Ive never seen this movie, but the novel the movie is based on is dope (he wrote the book when he was 24), as is other shit Richard Price has written (novels and screenplays). Clockers, Ransom, The Wire.
edit: i just saw this movie he wrote/produced too, came out in '95, it wasnt bad, nicholas cage, the dude from csi, samuel l. are all in it-kiss of death