The Shaft trilogy is composed of action-crime films centered on an African-American police detective named John Shaft, who over the course of the films have altercations with a variety of crime.

Richard Roundtree, who played the original John Shaft in three '70s crime dramas, has a cameo as Jackson's uncle and namesake. Busta Rhymes, Vanessa Williams, Dan Hedaya.

Richard Roundtree broke ground with his role of detective John Shaft in 1970s Richard Roundtree, a US actor best known for his starring role in the Shaft film franchise, has died aged 81.