A gripping tale of survival, family, and transformation from the streets of St. Louis to the screen.
From the streets of St. Louis to the screen, Samir Al-Amin—known to many as Tony Holmes—is preparing to tell the untold story of his rise, fall, and redemption in his highly anticipated documentary The Holmes Brothers, set for release in January 2026.
Samir and his younger brother, Shaun, became neighborhood legends during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their journey from poverty to hustling notoriety is as raw as it is shocking—they touched one million dollars in cash before they were even old enough to drive, at just 12 and 14 years old. But behind the flashy numbers lies a tale of survival, sacrifice, and family loyalty.
The Beginning of the Hustle
Samir’s childhood was marked by hardship. His mother, who gave birth to him at just 15, struggled with addiction, and Samir quickly found himself carrying the weight of his siblings’ survival. “When we were hungry, I had to do something,” Samir recalls. He walked to his grandmother’s home in Hillsdale—and later Pine Lawn—where food was guaranteed and his siblings Lucretia, Le’Shaunia, and Shaun could find stability.
Too young for a legitimate job, Samir cut grass, shoveled snow, and took out trash, but it never added up to enough. On his way back home from his grandmother’s house one day, Samir noticed guys on the corner making money. Curious, he began asking questions until he eventually figured out what was going on. An older hustler took a chance on him and handed him his first pack—worth $500., setting him on a path that would define his early years.
Through trial and error, Samir mastered the game. After learning that his mother had moved to Beam Street, Samir began spending time there. His mother’s friend’s daughter, Tonya, had a boyfriend living there who was already involved in hustling. One day, Samir handed him a small amount of drugs to sell. Within 30 minutes, the boyfriend called him back, money in hand, asking if Samir had more. Samir provided a larger pack, and within an hour, it was gone as well. This cycle repeated several times that same day, and for about a week straight, with Samir re-upping five to six times daily.
Recognizing the demand, Samir started staying in the neighborhood during the daytime. It wasn’t long before the local hustlers, facing a drought, turned to him for supply. With their acceptance, his operation expanded rapidly. The money was coming in so fast that Samir realized he needed someone by his side he could trust. He turned to his younger brother, Shaun Holmes, bringing him in and teaching him the game. By 1989, Samir had established himself, and together, the brothers began their climb up the ladder of the streets. The brothers were moving at a pace that brought them both wealth and attention. “We sat down one day and counted it—we had a million dollars,” Samir remembers.
The Rise and the Fall
But with money came danger. Samir was eventually arrested after being betrayed by people watching his success. He served 10 years in prison, a period he describes as transformative. During his time in prison, Samir had the opportunity to pause, reflect, and truly discover himself. In that space of forced solitude, he began to recognize his intelligence and the many talents he possessed beyond the streets. “I got good at selling dope in a short period of time,” Samir admits, “but that wasn’t all I knew. I stopped accepting that as my only path. I used to tell myself I’d sell dope until I died, but once I tried other things, I realized I was great at them too.”
When Samir was released, he made a conscious decision not to return to the streets, determined to change his life’s direction. At that time, however, his younger brother Shaun was incarcerated. Upon Shaun’s release, he struggled to leave the lifestyle behind, despite Samir’s repeated efforts to steer him away from it. Tragically, Shaun was murdered in a double homicide during a robbery tied to a marijuana deal—a devastating reminder of the world Samir had fought so hard to escape.
The Documentary
The Holmes Brothers will unpack the brothers’ journey from childhood hunger to hustling empires, from prison to tragedy, and finally to transformation. “It’s going to be a great watch, a fun watch, a heartfelt watch, and an emotional watch,” Samir promises. “A whole lot of things people didn’t know—from where it all started, to who we became, and all the way up to today.”
When asked if he regrets his past, Samir is candid: “No. I believe in the decree of Allah. Everything that happens, happens for a reason. Who I am today is a product of everything I’ve been through.”
Life After the Streets
Today, Samir Al-Amin is a businessman and community leader. He is the founder of Holmes Home Improvement LLC, a podcast, a film company owner, and a record label executive. The drive that once fueled his hustle now powers his legitimate ventures. “The same impact I had back then, I’m using now in my businesses. I broke the cycle in my family.”
He counts accepting Islam as his greatest accomplishment: “It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
When asked how he wants to be remembered, Samir doesn’t hesitate: “The advice I gave, the information I exposed, and the example I led by. I’m more focused on what comes out of my mouth and my image. The example I led by—that’s what I want to leave behind.”
With The Holmes Brothers, Samir is pulling back the curtain not just on his past, but on the resilience, transformation, and faith that define his present.
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