N.O.R.E. (an acronym for Niggas On The Run Eating) is the debut studio album by American rapper Noreaga. It was released on July 7, 1998, by Penalty Recordings. Recording sessions took place at Criteria Studios in Miami, at The Hit Factory, Electric Lady Studios, The Cutting Room and Right Track Recording in New York, at Bearsville Studios, and at House Of Hits. Production was handled by Trackmasters, L.E.S., Curt Gowdy, Dame Grease, DJ Clue?, EZ Elpee, Ken "DURO" Ifill, Marley Marl, Nashiem Myrick, SPK, Swizz Beatz, The Neptunes and J "Waxx" Garfield. It features guest appearances from Musaliny-N-Maze, Nature, Big Pun, Busta Rhymes, Cam'ron, Carl Thomas, Chico DeBarge, Jadakiss, Kid Capri, Kool G Rap, Nas, Spliff Star and Styles P.

N.O.R.E.
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 7, 1998
Recorded1997–98
Studio
GenreHip hop
Length68:58
LabelPenalty
Producer
Noreaga chronology
N.O.R.E.
(1998)
Melvin Flynt – Da Hustler
(1999)
Singles from N.O.R.E.
  1. "N.O.R.E."
    Released: April 28, 1998
  2. "Banned from T.V."
    Released: July 28, 1998
  3. "Superthug"
    Released: September 21, 1998
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Source[2]
Spin5/10[3]

The album debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart with sales of 165,000 in its first week of release. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on September 15, 1998, for selling 500,000 copies.

The album contained the hit single "Superthug" which peaked at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached #1 on the Hot Rap Singles chart.

The song "The Change" found new fame after then-underground rapper 50 Cent was filmed free-styling over its instrumental. The album's first single and title-track "N.O.R.E.", is featured on the soundtrack of the 2005 video game Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, as the game was set in 1998, the year the album was released.

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Jump Off"Charles Callet 0:54
2."Banned from T.V." (featuring Nature, Cam'ron, Styles P, Jadakiss and Big Punisher)Swizz Beatz5:11
3."I Love My Life" (featuring Carl Thomas)
  • Santiago
  • Lamont Porter
  • Frederick Gordon
  • Vincent Bell
EZ Elpee4:36
4."N.O.R.E."
  • Santiago
  • Jean-Claude Olivier
  • Samuel Barnes
Poke & Tone3:14
5."Hed Interlude"  1:00
6."Hed" (featuring Nature)
  • Santiago
  • Baxter
  • Olivier
  • Barnes
Poke & Tone4:48
7."It's Not a Game" (featuring Musaliny-N-Maze)
  • Santiago
  • Michael Allen
  • Musa Abdallah
  • Edwin Almonte
  • Manuel Álvarez-Beigbeder Pérez
  • Purificación Casas Romero
SPK3:12
8."Fiesta" (featuring Kid Capri)
  • Santiago
  • Olivier
  • Barnes
Poke & Tone3:35
9."40 Island" (featuring Kool G Rap and Musaliny)Marley Marl4:35
10."The Way We Live" (featuring Chico DeBarge)L.E.S.5:09
11."Animal Thug Interlude"  1:41
12."The Change"
  • Santiago
  • Richard Pimentel
Curt Gowdy3:32
13."Superthug" (featuring Tammy Lucas)The Neptunes5:00
14."Da Story" (featuring Maze)
  • Santiago
  • Allen
  • Lewis
L.E.S.4:43
15."Mathematics (Esta Loca)"3:23
16."The Assignment" (featuring Busta Rhymes, Spliff Star and Maze)
  • Nashiem Myrick
  • J. "Waxx" Garfield
4:22
17."Body in the Trunk" (featuring Nas)Dame Grease3:49
18."One Love"  5:13
19."Outro"Callet 1:01
Total length:1:08:58

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (June 16, 1998). "N.O.R.E. - Noreaga | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  2. ^ Osorio, Kim (August 1998). "Record Report: Noreaga – N.O.R.E.". The Source. No. 107. New York. p. 166, 168.
  3. ^ Kulkarni, Neil (September 1998). "Reviews". SPIN. Vol. 14, no. 9. SPIN Media LLC. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  4. ^ "Noreaga Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
  5. ^ "Noreaga Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  6. ^ "Noreaga Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
  7. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  8. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  9. ^ "American album certifications – Noreaga – N.O.R.E." Recording Industry Association of America.
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