Three years after one of the most polarizing episodes of Drink Champs, N.O.R.E. is finally opening up about his regrets.

During a recent appearance on The Breakfast Club 105.1 (June 30), the rapper-turned-podcaster admitted that his headline-making interview with Ye — formerly known as Kanye West — didn’t go the way he hoped.

“We didn’t edit nothing until then, but Kanye’s was very weird,” N.O.R.E. admitted around the 25-minute mark of the now-viral interview. “I got secondhand hate.”

The episode in question sparked outrage due to Ye’s false and offensive comments about the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed in 2020 by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Ye falsely claimed Floyd died from fentanyl, a claim completely debunked by expert testimony during Chauvin’s murder trial.

📺 Episode Removed After Backlash — N.O.R.E. Feels “Responsible”

N.O.R.E. also shared that he wishes he had taken a more cautious approach to editing — particularly in light of the backlash that followed:

“I felt responsible,” he revealed, referring to Ye’s statements that lit up headlines across the internet. The episode has since been completely removed.

Ye’s comments had serious consequences, with George Floyd’s family pursuing a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the 24-time Grammy Award-winning artist.

💥 A Defining Moment in Hip-Hop Podcasting

The 2022 Drink Champs episode marked a turning point in hip-hop media, sparking debates not only about Ye’s remarks but about the responsibility of platforms to moderate controversial conversations.

For N.O.R.E., the moment was eye-opening — a lesson in the influence and weight carried by long-form interviews in modern culture.