Michael Irvin sees a familiar spark in two Harlem legends, per Complex. In a new appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay, the Hall of Fame wideout compared the banter-filled partnership of Mase and Cam’ron on their hit show It Is What It Is to his own bond with Deion Sanders.
“I love those guys. They’re funny dudes,” Irvin said with a grin. “They remind me a lot of Deion and I. That old friendship that’s been around a long time. You got those hidden things to mess with.”
Irvin explained that the duo’s appeal lies in their ability to merge music and sports in a way that resonates deeply with culture. “They are smart dudes. I love what they’ve done. Our people spend a lot of time in music and sports, so when you start blending those two, you can grab a good audience. I love having that opportunity to talk to us, to talk to that audience,” he added.
Brotherhood beyond the field
Irvin and Sanders first became teammates in 1995, but their respect for each other started well before their Cowboys years. Sanders, the legendary two-sport star, once admitted on Irvin’s YouTube series Walk & Talk that he wouldn’t have joined Dallas without Irvin’s influence.
“I wouldn’t trade none of it for anything,” Irvin reflected about their time together. He recalled picking Sanders up to make sure he caught team flights and said those moments cemented their bond. For Sanders, those gestures elevated Irvin from teammate to family.
That same sense of authenticity is what Irvin sees in Mase and Cam’ron. Their decades-long friendship, rooted in Harlem history, plays out daily in their commentary, much like his own dynamic with Sanders became part of Cowboys lore.
Cam’ron steps back into Paid in Full
The timing of Irvin’s comparison is fitting. On Monday, 50 Cent announced he had secured the rights to Paid in Full, the 2002 crime classic starring Cam’ron as Rico, and is turning it into a premium television series. In his Instagram reveal, 50 hyped it as a show in the spirit of Godfather of Harlem, confirming that Cam’ron will also serve as an executive producer.
Cam’ron quickly shared his excitement, writing, “We’ve been talking about this for a few months now, and it’s almost time. Thanks 50 Cent for the opportunity. We’re gonna burn this down!”
Between Irvin drawing parallels to his own legendary partnership and Cam’ron preparing to revive one of his most iconic roles, the Harlem MC continues to find himself at the intersection of sports, music, and entertainment—the exact blend Irvin celebrated.
