When John Singleton first burst on the scene in 1991 with Boyz n the Hood Roger Ebert called it a “brilliant directorial debut” and “an American film of enormous importance.” The film chronicled life in South Central Los Angeles in the early ’90s through the eyes of a teen who was on the verge of being dragged down by the negative forces around him. Though Singleton has gone on to create a myriad of narratives, including the upcoming BET series Rebel, the director is returning to his L.A. roots for FX’s new drama, Snowfall.

According to the network, Snowfall is a set against the infancy of the crack cocaine epidemic of the early 1980s and will follow several characters as they deal with the effects the powerful drug–and the money it generates–has on South Central L.A.

Here’s how FX breaks it down:

The story follows numerous characters on a violent collision course, including: Franklin Saint (Damson Idris), young street entrepreneur on a quest for power; Gustavo Zapata (Sergio Peris-Mencheta), a Mexican wrestler caught up in a power struggle within a crime family; Teddy McDonald (Carter Hudson), a CIA operative running from a dark past who begins an off-book operation to fund the Nicaraguan Contras; and Lucia Villanueva (Emily Rios), the self-possessed daughter of a Mexican crime lord.

Created by Singleton, Eric Amadio and Dave Andron, the one-hour drama will run for 10 episodes this summer.

Check out the first teaser trailer below: