The American Gangster of alcohol that empowered the gangsters. The documentary shows actual film footage and photographs of gangsters like Pretty Boy Floyd, John Dillinger, Al Capone, and Bugsy Siegel. "The American Gangster" was released on VHS on July 1, 1992. The documentary was later part of a box set of DVDs, "The Mob Box Set", released on January 3, 2006. The documentary accompanied films like "Bugsy" (1991), "Donnie Brasco" (1997), and "Snatch" (2000). The American Gangster The American Gangster is a 1992 American crime documentary film directed by Ben Burtt and written and produced by Ray Herbeck Jr. The documentary is narrated
American Gangster (album) every song is based on a specific scene from the film. In an interview on the "Charlie Rose Show", he elucidated the inspiration behind the album: Although Jay-Z says "American Gangster" was inspired by the movie, songs such as "Say Hello" touch on the topics of censorship and the Jena 6 controversy. Jay-Z also drew on personal memories he had not touched on in a while, specifically memories from his early life when he lived in Brooklyn, New York City, New York's Marcy. "American Gangster" was made available for digital download in its entirety, at Amazon.com, Roc-A-Fella's website, and Rhapsody