Writer and producer Barry Michael Cooper passed away on January 22nd at the age of 67, according to renowned author Nelson George.
This famous screenwriter became part of the fabric of urban culture in the 1990s, and his work left an indelible mark across pop culture. He is best known for writing the scripts for several iconic films, including New Jack City starring Wesley Snipes and Chris Rock and Above the Rim starring Tupac Shakur. known. He also wrote Sugar Hill and produced the television series She’s Gotta Have It.
New York, NY – September 12: (LR) Nelson George, Barry Michael Cooper, Agee Faison, and Ice-T perform at the Paley Center for Media Presents “Planet Rock: Hip Hop and the Crack Generation” Attended “Story” >> September 12, 2011 at the Paley Media Center in New York City. (Photo by John W. Ferguson/Getty Images)
“It’s going to take me a while to gather all my thoughts.” George wrote In memory of his friends and colleagues.
He went on to thank Cooper for “recommending him to Robert Christgau in the Village Voice when I was trying to write for the riff section in 1981.”
“It was a seminal moment in my career and life,” he said. “Barry pioneered Teddy Riley’s sound by naming it ‘New Jack Swing’ and writing star vehicles for Wesley Snipes (New Jack City, Sugar Hill) and Tupac (above). His reporting on crack helped define pop culture in the ’80s and ’90s. rim)”
He paid tribute to Cooper’s dedication to his hometown, saying, “Although he spent most of the last decades of his life in Baltimore, he was a Harlem man at heart.”
Cooper documented the daily challenges of city life and shared his stories through authentic storytelling.
His groundbreaking exposé, “New Jack City Eats the Young,” was featured in the Village Voice, and Cooper was thrust into the spotlight. His talent spread to the silver screen and truly left his mark on entertainment history.
In addition to his own films, Cooper also produced the 2008 “Larry Davis Episode” for Season 3 of BET’s hit crime documentary series “American Gangster.” (Related: Reality star Lin Bang dies after undergoing emergency brain surgery)
Cooper’s last Instagram post was shared on January 15th in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. The circumstances behind his death and the official cause of death have not been publicly shared as of Wednesday afternoon.
He left behind a legacy of groundbreaking films that will continue to live on. Many in the industry and around the world are mourning his death and celebrating his life on social media.
