Yo, before I shut it down tonight, I just wanted to let u know that when there is no news you have to make your own. Right? Well, Just last week (August 27th), before everyone got the holiday jinx, my man's BadNews, sat down and spoke with my favorite rapper...N.O.R.E. Word life yo, and get this, what I found out from Badnews in talking to him about the interview was simply this...N.O.R.E's mad cool son! It's kinda rare to see a cat whose got this much recognition in the Hip Hop Game today but without the "Superstar" status attitude. Kinda cool considering also he actually took the time out his busy schedule (new album NOREALITY in stores now by the way, thought i slip that in there) to sit down and kick the bobo with us . So yo, check this conversation that went down and peep game...

BadNews: Your name N.O.R.E. stands for Niggas On The Run Eatin', but a few years ago your name Noreaga like Manuel Noreaga the druglord. Why did you change your name from Noreaga to N.O.R.E.?

N.O.R.E.: Well a few years ago I was in the pen and a couple dudes in there were reading about Manuel Noreaga. It was this book called "Drug Wars" and I liked the book and started reading it and when people asked me questions about Noreaga, I answered correctly very quickly and it caught on and they started calling me Noreaga. Plus when Pone (Capone) came home he started calling me Noreaga. People didn't know what he was talking about, but the name quickly stuck. My original name was Papi but I changed it to Noreaga. But I changed it again to N.O.R.E. because there is already another Noriega and he has his own story, but there is only one N.O.R.E. and he has his own story. Yep.

BadNews: (laughs) Ahhh I see. How did you start Thug-Out Millitainment?

N.O.R.E.: When I say the word "thug" people think automatically that its not organized like organized crime, but I wanted to make the word "thug" organized. I wanted it to maintain that meaning as well as show the word has integrity and the milli part means military it's the 1st. syllable of military put on to entertainment. The label isn't as successful as I wanted to be but it definitley isn't going nowhere you understand?

BadNews: Are there any artist on the label you're currently working with?

N.O.R.E.: We got Big Mato, Nature, Capone of course and this artist name J- Ru$$ (laughs) yo I'm so excited about J-Ru$$ I'm excited equally for all my artists but it was crazy I was down south doing a radio show with J- Ru$$ and there were nothing but ladies calling in for him and bugging out it was crazy. The ladies love J-Ru$$ and I fell like I found a diamond in the rough he's got star potential and I can be very good for him, but the ladies love him and everyone likes him locally he has this crazy song it's a single with Swizz Beatz on it that's getting play so he's gonna have a bright future.

BadNews: Ok, so people be on the look out for him. You have an album that dropped Aug. 28th named NOREality. Who's on the album?

N.O.R.E.: 3-6 Mafia, Kanye West, J-Ru$$, Swizz Beatz, GLC, KC a new artists from Orlando and we got production from Alchemist and Swizz Beatz. It's in stores now!!

BadNews: Aug. 28th, i'll be on the lookout for that. Now, you're known with working with your boy Capone. For some that don't know I would say CNN is like an east coast version of UGK

N.O.R.E.: I never been told or heard that before but I'm honored to hear that...

BadNews: (laughs) What I'm trying to say is you had great success together. Is there a chance of hearing another CNN album from you anytime soon?

N.O.R.E.: Oh Absolutely. We were about to hit the studio and record on Tuesday (Aug.) but I have to go to Vegas and promote the album for which the promotional tour was helped put together by Al Lindstorm. My album Noreality is coming out August. 28th, but unfortunately, I have to put it on pause because the tour ends on the 9th or 10th of September. But its easy working with Capone. I usually do the chorus, he does the other half and then we knock out the hard part which is collecting beats. I collected my beats and hopefully he collected his beats so when I get back, all we have to do is write the songs.

BadNews: I can't wait for that to drop, its going to be crazy. You work with a lot of reggaeton artists and put out some hits here but mostly in Puerto Rico. Do you think the popularity has died down in the US for reggaeton?

N.O.R.E.: Yes it has, but it's not dead. There's a lot of politics that reggaeton artists have to deal with that rappers really don't. There's a lot of payola and shit and some DJ's Blackball NORE because I won't pay them to play my records. Payola is when you pay a DJ to spin your records. I would never condone Payola and I would never pay a fucking DJ to play my music.

BadNews: That's what's up...

N.O.R.E.: I been in this business for 10 years and I had success all from honest DJ's who spun my records, word of mouth from the people and my fans, mix tapes, So I fucking refuse to pay a DJ to play my hits.

BadNews: Word up. Now you appeared in a lot of movies from your cameo in "Paid in Full" to "Paper Soldiers" starring Kevin Hart. Have you ever thought about directing or writing a movie one day?

N.O.R.E.: Well, right now I have two films I'm working on. A lot of people ask me all the time," What happened to my character El Pollo Loco on State Property 2?". I just shoot the dude and walk off and my story doesn't really end like Dame's or like Beanie's. So I wanted to make a movie, sort of like a spin off that tells El Pollo Loco's story. He was from Miami and the he went to New York. But in the movie, he comes back to Miami and does it big. Then I got this movie I'm writing on called The Trainer (laughs), its my bread and butter so I can't say too much about it . It's a comedy and basically I took all my material that I ever done and put it into this movie. (laughs) It's going to be real funny. It's going to be the funniest story ever. (laughs)

BadNews: (Laughs) I believe you. So watch out for that one people. Now you got a crazy vocabulary, its real creative and you made some real crazy words and phrases that are hot. Do you have any new words for us?

N.O.R.E.: Yeah, Whatitgoodbe? Like is everything gravy.

BadNews: Like what it good be?

N.O.R.E.: Yeah whatitgoodbe. So you see your boy or something and say whatigoodbe and he says whatitshouldbe (what it should be) like everything is good.

BadNews: (laughs) Ahhhh now I like that...whatitgoodbe?

N.O.R.E.: Whatitshouldbe yeah yeah!!

BadNews: (laughs) Ok. Now do you have any mix tapes dropping along with your album Noreality?

N.O.R.E.: I'm on Big Mike's mixtape titled The King of Ignorance, Green Lantern's mix tape Cocaine on Steroids . They're all out now and I'm trying to get the word out about the album August 28th, August 28th, August 28th. Then there's Global Warming. There's also alot I music that I have created that isn't on Global Warming or Noreality. I gave some tracks to DJ EFN, so there should be more coming. Then I want to drop a comedy album titled the Snorring Album. I named it after my boy, because he snores like a fucking cow. But it's a fun album, that I'm trying to put out.

BadNews: Ok if you could describe the music industry in one word what would you use?

N.O.R.E.: Up's and Down's. The downs are some artists work hard and there label invests a lot of money in them and they don't do well, and then there's the ups which are when artists don't really have the money behind them on they work off a small budget. But they blow up and do real well.

BadNews: Ok and finally Obama or Clinton?

N.O.R.E.: I would have to say Obama.

BadNews: I talked to Rhymefest a couple weeks ago and he basically said White America isn't ready for a Black president

N.O.R.E.: Well, if it doesn't work out for Obama God bless, but we just need a leader that can run this country

BadNews: That's what's up. Well, I enjoyed this alot thank you for your time I really appreciate it.

N.O.R.E.: Thank you and Noreality in stores August 28th.

Yo, we'd like to thank N.O.R.E. as well as Keith over BabyGrande for hooking this exclusive joint up with us here at HipHopRuckus. We'd like to say go out and cop the N.O.R.E's freakin' album Noreality which is in stores now...smell me?