Here’s how N.O.R.E. should redefine his name - Hispanic Heritage Month

It’s Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th - October 15th, and today I’m highlighting N.O.R.E.

Born Victor James Santiago Jr. in Queens, NYC to a Puerto Rican father and an African American mother, N.O.R.E. has become part of the culture in many ways. If you don’t know what "N.O.R.E." the acronym stands for, then you might not be familiar with his 1998 single by the same name that spells it out for you. This was back when he went by the stage name “Noreaga”.

Regardless of what that song says "N.O.R.E." stands for, N.O.R.E. is no longer on the run, but he’s probably eatin’ better than ever.

Originally, he was part of a duo, Capone-n-Noreaga (CNN). The two met in prison. Shoutout to them for turning that into a positive outcome. Their album, “The War Report” peaked at #21 on the Billboard 200.

After Capone was forced to do time again, putting a pause on the duo’s work, N.O.R.E. put out his first solo studio album, "N.O.R.E." which dropped in 1998. It reached #3 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum. This album introduced us to Superthug, which reached #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart.

His third studio album, “God’s Favorite” gave us “Nothin”, which was a whole lot of something as it peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2002. The album reached #3 on the Billboard 200. It was N.O.R.E.‘s biggest hit to date.

Following “God’s Favorite”, N.O.R.E. shifted to reggaeton, reaching into his Boricua bag, and put out “N.O.R.E. y la Familia...Ya Tú Sabe”, which was a mostly Spanish-language album with many guest appearances from prominent Hispanic artists. We got “Oye Mi Canto” from that which peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. He helped Reggaeton go mainstream in the US, giving it a familiar face to those not yet familiar with the genre.

Fast Forward to 2015, N.O.R.E. had built up a relationship with DJ EFN from his early days promoting CNN, hopping on the Miami-based DJs mixtapes, and they eventually started “Drink Champs”. The now podcast is the biggest Hip-Hop podcast out and they regularly interview legends in the game and the biggest rappers out right now. First a show on satellite radio and eventually their own podcast, the show blew up way bigger than either of them had anticipated.

It’s easy to see why N.O.R.E. is a staple in the culture. He successfully tapped in and became a figure in both sides of his roots. It’s why I think he should switch up the meaning in the acronym N.O.R.E. to mean “No One Resonates Equally”.