New York rapper Victor 'Noreaga' Santiago grew up in Queens. He met his musical partner Kiam 'Capone' Holley in prison in the early 1990s. After their release, they formed the successful duo Capone -N- Noreaga (CNN). When Capone was sent to prison again in 1997, Noreaga embarked on a solo career. He made his debut in 1998 with the strong album NORE (short for Niggas On the Run Eating). It made him
… one of the standard bearers of New York 'gangsta' rap. After the flopped Capone -N- Noreaga album The Reunion (2001) he left his old record company and signed a contract with the famous rap label Def Jam. To accentuate the new start, he changed his stage name to NORE The first NORE album God's Favorite (2002) turned out to be a great CD with many commercial opportunities. NORE's lyrics are harsh, humorous and straightforward. Among the strongest tracks are Grimey, Nothin 'and especially the single candidate Live My Life. There are guest appearances from Nas, Nelly, Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Kelis and of course his old buddy Capone. Production was in the hands of Irv Gotti (Ashanti, Ja Rule, DMX, Fat Joe) and the well-known Neptunes. (MvP)more
