N.O.R.E. Wanted Out of “Drink Champs” and Cam’ron Was His First Pick to Replace Him [Video]

N.O.R.E. never intended to be the permanent face of “Drink Champs.”

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In a recent interview with Bootleg Kev, the Queens legend revealed he once planned to step away from hosting and hand the show off to someone else. That someone was Cam’ron. At the time, N.O.R.E. was thinking like an executive. He saw Cam’s natural charisma, slick storytelling, and raw delivery as a perfect fit for the energy “Drink Champs” brings. The idea was to let Cam take the lead while N.O.R.E. operated behind the scenes.

Cam was already toying with podcasting, so the timing made sense. But when the offer came, he passed.

“He thought how I thought,” N.O.R.E. said, explaining that Cam didn’t want to take over something he didn’t build. He wanted to create his own thing from scratch.

Cam linked with Ma$e to drop “It Is What It Is,” a show that blends sports, humor, and barbershop energy. It’s loose, funny, and very Harlem. Then he followed up with “Talk With Flee,” a solo platform that lets him speak his mind freely on whatever topic he feels like touching.

Both shows found their audiences fast, and Cam proved he didn’t need to ride anyone else’s wave. He built his own. N.O.R.E. didn’t sound pressed about it. He showed respect. The conversation was less about what could have been and more about honoring Cam’s decision to move independently.

They didn’t merge brands. They didn’t need to. Each stayed in their own lane, and both still made it to the top.