N.O.R.E.

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.

He officially changed his stage name to N.O.R.E. in the late 1990s, and after some delays, his third solo studio album God's Favorite, was released in 2002.

The album peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

It contained the major hit "Nothin'" (produced by The Neptunes), which reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

It became N.O.R.E.'s highest-charting hit.

Following God's Favorite, N.O.R.E. changed his musical focus.

He began recording Spanish-language songs to reflect his Puerto Rican background and made reggaeton music, rather than traditional hip hop.

Born and raised in Queens, New York, 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 began his career in 1995, performing under the pseudonym Noreaga (after Panamanian ruler Manuel Noriega), as part of the duo Capone-N-Noreaga alongside friend and fellow Queens-based rapper Capone, whom he met while serving time in prison.

Santiago grew up in LeFrak City and spent time hanging out in Capone’s neighbouring Queensbridge Houses.

They signed to Penalty Recordings in 1996, and released their debut album The War Report, in 1997.

The War Report was a commercial and critical success that made the duo well known among hip hop audiences.

The album received praise for using the "traditional grimey boom-bap" sound of classic New York City hip hop, which at that time was falling out in favor of a more futuristic sound.

The album peaked at #21 on the Billboard 200, and the singles "Illegal Life", "Closer", and "T.O.N.Y. (Top of New York)" all charted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart.

Following the release of the album, Capone was again sentenced to a jail term, which left Noreaga to take on a solo career and make an album on his own.

Santiago signed with Penalty Recordings as a solo artist to release his self-titled debut studio album in 1998.

The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and spawned the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 single "Superthug" (featuring the Neptunes).

Noreaga solo debut studio album N.O.R.E, was released in 1998.

The title, a shortening of the artist's name, used the backronym "Niggaz on (the) Run Eatin'".

The album became even more successful than the duo's debut, charting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and being certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

The album features guest appearances from fellow NYC rappers Nas, Kool G Rap, Big Pun and Busta Rhymes.

It also features in many cases a different production style than The War Report, including the modern futuristic sound, with tracks produced by then-up-and-coming producers The Neptunes and Swizz Beatz.

The Neptunes produced the hit "Superthug", which reached No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.

The song, along with Mase's hit "Lookin' At Me", was one of the Neptunes' first major productions.

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.

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.

In 1999, Noreaga would go on to release his second solo album, Melvin Flynt - Da Hustler, which was a moderate success, reaching the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and becoming certified gold by the RIAA.

The album's most successful single (produced by The Neptunes) was "Oh No", which reached No. 49 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart.

Capone was released from prison in 1999.

The two subsequently began recording music together again and released their second C-N-N album in the year 2000.

The album, titled The Reunion, was not well-received critically and failed to match the commercial success of the duo's debut or Noreaga's solo albums.

AllMusic reviewer Matt Conaway summed up the album by stating "With The Reunion, Capone-N-Noreaga take a step backward."

The reggaeton single "Oye Mi Canto", was released in 2004 and became a major hit, peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song was originally supposed to be a single from an upcoming album titled 1 Fan a Day, but the album was never released.

Instead, N.O.R.E. released a reggaeton/hip hop album in 2006, titled N.O.R.E. y la Familia...Ya Tú Sabe, which included the lead singles "Oye Mi Canto" and "Mas Maiz".

The group would then go on a hiatus and not release another album until 2009.

Noreaga continued to pursue his career as a solo artist.