N.O.R.E. successfully transitioned from a full-time rapper to one of the most prominent journalists in hip-hop today. In the past few years, Drink Champs has become one of the most reputable podcasts in the culture. Still, it seems like some artists and labels are reluctant to sit down with N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN. N.O.R.E. aired out his grievances on Twitter on Wednesday.
Phillip Faraone/Getty Images
“I have been the best to this culture I have always put hiphop first and I see u guys go to Ellen and David letterman’s and Zane lows and treat them wit more respect then the culture but u say u want black excellence,” he wrote before also criticizing Oprah. “David letterman is my favorite but man why go there or Ellen before million dollars worth of game or joe or the champs or even twitter shit!!!”
On Thursday morning, The Breakfast Club addressed the tweets, which some considered to be a shot toward Cardi B. The Bronx rapper is expected to appear on Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman. However, Charlamagne, Angela Yee, and DJ Envy insisted that Cardi has continued to support the platforms that showed her love during her come up.
“Cardi does a lot of the things that a lot of artists won’t do,” Envy said before adding that N.O.R.E likely wasn’t talking about Cardi B in the first place. He added that Cardi still frequents Black-owned restaurants and establishments while showing love to the DJs that put her on. “But I do feel that when artists blow up, they don’t go to a lot of the places that helped them get there and they start doing the crossover thing and I think that’s wack.”
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
Charlamagne elaborated on N.O.R.E’s comments further, claiming that a lot of artists and labels do treat non-hip-hop platforms with more respect. “The publicist and label will come to Black outlets and say, ‘Don’t ask this. Don’t ask that.’ But when they sit with the white outlets, they will say, ‘we are open to discuss anything.’ So that to me is where the respect is because you giving these white outlets the soundbites that go viral and you make those persons platforms bigger,” Charlamagne said.
It turns out that Cardi B wasn’t even on N.O.R.E.’s mind when he issued the tweets. He fired back to the speculation, writing, “Love it wasn’t even talking or thinking bout cardi but love the article.”
Check his tweet below.