Way Back: Juice (1992)

Juice was released in US theaters on January 17th, 1992. With a modest budget of about $5 million, the film grossed more than $20 million during its run on the big screen. It was a first for many. Both Tupac and Omar Epps made their feature length film debuts in starring roles, while Ernest Dickerson earned both his first lead writing and directorial credits.

For lovers of the culture, you get cameos from an array of hip-hop’s prominent figures of the time. Outside of Pac’s star performance, we get to see Samuel L. Jackson, Queen Latifah, Flex Alexander, Doctor Dre, Ed Lover, Fab 5 Freddy, Donald Faison, EPMD, and Treach.

In the case of the protagonist, Q, hip-hop was his refuge. Perhaps the only thing that kept him from fully committing to crime was his love for DJing. It’s refreshing to consider the approach to rap at this early stage of the genre, where DJs were still highly valued and music was so appreciated that it was worth stealing from the record store.

There’s an underlying lesson in the film about those that pursue dreams and passions, and those that are strictly consumed by vices and delusions. These themes still persist today. Even 30 years later, we’re still trying to determine the best ways to serve urban youth and determine the best ways for commonfolk to handle guns. 

In a decade that was packed with “hood” movies, this is one of the most memorable. Tupac showed his star potential early, and Omar Epps gave the first of many notable performances. It’ll be a long time before we forget the impact of Juice.