Azie Faison
Encyclopedia
Azie Faison is a former drug dealer who earned more than $100,000 a week selling cocaine in Harlem, New York during the peak of America's "War on Drugs
" between 1983-1990, as well as a rapper and founder of the underground hip-hop group MobStyle.
His legacy has been referenced by several rap artists, and his life was the basis for the film Paid in Full
produced by Roc-A-Fella Films.
on November 10, 1964. A fire destroyed his tenement in 1970, forcing the family to relocate to the famed Sugar Hill
section of Harlem, New York.
While childhood friend Rich Porter began dealing drugs as early as 12 years old, Faison - a ninth-grade dropout - worked in a neighborhood dry cleaners. Faison maintains that the movie Scarface
strongly influenced his decision to become a drug dealer. In that same year, a Dominican
cocaine supplier approached Azie about selling the drug.
By the time he turned 19, Faison became a cocaine wholesaler
of sorts in his Harlem district, and regularly earned from $40,000 - $100,000 a week from his operations.
In 1987, an attempt to rob Faisons stash house (place where he kept drugs or money) left 3 people dead and 3 seriously injured. He himself was shot nine times in the robbery attempt, but survived and left the drug game to embark on a mission to disavow his former life and steer youth away from the path he once chose. In 1989, he formed a rap group called MobStyle and released a solo album in 1991. Following the tragic murders of his friend Rich Porter and his little brother Donnell Porter in 1990, Faison began working on a movie about his life which eventually became Paid in Full, which debuted in 2002.
Around the same time, Faison teamed up with street documentarian Troy Reed to produce the much-acclaimed documentary about his life called Game Over. Faison also worked with Agyei Tyehimba to create Game Over: The Rise and Transformation of a Harlem Hustler, published by Simon & Schuster's Atria Book imprint. At the 2007 Harlem Book Fair, co-author Tyehimba discussed the book on a panel with Congressman Charles Rangel broadcasted live by CSPAN’s Book TV Channel.
War on Drugs
The War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
" between 1983-1990, as well as a rapper and founder of the underground hip-hop group MobStyle.
His legacy has been referenced by several rap artists, and his life was the basis for the film Paid in Full
Paid in Full (film)
Paid in Full is a 2002 American criminal drama film that was produced by Roc-A-Fella Films and directed by Charles Stone III. It takes place in Harlem just before the Crack Epidemic that hit during the 1980s. The title of the film is taken from the 1987 album by Eric B. and Rakim."Paid in Full" is...
produced by Roc-A-Fella Films.
Biography
Azie Faison Jr. was born in the Bronx, New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on November 10, 1964. A fire destroyed his tenement in 1970, forcing the family to relocate to the famed Sugar Hill
Sugar Hill, Manhattan
Sugar Hill is a neighborhood in the northern part of Hamilton Heights, which itself is a sub-neighborhood of Harlem, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is defined by 155th Street to the north, 145th Street to the south, Edgecombe Avenue to the east, and...
section of Harlem, New York.
While childhood friend Rich Porter began dealing drugs as early as 12 years old, Faison - a ninth-grade dropout - worked in a neighborhood dry cleaners. Faison maintains that the movie Scarface
Scarface (1983 film)
Scarface is a 1983 American epic crime drama movie directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone, produced by Martin Bregman and starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana...
strongly influenced his decision to become a drug dealer. In that same year, a Dominican
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
cocaine supplier approached Azie about selling the drug.
By the time he turned 19, Faison became a cocaine wholesaler
Wholesale
Wholesaling, jobbing, or distributing is defined as the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services...
of sorts in his Harlem district, and regularly earned from $40,000 - $100,000 a week from his operations.
In 1987, an attempt to rob Faisons stash house (place where he kept drugs or money) left 3 people dead and 3 seriously injured. He himself was shot nine times in the robbery attempt, but survived and left the drug game to embark on a mission to disavow his former life and steer youth away from the path he once chose. In 1989, he formed a rap group called MobStyle and released a solo album in 1991. Following the tragic murders of his friend Rich Porter and his little brother Donnell Porter in 1990, Faison began working on a movie about his life which eventually became Paid in Full, which debuted in 2002.
Around the same time, Faison teamed up with street documentarian Troy Reed to produce the much-acclaimed documentary about his life called Game Over. Faison also worked with Agyei Tyehimba to create Game Over: The Rise and Transformation of a Harlem Hustler, published by Simon & Schuster's Atria Book imprint. At the 2007 Harlem Book Fair, co-author Tyehimba discussed the book on a panel with Congressman Charles Rangel broadcasted live by CSPAN’s Book TV Channel.