Capone-n-Noreaga
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| Capone-n-Noreaga | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Queens, New York City |
| Genre(s) | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1996 to present |
| Label(s) | Penalty/Tommy Boy/Warner Bros. Records Def Jam/IDJMG/Universal Records |
| Associated acts | Tragedy Khadafi Nas AZ Mobb Deep |
| Members | |
| Capone Noreaga |
|
Capone-n-Noreaga (CNN for short) is an East Coast hip hop duo that consists of Capone (Kiam Holley, born February 8, 1976) and Noreaga (Victor Santiago, born September 6, 1976).
Contents |
[edit] Biography
The two grew up in the housing projects of Queensbridge and Lefrak City (both in Queens, New York), and met each other in jail in 1992 while doing kitchen duty. In 1996 they signed with the first incarnation of Penalty Records in a deal with 25 to Life records, Tragedy Khadafi's label. The duo was also featured Unsigned Hype in The Source magazine. In 1997, CNN released its trend-setting debut album, The War Report. Before the group’s debut album was completed, Capone was sent back to prison for violating his parole, and Noreaga finished The War Report on his own.[1] With tracks crafted by Lord Finesse, Havoc (of Mobb Deep), Clark Kent, and a number of other acclaimed producers, The War Report was well-received by critics and established the duo as a household name within the hardcore hip-hop community. According to Rolling Stone, the duo distinguished itself with Capone's nasal delivery and clear-eyed vision of street life, coupled with Noreaga's often hilarious and nonsensical rhymes ("I run laps around the English Channel," is one of his choice lines).[2].
Capone returned home from jail in 1999, the biggest year in CNN's life. The duo experienced beef with emcees from the west coast such as Snoop Dogg, who apologized to Capone for mentioning his name on a dis record; and Hussein Fatal, who had also badmouthed Capone, was approached by the former and asked to say what he felt about him to his face. Capone hit Hussein in the cheek, which caused Hussein to drop to the ground. The group released The Reunion featuring the single "Y'all Don't Wanna." The album struggled to be certified for gold-level sales, allegedly due to the lack of promotion from Tommy Boy Records, and suffered from mixed reviews. In addition, Capone was sent back to prison right before the release for violating a probation sentence on gun possession,[3] further hurting the album’s promotion. Soon after, in 2001, Capone-n-Noreaga jumped ship to prominent label Def Jam. Because Tommy Boy retained the right to use the names Capone-n-Noreaga and Noreaga, the group was forced to shorten its name to CNN, and Noreaga was forced to bill himself as N.O.R.E. (or NORE) for his solo work. They recorded a new album in 2003 called What up 2 Da Hood, with a lead single, "Yes, Sir," that was issued on mixtapes and promoted by a video. The single failed to make an impact, and the album was shelved.
In the same year, the duo found itself being implicated in a non-fatal shooting between rival hp-hop groups, one of which involved emcee Lil' Kim and her entourage,[4] after a chance encounter outside New York radio station Hot 97. Capone-n-Noreaga have denied any involvement in the shooting, for which the group was not charged, stating, "[We] hope that whoever is responsible for this will be brought to justice."[5] In the 2005 trial, Lil' Kim and her manager Damion Butler, aka D-Roc, along with friend Suif Jackson, aka Gutta, were found guilty and sentenced to prison terms.[6]
In early 2005, Def Jam released Capone from his contract while retaining NORE, leaving the group's status in disarray. Capone released his debut album Pain, Time, and Glory, in the same year.
In 2006, NORE brought up the possibility of a Capone-n-Noreaga reunion and a new album.[7] CNN is tentatively releasing a new album in July 2008 titled Reporting the War. The first single off their third studio album is titled "Money," which was produced by Play-n-Skillz and features Shawty Lo.
[edit] Discography
- 1997: The War Report (Gold)
- 2000: The Reunion (Gold)
- 2008: Reporting The War
[edit] References
- ^ Capone-N-Noreaga fan site
- ^ Rolling Stone Album Guide, 2004
- ^ "The Source" magazine", March 2004
- ^ MTV News : Lil' Kim Present At Hot 97 Shootout, Police Say
- ^ MTV News : Capone-n-Noreaga Deny Any Role In Hot 97 Shooting
- ^ CNN : Lil' Kim will be doing a little time
- ^ AllHipHop.com : NORE talks about possible Capone-N-Noreaga reunion
