Sugar Hill is part of Barry Michael Cooper's “Harlem Trilogy,” coming after New Jack City and before Above the Rim. It's generally considered the weakest film in the set, though that’s not entirely negative given the quality of the other two; however, it doesn’t hold up particularly well when viewed on its own. Lacking the freshness found in New Jack, Sugar Hill could be called The Blackfather (or possibly Blacklito’s Way), although the story draws from much earlier traditions; it aims to be a tragedy in the classic sense, but falls short because of an unnecessary number of scenes, especially a tacked-on and somewhat cheerful ending. Even the preceding scene, which involves a predictable gunfight, doesn't help matters. As an imitation of The Godfather, Sugar Hill understands the dialogue but misses the underlying feeling. For example, Lolly Jonas (played by Ernie Hudson), who is portrayed as an antagonist, kills Roemello Skuggs’s (Wesley Snipes) best friend Goggles (Steve Harris). Instead of seeking revenge and trying to prevent further violence, Roemello makes a fragile agreement with Lolly, which his older but less skilled brother Raynathan (Michael Wright) breaks. Simultaneously, Roemello is attempting to leave the drug trade and build a life with his girlfriend Melissa (Theresa Randle), who asks him, “Do you know that every time I go out with you, somebody dies?” The parallels are clear: Roemello represents Don Corleone – both Michael and Vito –, Goggles embodies Sonny, Raynathan is Fredo, and Melissa functions as Kay. The cast even includes Abe Vigoda, who previously played the treacherous Sal Tessio in The Godfather. What's less apparent, though, is Lolly’s motivation for killing Goggles beyond simply being the villain and moving the plot forward. Another character whose sole purpose seems to be to serve the story’s needs is Kymie (Donald Faison), a young person who appears in just two scenes; he’s like Solomon Grundy, except his death occurs on Tuesday instead of Saturday. New Jack possesses something Sugar Hill lacks: point of view. I mentioned earlier that Roemello is a “good drug dealer,” an assessment made possible because the film shows little interest in exploring the consequences of drug addiction. When it does touch upon this subject, it presents a noticeable contradiction; Roemello’s parents are the only characters who experience firsthand the effects of chemical dependence, which makes his decision to become a drug seller as illogical as if the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents had led him down a path of crime rather than heroism.

Source on TMDB