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3 votes
“The true story of the legend who inspired the biggest name in rap.”
In 1987 at the height of New York’s brutal crack cocaine epidemic, one man terrorized the city’s most notorious gangstas. Armed with a bulletproof vest and an arsenal of weapons, he robbed and extorted many of Brooklyn’s biggest hustlers. A cold-blooded crook, he was the hoods version of Billy the Kid, knowing that one day he would ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin'. Most knew him simply as 50 Cent.
Director
Director
Status
Released
Original Language
EN

“White Boy Rick”, as he was called, was a novelty: A white teenager seemingly running a major inner-city drug operation. In May of 1987, 17-year-old Richard Wershe Jr. was charged with a non-violent, juvenile drug offense. By the time of his arrest he was already a Detroit legend, frequently making front-page headlines and leading the local television news. In this film, gangsters, hit men, journalists and federal agents struggle to explain why he remains in prison at nearly 50 years old. The possible explanation is more stunning than the crimes Wershe was alleged to have committed.

Legendary journalist Gay Talese unmasks a motel owner who spied on his guests for decades. But his bombshell story soon becomes a scandal of its own.