Barry Michael Cooper, Writer Behind ‘New Jack City,’ Dead At 66

Barry Michael Cooper, the esteemed journalist-turned-screenwriter who helped define an era of Black cinema, has sadly passed away at the age of 66. His cause of death has not been disclosed.

According to TMZ, the Maryland Chief Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed his passing on Wednesday (Jan. 22) in Baltimore.

Cooper first gained recognition through his investigative reporting, contributing to The Village Voice and Spin Magazine. One of his standout pieces, “New Jack City Eats Its Young”—which would go on to inspire the film New Jack City—chronicled the crack epidemic’s impact on Harlem.

The 1991 crime thriller starred Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, and Chris Rock and became a cultural gem in cinema. Cooper continued to shape the landscape of Black storytelling with Sugar Hill (1993), starring Snipes again and Above the Rim (1994), starring Tupac Shakur. His masterful skill would go on to coin what became known as “New Jack Cinema.”

Beyond film, Cooper also made his mark in television, serving as a producer for Spike Lee’s Netflix series She’s Gotta Have It (2017-2019) and BET’s crime documentary series American Gangster. Per the latter, he produced the 2008 episode on Larry Davis, a controversial figure in New York’s crime history.

Cooper last posted to social media to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday (January 15), just days before his passing. His final post showed him wearing a black hoodie with the caption: “15 January 2025 – Dr. MLK Day – “Am I My Brother’s Keeper? – Baltimore, Md.”