“American Gangster” makes BET history, scoring number one series premiere. “American Gangster” drew in 1.6 million viewers making is the number one November telecast original series in BET’s history. The series, narrated by Ving Rhames, explores the lives of some of the African American community’s most notorious gangsters and their impact on their communities, and society-at-large.
The first episode of the series, which aired Tuesday, profiled Crips gang co-founder Stanley “Tookie” Williams earned a 1.6 million viewer rating according to Nielsen Media Research. The numbers also ranked “American Gangster” the number one fourth quarter series premiere in the network’s history, with “Lil’ Kim: Countdown To Lockdown,” in the number two slot.
The second episode of “American Gangster,” airing tonight at 10 PM, will profile Ricky “Freeway” Ross, the first crack king of Los Angeles. His dealings not only impacted the local community, but also the international drug trade. His name may also sound familiar because of the rappers Freeway and Rick Ross, who have borrowed the Kingpen’s monikers.
Other notorious figureheads who will be profiled in the series include Lorenzo “Fat Cat” Nichols,” The Smith Brothers and Leroy “Nicky” Barnes.
