N.O.R.E. Responds To Backlash Over Kanye West’s Controversial Drink Champs Interview  

N.O.R.E. is feeling the heat after being widely criticized for not pushing back on Kanye West’s comments about George Floyd’s death.  

N.O.R.E. is feeling the heat after being widely criticized for not pushing back on Kanye West’s comments about George Floyd’s death.  

N.O.R.E. has outraged many Drink Champs fans over his recent interview with Kanye West, where the rapper pushed a conspiracy theory surrounding George Floyd’s death, among other controversial claims. 

Viewers heavily criticized the rapper-turned-podcaster for not checking Ye when he said Floyd died from fentanyl rather than asphyxiation. “If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that,” Kanye West added.  George Floyd’s family are considering suing Ye over the comments, their attorney revealed on Sunday.

Even before the episode aired, fans slammed N.O.R.E. online once clips of the show began circulating. 

“I’m sorry, but @noreaga should be ashamed of that interview,” read one tweet. “And I love N.O.R.E. – music, everything. I don’t know him personally, but he seems like a good guy, but he should be ashamed of that interview. You can’t do that unless you are going to challenge and discuss things.” 

N.O.R.E. Questions Kanye West About “White Lives Matter” Comments

An extended clip of N.O.R.E. questioning Kanye West about his recent “White Lives Matter” stance was uploaded to the Drink Champs YouTube channel.  

“But when you wear the White Lives Matter shirt,” N.O.R.E told Kanye West, “it kinda takes away from everything from Black people. Because what it is is the same way you wear the confederate flag, and we’re like, ‘Damn.’ And I know you. I love you. I f### with you, you my brother. So I take this. And I’m a real n####. And I’m a real n#### in the streets every day. But, even me, I question, like, why would you try to… Like, even when you said, George Floyd […] ‘I can prove that somebody wasn’t on his neck.’ We don’t even care about that, Ye.”  

N.O.R.E. continued: “We Black people. We… we’re Black Panthers. We’re the people that you gotta f### with. You… we f##### with you when it was time to say that we f##### with you. We wanna continue to follow you. We do. You are Ye. But when the White Lives Matter… We know White lives matter. We know that. But Black Lives Matter…When we are getting killed every f###### single day, we have to notice that.”  

Eventually, Kanye stated, “’White Lives Matter'” doesn’t mean that Black lives don’t matter.” N.O.R.E. replied, “That’s what we need you to say, Ye.” Watch the clip below and read the tweets criticizing the podcast host at the end of the page. 

N.O.R.E. also took to Twitter to respond to one critic. “Relaax we all make mistakes!!!” he penned before adding, “I’m sorry my fault!!!” 

Meanwhile, N.O.R.E. shared another video revealing the last three days have given him pause for thought. “I’m starting to realize free speech ain’t free,” he claimed. “Some people got to pay for free speech. Im just not one that’s willing to do it.”