Barry Michael Cooper, an investigative reporter-turned-screenwriter known for the films "New Jack City," "Above the Rim" and "Sugar Hill," has died. Cooper died Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed to The Times.

Barry Michael Cooper, the esteemed journalist-turned-screenwriter who helped define an era of Black cinema, has sadly passed away at the age of 66. His cause of death has not been disclosed. According to TMZ,

Barry Michael Cooper, a pioneer of Black cinema in the 1990s, passed away on Tuesday in Baltimore, Maryland. He was 66. Cooper’s death was confirmed by a representative for Spike Lee, who worked with the acclaimed writer and producer on Netflix’s adaptation of She’s Gotta Have It.