Hip Hop’s fixation with the Illuminati is well-documented. Fans have poured over lyrics and imagery in photos and videos, trying to gain hints as to whether any of Hip Hop’s elite are members of the legendary secret society.

In an interview on Vlad TV, N.O.R.E. spoke about Hip Hop’s “obsession” with the Illuminati. “It exists to a certain extent, but we don’t know if it’s real, so that obsession will never stop,” he said. “Because, there’s a person who can tell you that, ‘God saved me, and God came down and touched me,’ but he’s the only one who saw it.”

N.O.R.E. concluded that the Illuminati is real, but questioned its oft-speculated presence in Hip Hop. “I know the Illuminati exists,” he said. “Does it in Hip Hop? Probably not, but it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say some of our people are connected. It wouldn’t be. It wouldn’t be. …I think that’s what the whole obsession with the Illuminati is. It can exist. But it can also not be. As much as we love God, we don’t really know. You don’t really know if there’s a God. You don’t really know if there’s a devil. That’s the power of religion, is the faith. That’s the actual power. You have to believe it. If you believe there’s an Illuminati… in Hip Hop… Illuminati exists, period. But in Hip Hop, we have to see.”

Watch the interview below:

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