{"id":2463934,"date":"2026-06-17T15:35:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T15:35:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2463934"},"modified":"2026-06-17T15:35:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T15:35:45","slug":"n-o-r-e-on-10-years-of-drink-champs-his-beef-with-new-school-rappers-how-podcasts-have-changed-and-making-grown-up-music-exclusive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/n-o-r-e-on-10-years-of-drink-champs-his-beef-with-new-school-rappers-how-podcasts-have-changed-and-making-grown-up-music-exclusive\/","title":{"rendered":"N.O.R.E. on 10 Years of ‘Drink Champs’, His Beef With New School Rappers, How Podcasts Have Changed, and Making ‘Grown Up’ Music [Exclusive]"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It\u2019s 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<\/a> the ball in after a Jalen Brunson miss to clinch game 4, the rapper and podcaster simply couldn\u2019t 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\u2019d finally speak with Reggie Miller after decades of internalized hatred.<\/p>\n

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<\/em>, the podcast empire that specialized in interviewing hip-hop legends, addressing the state of the culture, and telling stories you won\u2019t hear anywhere else.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s quietly a master of conversation\u2014inquisitive 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.<\/p>\n

N.O.R.E shares The Trick to His Interviewing Style and How He Gets Such Great Stories<\/h2>\n

Admittedly, the liquor on hand does play a role in loosening up the artist. \u201cPeople think I\u2019m the star of the show, but I\u2019m not. It\u2019s the alcohol,\u201d he told me. But he also knows every tip of the trade to goad artists into saying things they insist on not speaking about. \u201cA 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

For instance, when talking to LL Cool J on Drink Champs<\/em> in 2017, they were recalling a fight that happened on the set of Any Given Sunday<\/em> 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\u2019t want to touch on it. <\/p>\n

But because N.O.R.E. effortlessly segued questions, it made the story come out anyway. \u201cYou\u2019re very smooth! You\u2019re very effective\u2026 subtle. It\u2019s a nice thing you\u2019re doing \u2019cause 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\u2019s pretty good!\u201d LL Cool J said while Noreaga smirked and laughed.<\/p>\n

This is the magic of he and DJ EFN on Drink Champs<\/em>. Sure, the drinks flowing did some of the work. But you can always tell there\u2019s no malicious intent.<\/p>\n

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