Paid in Full Explores the Highs and Lows of Three Friends Navigating the Treacherous and Deadly World of Drug Dealing in the 1980s

The 2002 film has been praised by many for its raw and introspective look into the lives of three young men trying to survive the treacherous landscape of the Harlem drug world

Depiction of Rich Porter and Alpo Martinez

Released in 2002 by Miramax Films and produced by Damon Dash for Roc-A-Fella Films, the crime drama Paid in Full has since become a cult classic, especially within the hip-hop world.

Directed by Charles Stone III, the film depicts the rise and fall of three friends as they navigate the treacherous and deadly world of the drug trade in Harlem during the mid-1980s.

This was during the height of the crack cocaine epidemic in New York City, where teenagers could make enough money selling drugs to afford the latest luxury cars, even if they were not yet old enough to obtain a driver’s license.