m proud to see Melvin’s son like that.
MJ: Any second thoughts, Nick?
NB: No, man. When I realized they left me on the battlefield to die, I said, “Fuck it!” … I said, “I’ll pull those motherfuckers in, let them see what it’s like.” I would rather be out here in the witness program than to be in jail with them. Why would I wanna be in there with them kinda niggers? I don’t regret it. I saw this show on CNN, with Anderson Cooper. Cats were talking about “Don’t snitch, no matter what happens.” Well, I can’t see how a guy can be considered strong if he lets a bunch of assholes walk all over him and he doesn’t respond, just because of some code that a bunch of idiots have cooked up. Anderson Cooper asked this rapper, “Suppose a child was molested and you knew who this molester was. Would you tell the police?” He said, “No.” So that’s what I’m sayin’—the street guidelines are just moron bullshit.
Suggestion Box
October 26th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
im def go to check tha American Gangster cuz im African gangster,haha
its gon be a good movie,dont yall thing so??
October 26th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
haha nicky barnes thinks cam’ron is a moron
October 26th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Fuck Nicky Barnes he a rat he snitch on his BABY mom. I don’t care bout them other guys (cuz you do the crime u can do the time) but a woman ontop of that your baby mom.
Off Topic
What you did and what Cam said he wouldnt do are two different thing. You was man enought to sell Crack AKA(Death Sentence) to the youth, But when you get caught you decide now you take a stand faggot. Snitching didn’t make you a Bitch selling drug to the youth did.
October 26th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
I actually got to see the movie American Gangster and was really hyped to see it so early and i gotta tell you they really let me down…denzel did a great job but it was poorly written and moved too fast , didn’t really develop the characters as they should have, overall very dissappointed.
October 26th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
wtf, why do they keep glorifyin these cats. this shit aint cool fuck em.
October 26th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
nicky barnes thinks cam is a moron because nicky barnes is a fucking snitch.
you cant snitch on niggas u did dirt with, thats the worse way to snitch.
what cam said was dumb as hell, but that doesn’t justify snitching as a good thing.
sometimes it is necessary to prevent crimes or put a stop to them, but its not necessary in the case of a drug dealer turning on all his associates for a lesser sentence, thats bullshit.
frank and nicky are big snitches.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:21 am
I guess Puffy’s pops was really getting it in in Harlem. I heard about him being a big time pimp.
October 27th, 2007 at 6:00 am
I just watched American Gangster too and I loved it! Reminded me of the Godfather. Dude had his organization modeled after the mafia but should have stopped while they was ahead. All that money they got from him, damn! Definitely a must see.
October 27th, 2007 at 9:22 am
that is true, melvin combs, puff’s dad was a gangsta
October 28th, 2007 at 7:47 am
American Gangster wasn’t that great.. I hope the version I saw wasn’t the final cut but it just seemed long and drawn out. I’m gonna catch it in the theaters for sure but from the 2 hours I spent watching it last night…its overhyped
October 28th, 2007 at 9:46 am
i don’t no if ya notice but ya are the only 10 mothafuckas on this post who are making comment on nicky barnes, fuck nicky barnes he ain’t no gangster all he did was sell crack to his community and snitch on niggas that all, niggas in my hood do that all the time, that shit don’t make you a gangster, gangster now and day are lame i mean killing a mothafucka for one reason doesn’t make you a gangster it make you a lame, and if killing is the case towards making you a gangster, then shit i be killing roaches and rats all over my apartment so does that make me a gangster, not even that iv seen gangster all over the world who are just wanna be they try to act all hard n shit, but niggas who really try to act tuff are just fuckin cowers all that gangster shit is just play out, now and day nigga try to prove there self by using weapons and shit which is a shame, now and days are not like back in the days when it was all bout using your fiss and not a gun to beat the shit out of niggas, but i guess that why they call them American Gangster, cuz it only in America where most gangster are cower, cuz real Gangster in these violent countries do more then just murder and sell drugs, it seem like to be a gangster you have to go by the rules and do the same o lames shit to become a gangster, which is sell drugs kill motherfuckas and all that other bullshit, but to me a real gangster is a real mothafucker who live a violent life, but no how to protect his self with out using weapons and still be intimated by other, selling drug and killing people doesn’t make you a killer, and all these wanna be thug now and days are just lame ass cower, who act tuff cuz they see it on TV or cuz they were once bullied.
October 28th, 2007 at 9:51 am
i meant to say sell drug and killing people doesn’t make you a gangster,
October 28th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
It would’ve been justifiable if he just snitched on people within his circle not to say i would, but this dude went pass that he started snitching on people that was not a part of his circle like the italians. I read his book mr untouchable and was really feeling his work till i read gansters of harlem and got the real scoop on little man. That dude need to climb back in his hole. Let the truth be told u rat. Rat! and Nicky snitch got something to say about Cam. Its not about dying for someone its about dying for what u believe in! So i guess u don’t believe in yourself! Rat . You one of the reasons i’m south in the cut and not in New York because of these rats teach our kids its the move . Dame you should be a shame of your self. I heard about your come home Alpo party you threw. Damn! all ya dudes in the limelight hold ya head no homo!
October 28th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
Hey Dipset you clowns never cease to amaze with your ignorance.A man who sell drugs by nature is a rat who will do anything to survive.It is always you criminal dumbasses who are in and out of jail snitching killing robbing ect.The rest of us never see the inside of a police station only you scum traitor vermin.If it was up to us we would exterminate all of you and cleanse our race.Dont tell these faggots to hold their head up they are looking down at someones dick they are about to suck.
Real Talk
October 28th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
lol who cares y are we gloryfyin drug dealers and snitches?ima go see american gangster tho but the t.v. shows are stupid that come on BET…
GMC WE STAY GETTIN MONEY…
November 5th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
have any of you ignorant, fake thugs who have no clue as to what it takes to be a fucking man heard of the term “no honor among thieves” well the same quote apples to all other aspects of crime and criminals… the truth is that 1/2 of the fake computer thugs frontin’ on this blog have no clue what jail is like… and the sad reality is that you dumb motherfuckers will go out at do some dumb shit to try to prove youre down instead of doing smething constructive… youre all fuckin wack.
November 7th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
Actually, Alpo is still in prison. But he had his sentence reduced after he became a government informant. Many rumors have surfaced regarding him having been released but they’re completely untrue. Unfortunately, his mentality is still the same. But what can I say, some people never learn nor do they ever grow up. He’s in the WPP in prison but he won’t stay in the program, especially after his release. And get this: he’s making money from his documentary. I must say that his son is a very good kid though. Straight A student and looks exactly like him.
November 7th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
Two snitch ass bitches,John Gotti would piss on !
February 17th, 2008 at 8:22 am
fuck you fools its all about the big 13 sur for life.