N.O.R.E. Admits His Transition From Rapper To Media Wasn’t “Seamless”

For years, N.O.R.E. was known as a rap icon who delivered raw lyrics, street anthems and club bangers—but as the music industry evolved, so did he. Now, as the host of the award-winning podcast Drink Champs, he’s found a second calling in the media world—bringing viewers unfiltered conversations that only he can facilitate as a Hip-Hop insider.

However, for those who want to transition from artist to podcaster and think it’s as easy as laying down a hot 16—N.O.R.E. begs to differ. While speaking with VIBE, the “Oye Mi Canto” emcee opened up about his journey to becoming “media” and letting go of certain flaws as an artist. N.O.R.E. gave insight into what it’s like being on both ends of the microphone to which, surprisingly, hasn’t been a seamless transition for him.

One thing the 47-year-old learned quickly is that most artists have a hard time letting go of the tendency to be late. And after years of an accustomed rapper lifestyle, he realized, “If you come late to your own show, the show won’t even happen. A lot of artists still are not time-friendly.” However, time management isn’t the only challenge according to the Queens-bred pundit.

Being in front of a microphone is one thing—but asking the right questions from the other side is a completely different game. “I made it seem easy because I was in the locker room with all these guys,” he explained about his advantage of knowing most of his subjects personally. “I was on tour with all these people. I knew these people, so it made it interesting interviewing my friends. But I don’t know everybody in Hip-Hop. It’s awkward meeting somebody on camera and then asking them personal questions or asking them business questions.”

That “discomfort” is a lesson many artists-turned-media-voices have to learn if they want to get in the podcast game. Although natural charisma might get you in the door, knowing how to navigate conversations—especially when emotions run high—is a different skill set altogether.

As his Drink Champs podcast is famous for its tipsy interviews, sometimes subjects may say things they regret or get offended by how the co-hosts react to what is being discussed. N.O.R.E. and his team actually “bet” how an interview will go based on what the subject orders from his in-studio bar. “If they order Hennessy, we know it’s going to be a ratchet-a** interview,” he joked.

“If they order Chardonnay, sparkling wine or Champagne, we know this is going to be a cool one. If they order Bacchus, there’s probably going to be a lot of talking going on. If they order Tequila, this show might not last long,” he said.

Beyond the drinks and the jokes, one of the hardest lessons he’s learned is how thin-skinned artists can be—especially when the cameras are rolling. “If someone makes a joke about someone else, and I laugh, I just co-signed it,” he admitted. “I’m part of the f**kery now, so I’m part of the beef.”

That lesson was quickly learned following his viral Kanye West interview—an episode that turned out to be one of the most controversial in Drink Champs history. “Every time he spoke about anybody and I laughed a little bit, these people were mad at me,” he revealed. “They texted me, they called me, they showed me the pictures, they showed me the videos.”

Since then, he’s adopted a new rule on set: when an artist throws shade, he keeps his reaction neutral. “When a person says something and beefs with another person, I have to stay like this. I can’t smile—I can’t laugh,” he explained. But even that doesn’t always prevent someone from hitting his phone. “When I tell you artists are so sensitive… I can’t name them… but male and female [artists] have called me and sent me clips of me laughing, and it was just me laughing at a normal joke.”

Despite the many challenges and learning experiences, N.O.R.E. has showed and proved that an artist’s legacy doesn’t have to end with music. Whether other artists admit it or not, N.O.R.E. has inspired others to do the same while he’s carved out a lane in media for himself. Although his transition may have come off natural—much growth was required to become the media voice he is today.