N.O.R.E.

N.O.R.E.
Mugshot of N.O.R.E. in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Victor James Santiago, Jr.
Also known as	Noreaga P.A.P.I. Melvin Flynt[1]
Born	(1977-09-06) September 6, 1977 (age 46) New York City, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop East coast hip hop Hardcore hip hop reggaeton
Occupation(s)	Rapper songwriter podcaster
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Mass Appeal Penalty E1 Conglomerate Thugged Out Entertainment Violator Def Jam Roc-La-Familia Tommy Boy Babygrande
Member of	Capone-N-Noreaga
Formerly of	Flipmode Squad
Website	www.drinkchamps.com

Victor James Santiago, Jr. (born September 6, 1977), better known by his stage names N.O.R.E. and Noreaga, is an American rapper and broadcaster. Born and raised in Queens, New York,^[2][3] Santiago first rose to prominence as one half of the East Coast hip hop duo Capone-N-Noreaga (C-N-N), which he formed in 1995 with fellow Queens-based rapper Capone. The duo released five studio albums, briefly disbanding after their second to pursue solo careers.

Santiago signed with Penalty Recordings as a solo artist to release his self-titled debut studio album in 1998.^[a] The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and spawned the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 single "Superthug" (featuring the Neptunes). He followed up with his second album, Melvin Flynt – Da Hustler (1999) before signing with Def Jam Recordings to release his third album, God's Favorite (2002). Matching his debut in chart position, it spawned his highest charting-single "Nothin'" (featuring Pharrell), which peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. He signed with Jay-Z's Roc-La-Familia to release his fourth album N.O.R.E. y la Familia...Ya Tú Sabe (2006), which saw his departure from hip hop in favor of reggaeton. It spawned the single "Oye Mi Canto" (featuring Nina Sky and Daddy Yankee), which peaked at number 12 on the chart.^[4]

His independently-released fifth and sixth albums, Noreality (2007) and Student of the Game (2013) marked his return to East Coast hip hop. The latter narrowly entered the Billboard 200 and was issued through fellow New York rapper Busta Rhymes' Conglomerate label, although Santiago has since launched his own label imprint, Militainment Business. He signed with Nas' Mass Appeal Records to release his seventh album, 5E (2018).

Outside of music, Santiago is the co-host (with DJ EFN) of the talk show/podcast Drink Champs, which centers around celebrity interviews. The show has been described as "The Premier Hip Hop Interview Show" and has won "Best Hip Hop Platform" at the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards.^[5]

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