Vaughn King is a decorated war hero that returns to his home of Harlem after the Vietnam war. He returns to a world he doesn't recognize and isn't welcomed into anymore. Von's family is now full of drug addicts, pimps, and prostitutes who are only loyal to themselves and their vices. The streets are unkind to him to match his family with the exception of his uncle Domino, who is a street king himself. Vaughn finds it hard to navigate his new world knowing his girlfriend has betrayed him for the local hustlers and drug dealers that want to run him out of town. He tries to pick up the pieces with a new Colombian girlfriend Valentina. After a trip to Colombia and a near death experience with Valentina's Colombian brother Pancho, Vaughn is welcomed into the cocaine kingpin's family and his life will never be the same.
Now King returns to the streets of Harlem with a Colombian cocaine connect, money, power, women and muscle. King has his eyes set on revenge and gaining respect while sitting on the throne as the new street king. King's new found power breeds many enemies, new and old, stemming from betrayal and fueled by greed. Heavy is the head that wears the crown of KINGPIN.