<Tr> <Th> Language </Th> <Td> English </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $3,090,862 </Td> </Tr> <P> Paid in Full is a 2002 American crime drama film directed by Charles Stone III . It takes place in Harlem in the 1980s . The title of the film is taken from the 1987 album and 1987 song by Eric B. & Rakim . "Paid in Full" is based on three friends Azie "AZ" Faison, Rich Porter, and Alpo Martinez and their professional criminal exploits . The characters Ace (Wood Harris), Mitch (Mekhi Phifer), and Rico (Cam'ron), respectively, are based on these three drug dealers . </P> <P> Ace (Wood Harris) is a young man from Harlem stuck in a dead end job at a dry cleaning shop . His sister's boyfriend, Calvin (Kevin Carroll), is a local cocaine dealer who tries to lure Ace into the drug trade with promises of fast money and women . Ace resists Calvin's temptations, not caring for his unsophisticated ways . Likewise, Ace's close friend Mitch (Mekhi Phifer) is a flashy, popular drug dealer who exposes Ace to drug dealing lifestyle . When Calvin gets arrested on drug charges, Ace ends up filling his position on the street . This happens after Ace starts getting cocaine from Lulu, one of the customers at the dry cleaners shop . </P>

The real characters from the movie paid in full