# King of New York vs. New Jack City

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 7, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984 "2012-09-07T14:15:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984/1 "2012-09-07T14:15:44Z")

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Tale of the tape:

**King of New York** :

Released: 1990

Starring: Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne, David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71%

Plot in a nutshell: Recently released from prison, drug lord Frank White strives to both eliminate his competition and improve his old neighborhood by building a hospital, while being monitored and harassed by a group of overzealous policemen.

**New Jack City** :

Released: 1991

Starring: Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Judd Nelson, Chris Rock, Mario Van Peebles

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76%

Plot in a nutshell: Chronicle of the rise and fall of Nino Brown (as well as the rise of crack cocaine), and the unorthodox policemen who are determined to stop him.

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### Author: ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984/2 "2012-09-07T15:38:17Z")

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New Jack City because they let Al B. Sure act.

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### Author: ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984/3 "2012-09-07T19:14:19Z")

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Not having seen either movie, I voted for New Jack City because I heart Russell Wong.

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### Author: ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984/4 "2012-09-07T20:15:17Z")

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Walken for the win. And its the last thing Caruso didn’t suck in.

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### Author: ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984/5 "2012-09-07T20:54:48Z")

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> [@MegaBee](#):
>
> New Jack City because they let Al B. Sure act.

Call me Al B. Sure one more time. -Christopher Williams

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### Author: ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984/6 "2012-09-07T21:19:54Z")

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I thought this was going to be about [Kool Keith and Automator](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsNeY0OhZsk) versus [Ice T](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahitJjavTCM). I’d have to go with Ice T on that one. “New Jack Hustler” was amazingly groundbreaking, and it still holds up well today. Although “King of NY” is a great song too.

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### Author: ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984/7 "2012-09-07T22:16:39Z")

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_King of New York_ was a better flick with better actors. Come to think of it, all of the principal actors in _New Jack City_ suck, especially Judd Nelson.

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### Author: ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984/8 "2012-09-07T22:29:19Z")

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> [@BlankSlate](#):
>
> Come to think of it, all of the principal actors in _New Jack City_ suck, especially Judd Nelson.

What? The film that gave us Chris Rock in his breakout performance as “Pookie”?

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### Author: ![Musky\_Moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984/9 "2012-09-07T22:32:02Z")

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Not even close, for me. King of New York by a long way. Let’s face it, Walken is more entertaining than the entire cast of New Jack City.

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### Author: ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984/10 "2012-09-07T22:36:17Z")

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King of New York wins hands down for 3 scenes…

1. Walken repeatedly shooting the already dead mob boss
2. Tampons
3. The frire hydrant

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### Author: ![Greekfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@Greekfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greekfreak)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984/11 "2012-09-09T17:19:44Z")

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Love 'em both for varying reasons–Wesley Snipes was incredible, Ice-T was good, and the NJC soundtrack is still one of the greatest hip-hip albums EVER, all respect to Schooly D.

But Walken and Fishburne are so iconic in King of New York, and if you ever get the chance, buy the director’s cut which features Abel Ferrara’s commentary which I’ve listened to multiple times. It’s hysterically funny and endlessly quotable.

King Of New York gets the nod.

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### Author: ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2012, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984/12 "2012-09-10T04:44:46Z")

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I can’t choose! Those are 2 of my all time favorite so bad they’re good movies. I’m going to have to do a lot of deep thinking and soul searching before I make my final decision. Although I think I’m starting to lean towards King of New York.

This is like trying to make me choose between Red Dawn and Starship Troopers 3.

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### Author: ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2012, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984/13 "2012-09-10T13:17:53Z")

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New Jack City. It marked a permenant transition in Ice-T’s career from “cop killer” to film/tv cop!

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### Author: ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984/14 "2012-09-10T16:49:06Z")

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I didn’t see KoNY, but I loved NJC.

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### Author: ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984/15 "2012-09-10T17:04:11Z")

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> [@msmith537](#):
>
> New Jack City. It marked a permenant transition in Ice-T’s career from “cop killer” to film/tv cop!

Nitpick - New Jack City came out in 1991. The song “cop killer” was released in 1992 when Ice T formed the group Body Count.

Haven’t seen King of New York in a long time. Caught New Jack City in the last year, and it did not hold up well for me at all. “sit your five dollar ass down before I make change” :rolleyes:

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### Author: ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-new-york-vs-new-jack-city/633984/16 "2012-09-12T18:26:36Z")

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New Jack City

1. For the lines: “Sit your five dollar ass down before I make change” , “I wanna shoot you so bad, my dick’s hard!”, and “Rock a Blah, baby”.
2. For Tracy Camilla Johns.
