Mekhi Phifer & Cam'ron Reflect On "Paid In Full" After Alpo Martinez's Death

Cam'ron shows love to Mekhi Phifer and Wood Harris for guiding him during his first acting gig.

BYAron A.
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Alpo Martinez's death has been met with shock across the country but specifically, in the streets of New York. There have been mixed reactions to his passing, especially from those that lost loved ones because of his actions.

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Shortly after the news of Martinez's passing, Mekhi Phifer, who played the character inspired by Rich Porter in Paid In Full, took to Instagram where he reflected on the film. Phifer shared a photo of himself and fellow Harlem native Cam'ron on the film's set, explaining that he and Cam had a duty to make sure their story was told correctly.

"I'm just happy we were able to have the honor of doing so," he wrote, explaining that he never met Rich Porter but was able to gain a better understanding through his friends and family members. "I grew up knowing the legend of these Kats and had to represent the humanity in the choices they made. Hopefully lessons were learned and not glorified in any way. Hopefully we were able to capture their motivation and mannerisms."

He added, "RIP to both these brothers."


Cam'ron slid into the comment section where he praised both his co-stars Phifer and Wood Harris for helping guide him during his first acting role. "Thank you and (wood Harris) for teaching me during the movie a lot of acting skills. This was my first movie and was raw talent. Couldn’t have done it without you both," he wrote. 

Mekhi Phifer & Cam'ron Reflect On "Paid In Full" After Alpo Martinez's Death
 

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Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.