In 1987, Chicago's street gangs were highly organized, and the Ida B. Wells housing projects were one of the most dangerous in the nation. Two brothers, Carl and Tommy, were born into a world of hell and chaos, fighting every day to survive living with drug-addicted parents. A child's innocence was a small price to pay in order to secure the next fix. Abandoned by their mother after their father's incarceration, they turned to their friend Lucky and joined the Gangster Disciples.

After years of them learning life's lessons in the streets, their father is released from prison a born-again Christian. Carl finds it in his heart to forgive him; however, Tommy, a psychopathic killer, wants revenge in the worst way. To add to the chaos, the brothers are caught in the middle of a Gangster Disciple and Black Disciple gang war.

The Black Disciples win the war, and Lucky flips to join the opposing gang, led by King Neal. He quickly rises to the top of the lucrative drug trade in the Ida B. Wells housing projects. Events quickly unfold into a bloody fight for survival as Lucky's list of adversaries continues to grow, with his childhood friend being at the top.