Rapman will direct Netflix’s “The Council,” a biopic about Nicky Barnes and the criminal empire that once ruled New York’s drug trade.
Rapman marked his birthday with a major announcement on Friday (June 6), revealing that he will direct The Council, a Netflix biopic centered on Harlem drug lord Nicky Barnes and the criminal empire he built in the 1970s.
The film, penned by Concussion screenwriter Peter Landesman, will chronicle the rise and fall of The Council—an organized crime syndicate of seven Black men who dominated the heroin trade in Harlem, Deadline reports.
At the center of the story is Barnes, the flashy and elusive figure once dubbed “Mr. Untouchable” by the New York Times in 1977.
“It’s my Birthday and I finally get to talk about this!” Rapman wrote on Instagram. “Before Frank Lucas there was Nicky Barnes. His story gripped me from the start and I honestly can’t wait to share it with you all. #TheCouncil.”
The British rapper-turned-director, born Andrew Onwubolu, is riding high off the success of his Netflix superhero series Supacell, which debuted in 2024 and quickly became a global hit.
The show’s popularity led to a swift renewal for a second season, which Rapman confirmed is still in the works. “P.S. Supacell season 2 is still on the way,” he added.
Rapman’s career has been on a steady rise since his 2018 YouTube series, Shiro’s Story, caught the attention of Jay-Z, leading to a deal with Roc Nation.
He later earned a BAFTA nomination for his feature debut, Blue Story and was appointed MBE in 2022 for his contributions to drama and music.
The upcoming film will dive into the real-life saga of Nicky Barnes, who founded The Council in 1972.
Modeled after the Mafia, the group controlled a large portion of Harlem’s heroin market. It partnered with the Italian-American mob to expand its reach across the Northeast and into Canada.
At his peak, Barnes was worth over $50 million and known for his designer suits, luxury cars and ability to dodge law enforcement.
But his reign unraveled after his 1978 conviction. While serving a life sentence, Barnes turned informant after learning his crew had betrayed him. His testimony helped convict 16 people, including former Council members.
He admitted to involvement in eight murders and entered the Witness Protection Program in 1998. He died in 2012, though his death wasn’t publicly revealed until years later.
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