“Drink Champs” has become the biggest hip-hop platform of 2022. Co-hosted by DJ EFN and N.O.R.E. on the REVOLT, the podcast won a BET Hip-Hop Award for its contributions to the culture in the past 365 days.
The long-form podcast brings on legends to speak for hours about their career and impact with drinking games intertwined. The show was recently under fire for bringing back Ye, as the former billionaire continued to spew controversial comments about Black Lives Matter and the Jewish community. One of the next episodes since the deleted Ye podcast, was the duo of Quavo and Takeoff, two-thirds of the legendary rap group Migos. The group is currently divided after a falling out with Offset. While Quavo wouldn’t get specific when explaining the breakup, he continued to point out loyalty.
During the course of the interview, N.O.R.E., a former rapper himself who put out hits like “Superthug” and “Nothin’,” heaped praise on Takeoff for his performance on the duo’s latest album Only Built For Infinity Links. Takeoff said he did give the project his best album because as the quietest member of the group, he wants his flowers too while he can still smell them. Takeoff, 28, died nine days after the interview was published.
In February 2021, DMX went on the show again for over two-and-a-half hours to discuss his career and his VERZUZ battle with Snoop Dogg. Less than two months after the interview was published, DMX died at 50.
At the 2022 BET Hip-Hop Awards, rolling out caught up with N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN, to discuss how the platform became so popular and a place for legends to receive proper recognition.
N.O.R.E., what is it like to enter legendary status in not only one field, but two?
Well, it feels great, man. I just want to keep going. I just want to remain humble. Never get too gassed and just keep going.
What is it like to have the hottest podcast in hip-hop right now?
DJ EFN: Oh, thank you. I mean, we’re just doing what we love to do. Hopefully, people vibe with it.
What gets people so comfortable to drink around you all and talk for two to five hours?
DJ EFN: It’s crazy. I mean, people think it is the liquor that opens people up, but I don’t think they’d sit with us if they didn’t feel comfortable from the beginning. We wanted to bring the conversations that were happening backstage, the conversations that we’re having in the studio … to light because we were drinking and smoking in studio, smoking backstage, and we were just talking shop. That’s what we wanted to bring to the table, and that’s what you guys are hearing and seeing.
How much of that comfort can you contribute to being in the industry so long as opposed to being a traditional journalist?
DJ EFN: It was really dope for us to both come together, and reinvent ourselves. At the same time, I think we helped inspire other people to reinvent themselves. If we did that, that’s all we can ask for.
