The CIA-Contra-crack cocaine controversy involved allegations that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and its allies in the Contra war in Nicaragua were involved in trafficking crack cocaine into the United States to fund their operations. The controversy, which was investigated by the U.S. government and journalists, suggested that the crack epidemic in Los Angeles and other cities was exacerbated by drug networks connected to the CIA, raising serious questions about the ethics of U.S. foreign policy.

The CIA-Contra-crack controversy has been a subject of intense literary and journalistic investigation, inspiring works of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry that explore the intersection of state power, drug trafficking, and urban decay. Poets and writers like Ice-T and other hip-hop artists have referenced the controversy in their lyrics, using it to critique government hypocrisy and the systematic neglect of minority communities.