Next Friday (2000) (Platinum Series)

Set two years after the events in FRIDAY, NEXT FRIDAY follows a day in the life of protagonist Craig (Ice Cube), who must flee Los Angeles after neighborhood bully Debo breaks out of prison, vowing to beat him to a pulp. Craig escapes to his uncle Elroy's house in Rancho Cucamonga, only to discover that life in the suburbs is even more screwed up than in the ghetto. His uncle is into S&M; his aunt is a nymphomaniac; the neighbors are a bunch of gangsters; and his cousin is chased by a former girlfriend and a thuggish woman named Baby D. The fourth film produced by Ice Cube, NEXT FRIDAY is, like its predecessor, a buddy film pairing straight man Ice Cube with fresh comedic talent Mike Epps. Helmed by first-time director Steve Carr, who is known for making stylish videos for top rap acts, the film sends up raunchy life in suburbia from an African American perspective. The soundtrack is liberally sprinkled with thumping hip-hop tracks, including "Chin Check," the first new song from the rap group NWA in many years.