Nobody used to notice Frank Lucas (Washington), the quiet driver to one of the inner citys leading black crime bosses. But when his boss suddenly dies, Frank exploits the opening in the power structure to build his own empire. Through ingenuity and a strict business ethic, he comes to rule the inner-city drug trade, flooding the streets with a purer product at a better price. Lucas outplays all of the leading crime syndicates and becomes not only one of the citys mainline corrupters, but part of its circle of legit civic superstars. Richie Roberts (Crowe) is an outcast cop who believes someone is climbing the rungs above the known Mafia families. The destinies of these two men will become intertwined as they approach a confrontation where only one of them can come out on top.