N.O.R.E. Gives Rare Show At Lovers & Friends Festival, Hints That It's His Last

BYGabriel Bras Nevares618 Views
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Armani White and N.O.R.E. perform onstage during the BET Hip Hop Awards 2022 on September 30, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Terence Rushin/Getty Images)
Is the Queens legend only sticking to Drink Champs from now on?

N.O.R.E. was one of many hip-hop legends that performed at the Lovers & Friends Festival last Saturday (May 6) in Las Vegas. However, he was perhaps the only act in attendance who teased that it would be his final performance. The Drink Champs host has obviously found a lot of success with that show, and he hinted at it being time to fully enter a new chapter. Regardless of that info, the Queens MC still played through many of his greatest tracks much to the excitement of the crowd. Still, it's quite the bittersweet affirmation from the rapper, as fans are always going to want more.

With that in mind, it's actually been quite rare for N.O.R.E. to perform these days. As such, maybe this revelation, as unofficial as it may be, shouldn't come as much of a surprise to many hardcore fans. Even considering his increasing focus in the podcasting space and other media avenues, people usually go for a farewell tour. Just look at 50 Cent, who recently announced "The Final Lap" tour and hinted at his last hurrah in the trek's title.

N.O.R.E. Hits The Lovers & Friends Festival Stage

No matter his seemingly relinquished performance duties, the 45-year-old is still very proud of what he's built on Drink Champs. While catching up with HipHopDX at Lovers & Friends, he revealed that his interview with Nas was the most surreal for him to do. "That’s my brother and I never really wanted to interview him at all because he’s my brother, but the fact that he did sit down... it’s very weird to ask people questions that you don’t wanna ask them," N.O.R.E. expressed. "I’m not the police, and they know I’m not the police, but at the end of the day, I wanna have fun and I wanna make them surreal.

"At the end of the day, all hip-hop stars is superheroes," he continued. "But the thing is what makes Drink Champs Drink Champs is I don’t make ’em superheroes. I make them Clark Kents." Considering that, N.O.R.E. might not hit the stage again, but he'll surely continue contributing to the culture in a positive and influential way. For more news and the latest updates on the hip-hop heavyweight, check back in with HNHH.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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