Nas has worn many hats over the course of his decades-long Hip Hop career, but few people knew that he tried out for a well-known role in the classic film Paid in Full — until now.
A recently resurfaced clip which hit social media on Thursday (November 9) showed the King’s Disease rapper reading for the role of Rico — a character based on Harlem gangster Alpo Martinez. It’s worth noting, too, that the audition tape was shot back in 2001, and according to some reports, the audition happened just a few months before the infamous Nas and JAY-Z beef exploded.
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Paid in Full was executive produced by Hova and Dame Dash, and the role of Rico ultimately went to Cam’ron.
Check it out below.
Nas audition tape for "Paid in Full" appears online https://t.co/3Yh0bOWpT2pic.twitter.com/cAXs1tTqa0
— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) November 12, 2023
Paid In Full ended with Cam’ron’s character, Rico, going to prison but implying he’ll be back on the streets in no time, leaving the door open for a role reprisal in the sequel. During an appearance on NFL legend Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast back in 2022, however, Dame Dash slashed hopes of the original cast returning in Paid In Full 2.
“They’re too old,” Dame said matter-of-factly after he was asked if fans would see any of the original actors in the sequel. “They’re all 50 now. We’re going to make Cocoon: Paid In Full? It’ll be what? Paid In Full: Nursing Home? They’re too old to play young characters.”
Paid In Full was based on Harlem drug lords Rich Porter, Alpo Martinez, and Azie “AZ” Faison’s time running the streets of New York City in the 1980s. AZ is the only surviving member of the three, so his character’s appearance in the sequel wouldn’t be too farfetched.
On the other hand, Porter was killed in 1991 and Alpo succumbed to his injuries after being shot five times in the chest while riding around Harlem on Halloween 2021.
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Additionally, Dame Dash said that the sequel to the film, Paid in Full 2, was set to begin shooting in Newark, NJ, back in 2022 — and he promised that he’d show “different perspectives” in this version.
“You’ll see perspectives from Kevin Childs, Jay Black, everybody, Lou Simms. It’s going to be off the hook. Trust me. A lot of other little stories will be told,” he said at the time.
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However, there have been no new visible developments around the project since then.
