When we think of the Neptunes most people think of Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, or even Michael Jackson. If it wasn’t for a Lefrak City Projects member from Queens named Victor Santiago we may have never heard of the Neptunes. N.O.R.E, one half of the classic duo CNN was the first to take a chance on the Neptunes. The result was the smash hit Superthug off Nore’s 1998 Penalty Recordings Debut N.O.R.E. (Niggas On The run Eatin’.) This is where the fame begins.
In Hip-Hop artists are constantly trying to become the next hot thing. Most of these artists stray from the art form and comprise themselves with gimmicks or jump on a bandwagon of what the public says is hot. Not N.O.R.E. N.O.R.E has made a name for himself by sticking to his guns and spittin’ what he feels is true to his heart. The self-proclaimed thug had a lot to say when we spoke. “I never want to be put in a category with Biggie, Pun, or Pac and say I’m one of the best but when I do come out I want niggas to realize that it’s my time and that I can shut this shit down.” Shut it down he has. From the Smashing verse on “LA, LA” off CNN’s Debut The War Report to creating the phrase “Whut Whut” N.O.R.E has exemplified the art of being himself. Now with the greatest label in Hip-Hop behind him N.O.R.E. is finally ready for platinum status “All I can say about my situation with Def Jam is that it’s much better. I didn’t bull shit when I did this album. If I wasn’t going to the studio to do 3 or 4 songs I wasn’t going. I was more focused than I’ve ever been.” Who wouldn’t be focused with Russell Simmons’ money machine behind them? This is the shit that dreams are made of and this is the only reason to be in the game…to roll with the best. N.O.R.E is doing just that.
About his departure from the now defunct Tommy Boy, arguably one of the wackest labels in Hip-Hop, N.O.R.E says, “By leaving that wack label I just wanted to make sure the move I made was right for me and I’m in a much better situation now. I felt I wasn’t being appreciated many times so I just wanted shit to be right.” We as the public looking in from the outside make up what the trends are and we did so the first time N.O.R.E. spat over a Neptune track. “If it wasn’t for me taking a chance on the Neptunes maybe Michael Jackson would have never done it.”
So does N.O.R.E. feel like he’s the official voice of the Ghetto? “Nah I’m just the voice that represents niggas who like to party. There’s many niggas who are voices of the ghetto. Niggas like MOP who you never see rockin’ Chanel or Burberrys, I’m just a nigga who likes to party. I’d rather go to a Ghetto party instead of Cheetah’s on 23rd street. If you like to party that’s me. I rep for the nigga who will go to a party by his self. If you like to party then I’m with you.”
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Even though N.O.R.E reps the street kats he says he’s not trying to save them from their sometimes fatal street destiny. “Shit, A nigga gotta wanna be saved, ain’t no type of rehabilitation out there for a nigga that don’t wanna be saved. If a nigga wanna keep going to jail then that’s what he’s gonna do. I can’t save a nigga if he don’t want it.” So now the question is what’s in the future for N.O.R.E. “Right now I’m just tryin’ to go Platinum with this one that’s all for right now, not 800,000 or almost platinum, fuck that I’m tryin’ to go platinum then I’ll think about what I’m gonna do next. Well with the release of Grimey…God’s Favorite on June 25th, I got a feeling that the Platinum status is not far away.
When it’s all said and done what does the grimey king from Lefrak want you kats to remember? “Shit I just want Mutherfuckahs to know that N.O.R.E. was the first to tell niggas that you can thug it and still have fun while you thuggin’ it you under dig.” We under dig slime.
