N.O.R.E. recently had the Isley Brothers on Drink Champs, though some fans feel as though they didn’t get the respect they deserve. Even if it’s sometimes salacious and controversial, N.O.R.E dives into the topics that are on everyone’s mind, which undoubtedly helped Drink Champs become one of the leading podcasts in hip-hop. However, The Isley Brothers are legends who many feel should be treated as such. So when N.O.R.E. brought up Stephanie Mills’ comments about Beyoncé, some felt as though he was trying to set up the Isley Brothers for a viral moment.
The comments N.O.R.E referred to during the Isley Brothers interview stemmed from Mills’ interview with DJ Vlad. Stephanie Mills explained during an interview that Diana Ross and Beyoncé in comparable. Mills said that they share the common aspect of “glamor” but she considered Ross R&B and pop while Beyoncé, who previously sang "Happy Birthday" to Diana, leans towards “hip-hop.” “I consider Beyonce Hip-Hop. And I consider Diana, R&B and Pop, and just … I consider her royalty. I’ve always wanted to be like Diana,” she explained. Though N.O.R.E admitted that he understood what Mills’ said, he explained to the Isley Brothers that Beyoncé’s loyal following began to leap at Stephanie Mills.
The Isley Brothers Remain Mum
Unfortunately, N.O.R.E summoned the BeyHive with his comments. As the Drink Champs host explained to the Isley Brothers that “you can not say nothing about the B,” he described the BeyHive as a “mafia” who are ready to pounce on anyone in defense of Bey. However, throughout N.O.R.E’s speech, the Isley Brothers remained tight-lipped and quietly nodded along. Eventually, N.O.R.E. said they’re lucky that they didn’t come up in a social media era where negativity thrives.
Prior to discussing Stephanie Mills’ comments, The Isley Brothers discussed their relationship with Beyoncé’s family. Ronald Isley told the Drink Champs host that Tina Knowles cried when they reached out to record the remake of “Make Me Say It Again, Girl” from their latest album. “I mean, she’s so talented. I think the people know that. But she works so hard, man. We’re just blown away with the record,” Isley explained. “Her mother cried about it. Her favorite song is ‘For the Love of You.'” Though the Isley Brothers didn’t identify as being part of the BeyHive, there’s evidently a deep mutual appreciation between Beyoncé and the iconic soul group. Check out the comments above.