Freeway: Crack in the System

A great documentary it was very nice to see how well that put it together in a way you can understand very great gem

His is the story of "Freeway" Rick Ross is a former convicted drug trafficker who, in the 80s, was responsible for flooding the streets of Los Angeles with crack cocaine. Caught and then convicted to life in prison during the mid-90s, Freeway Rick reduced his sentence to 20 years after the information he revealed to newspaper journalist Gary Webb helped expose a shady alliance between the CIA and cocaine-smuggling rebels from Nicaragua.

Rick Ross comes across as a really nice guy . ( his voice sounds just like Denzel Washington's) He's a shining example of how dealing drugs doesn't pay in the long run. Especially when you are African American and up against the CIA and legal system in what is ultimately one of the most racist Countries in the world . The USA .

Rick did have his brief moment of being rich and famous, but only briefly. He was always going to be a fall guy as all the the street dealers were and are . The actual suppliers and corrupt officials get away with their crimes .

It's not the most exciting documentary. It is educational and hopefully a lesson to people but sadly the story of Freeway Rick Ross is just another example of how the American dream is just that - A Dream.

It was very well directed and tells the story of what really went on in LA in the 1980s. I can see a film adaption happening some time in the future

I should have spent time watching paint dry, instead. That would have been more interesting.

So this is a whole different take on what American Made gave us (the one with Tom Cruise as a pilot). Now we get on the ground (no pun intended) and see what happened to all the drugs that came flying into America (again no pun intended). Now morally speaking you may wonder if and who really are victims here (I'd say the ones that got hooked on the drugs), but we also have the ones dealing (with) them.

One of them being Ricky Ross who is very prominently shown here, with some of his associates but also reporters and more people chipping in. Now if you are into Hip Hop the name Rick Ross is probably one that will ring a bell. It's a different person (duh!), but also one that according to the criminal/drug dealer Rick(y) Ross steal his name to get famous. But more on that in the movie itself (also the rappers quite weak explanation why he started using that artist name).

It's not an easy watch, but it is enticing and interesting to see a man who made a lot of money and how he tries to make up for it now (cynical people may feel a bit distressed and nauseous about it) ...