Azie Faison
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (August 2007) |
Azie Faison was a ninth grade dropout 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. Faison, along with two associates, Richard Porter and Alberto Martinez, was an urban prince with cars, jewels, and people – in awe of this million-dollar phenomenon – at his feet. His legacy has been praised by hip-hop’s top names in their lyrics, and his life was the basis for the urban cult classic film Paid in Full starring Mekhi Phifer, Wood Harris, and Cam’ron and produced by Damon Dash's Roc-A-Fella Films. This is counter-productive to the message that Azie puts out today, that crime is not glamorous.
[edit] Biography
Azie (pronounced “AZ”) Faison Jr. was born in the Bronx, New York 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 his rise to drug dealing as early as 12 years old, (selling joints, fake hashish, and later heroin) young Faison worked in a neighborhood dry cleaners. In 1983, the movie Scarface debuted, and its main character, Tony Montana's lust for money and power through selling cocaine captivated youth around the country. Many drug dealers that were teenagers at the time of the movie insist that Scarface introduced them to the wealth that cocaine could provide. Azie maintains that the movie strongly influenced his decision to become a hustler. In that same year, a Dominican cocaine supplier approached Azie about selling the drug, and the rest was history.
By the time he turned 19, Azie became a cocaine wholesaler of sorts in his Harlem stomping grounds, and regularly earned from $40,000 - $100,000 a week from his operations. Now richer and more powerful than most other young dealers in Harlem, Azie teamed up with Rich Porter and later Alpo to become the fabric of street legend in New York City. The trio lived like kings, amassing expensive jewelry, luxurious cars, and exclusive properties. In 1987, an attempt to rob Azie’s stash house (place where he kept drugs or money) left 3 people dead and 3 seriously injured. Azie himself was shot seven times in the robbery attempt, including 2 times to his head at point-blank range. He miraculously 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, composed of street hustlers whose hardcore and graphic lyrics told the story of life from the eyes of drug dealers. Following the tragic murders of his friend Rich Porter and his little brother Donnell Porter in 1991, Azie began working on a movie about his life which eventually became Paid in Full which debuted in 2002. Around the same time, he teamed up with street documentarian Troy Reed to produce the much-acclaimed documentary about his life called Game Over. Both are urban classics.
In 2002, Azie teamed up with fellow Harlemite and educator Agyei Tyehimba to work on Azie’s life story. His goal was to tell the truth about the drug game, especially how it destroys the fabric of families and communities. The result, Game Over: The Rise and Transformation of a Harlem Hustler, was published by Simon & Schuster’s Atria Book imprint, and will be in bookstores on August 7, 2007. At the 2007 Harlem Book Fair, the book’s co-author Agyei Tyehimba appeared on a panel with Congressman Charles Rangel and others to discuss his book. The panel discussion was broadcast live by CSPAN’s Book TV Channel and received wide acclaim.
