Chicago's Englewood is a neighborhood where death is an everyday reality, but a serial killer on the loose has raised the terror quotient tenfold with the brutality of his crimes. When a newspaper photographer uncovers evidence linking the murders to the past, however, the intimations are almost unthinkable. Herman Webster Mudgett Jr., who was buried face down in the late 1800s after achieving the distinction of becoming America's first serial killer, seems to be back and out for revenge. The intrepid reporter has a personal stake in the mystery, as her mother was murdered by a descendant of Mudgett's; she sets out to discover if the urge to kill has been passed down in the blood, or if the culprit is truly from beyond the grave. This hip urban thriller strikes an effectively creepy mood, and features a talented cast that is almost entirely African American.

Two up-n-coming rappers Ace and Cool breeze dream of becoming the next big thing in the rap world. After making a deal with Slick and Red, two promoters who promise wealth and success, they take out a loan from a local loan shark, Daddy T. To secure the loan Daddy T requires them to sign over body part as collateral. Their worlds crash when they discover that the two crooked rap promoters have ripped them off. After Discovering that Slick and Red have run off to the Bahamas with their money and original recordings, they must travel to the Bahamas to hustle their money and recordings back in time to pay off Daddy T, who is in hot pursuit to collect his collateral, their body parts.

A talented street drummer from Harlem enrolls in a Southern university, expecting to lead its marching band's drumline to victory. He initially flounders in his new world, before realizing that it takes more than talent to reach the top.