It’s incredibly easy to talk to N.O.R.E. Immediately upon entering our Zoom meeting, you can see him beaming with joy, donning New York Knicks gear from head to toe. After an all-time NBA Finals moment where OG Anunoby tipped the ball in after a Jalen Brunson miss to clinch game 4, the rapper and podcaster simply couldn’t contain his happiness. For several minutes, we talked about what a Knicks Finals win would mean for New York, ending a 50-year drought for the city that never sleeps. He even suggested that he’d finally speak with Reggie Miller after decades of internalized hatred.
But all of this proves how N.O.R.E. has cultivated a second life as one of the most important hip-hop media figures working today. June 11, 2026, marked the 10-year anniversary of Drink Champs, the podcast empire that specialized in interviewing hip-hop legends, addressing the state of the culture, and telling stories you won’t hear anywhere else.
He’s quietly a master of conversation—inquisitive and a strong listener while still being able to rattle off myriads of stories on a whim. What might start off as a 30-minute interview can snowball into three hours without even noticing. Thanks to his deeply magnetic personality, the 48-year-old Queens MC can get stories out of artists without even trying.
N.O.R.E shares The Trick to His Interviewing Style and How He Gets Such Great Stories
Admittedly, the liquor on hand does play a role in loosening up the artist. “People think I’m the star of the show, but I’m not. It’s the alcohol,” he told me. But he also knows every tip of the trade to goad artists into saying things they insist on not speaking about. “A lot of people are scared because they understand that what happens after this still sticks with them. It sticks with us to a certain extent, but after that, it goes with them. Some artists are scared, but most comply because they know I know how to do it.”
For instance, when talking to LL Cool J on Drink Champs in 2017, they were recalling a fight that happened on the set of Any Given Sunday in 1999. Then, he transitioned into asking LL about the time he beat someone up trying to rob his house. Initially, LL immediately shut things down, saying he didn’t want to touch on it.
But because N.O.R.E. effortlessly segued questions, it made the story come out anyway. “You’re very smooth! You’re very effective… subtle. It’s a nice thing you’re doing ’cause you hook us in, you set a scene, you get it nice, you bait it, you tee it up, and the next thing you know, people are talking! That’s pretty good!” LL Cool J said while Noreaga smirked and laughed.
This is the magic of he and DJ EFN on Drink Champs. Sure, the drinks flowing did some of the work. But you can always tell there’s no malicious intent.
N.O.R.E. Opens up About The State of Podcasting in 2026
Drink Champs came out at a time when podcasts hadn’t yet dominated the cultural imagination. Guys like Joe Budden and Bill Simmons got in the door pretty early, but N.O.R.E. did something even pioneers of the medium struggle to do: keep viewers and listeners around the whole time. Across the decade, Drink Champs has amassed 17.6 billion watch minutes. The format of the show (and the fact that you could watch it) meant people didn’t passively listen in.
So, in a new ecosystem for podcasts, he stressed that making worthwhile content is difficult. “Everyone thinks it’s easy, and they think they have a personality because their girlfriend and friends laugh at their jokes. It doesn’t mean you’re funny or entertaining or that you can hold down an hour,” N.O.R.E. said. “But they have to learn that. I don’t wanna knock anybody trying to do it, but I also wanna give perspective. Holding down content is a lot harder than you think it is.”
Admittedly, he feels like something of a soothsayer. He took credit for predicting the rise of The Neptunes, Swizz Beatz, Scott Storch, and reggaeton. Over the last ten years, artists have feverishly contacted him about potentially pivoting into the podcast space. Given the saturation, though, there may only be so much time until the bubble bursts.
“Truth be told, right now, we got another three years of this,” N.O.R.E. predicted. “Then it’s gonna transition to something else. I don’t know what it is right now, and I know a lotta people look at me because I told people Pharrell and the Neptunes and Swizz Beatz was gonna be the s**t.”
How Come ‘Drink Champs’ Almost Exclusively Features Established Stars and Rap Veterans?
Part of what might extend that three-year window is engaging with a new generation of artists. N.O.R.E. is on record lamenting the fact that a lot of new artists can feel extremely boring to talk to. One-word answers to genuine questions aggravate him. Dry conversation goes against everything Drink Champs is about.
“Before I interview a person, I try to watch every interview they have, I do research, I call their friends and their manager and their promo team, so when I say something like ‘Hey man, I know in the third grade, you did this,’ and they say ‘How’d you know that?’, it’s because I did my research. If I do my research on you, and I ask you a question and you say ‘Word,’ I’m one million percent gonna be like ‘Let’s wrap this up,’” N.O.R.E emphasized.
Truthfully, he’s not completely wrong. But it’s also easy to argue that he might not be looking in the right direction. There is an abundance of new, thoughtful artists who would thrive within the Drink Champs space. The Kid Mero has proven it now that he’s taken over Hot 97 from Ebro, Laura Stylez, and Peter Rosenberg. Perhaps N.O.R.E. could afford to dig into different parts of the underground.
N.O.R.E’s defensiveness is understandable, though. He wants hip-hop artists of the moment to have a firm, undying relationship with the genre and culture, especially if he’s going to talk to them. “You should know your own genre of music if this is what you’re basing your career on. If you’re tryna have a career, you should know everything. If this is your job, that’s cool, and we’ll leave you alone,” he added.
What’s Next for N.O.R.E and ‘Drink Champs’?
Even with a media empire under his belt, Noreaga still wants more. He teased a move into radio. If he can go three hours in interviews, why can’t he be the hip-hop Mike Francesa? Then, he teased new music, marking the first project in eight years. Songs with Dr. Dre are in the vault, one with his former celebrity.land partner Capone. He united Ty Dolla $ign and Vybz Kartel for another. It all speaks to N.O.R.E.’s desire to do a little bit of everything.
“I wanna seriously be the Renaissance man,” N.O.R.E. declared. “I helped introduce reggaeton to Americans; I showed you one of the best producers in the world. But guess what? I don’t wanna stop there—I wanna keep creating and innovating and motivating. I wanna go back to music but not give up my day job; I still love my day job, but I can get my s**t off at nighttime like Spider-Man.”
N.O.R.E. credits his rejuvenation to the renewed love for older hip-hop artists. Back in 2016, he shrugged that the genre and culture don’t embrace its veterans as rock fans do. Now, seeing Rakim and Kurupt unite with Eminem and Jay-Z inspired him. Watching rappers like Nas have another prime deeply moves him. As a result, he’s making “grownup music” for the older audiences who grind their 9-5s at Amazon or get their corporate hustle on.
It all goes back to Drink Champs, though. N.O.R.E. said one of the greatest blessings he’s been able to have with his platform is to give stars of the past their flowers. Even if younger generations aren’t acquainted, the podcast brings the eyes back on them. He’ll feature them, and then, they’re back on tour like nothing ever stopped. Getting rid of the limits on legends and getting phone calls from them is why he still does it.
“That phone call is the payment. I just want us to live forever,” N.O.R.E stressed. “I know that’s kinda cliche, but it’s the truth. Why should we have a limited time? We’re not sports players. Our knees and back don’t fall out. Why can’t we just do this forever?”
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