N.O.R.E. Regrets Giving Kanye West A Platform For His Anti-Semitic Statements: ‘I Feel Like I Failed’

N.O.R.E. spoke out about the backlash he’s received for having Kanye West as a guest on his Revolt TV show Drink Champs on Monday (Oct. 17).

“Well, the logic was the same way you guys are giving me the platform,” the rapper explained to Hot 97’s Pete Rosenberg and Laura Stylez. I believe you care about me, that you respect me, and that you believe I should have a say. Ye and I are in a relationship. He would call me when he was going through a lot of the things he was going through, and he would actually listen to me and take my advice. So I felt in command of the situation. I thought I could control the interview, but I quickly discovered that I couldn’t.”

N.O.R.E. went on to say that “as a Black man, I feel like I failed,” but that “as a journalist,” the contentious interview was considered a success. “Because you’re not supposed to have an opinion as a journalist,” he explained. “You’re supposed to listen to people. ‘N.O.R.E., you always cut people off!’ is my biggest criticism of Drink Champs. ‘And this is the one time I didn’t cut the people off, and everyone’s mad.”

Later, the artist apologised for giving his friend a platform to broadcast what many critics are calling hate speech, saying, “I sincerely apologise to anybody that was hurt by Kanye’s words, by Kanye’s actions.” However, he claims he called out his longtime friend over his eyebrow-raising statements about George Floyd and the Jewish community within minutes of the interview beginning.

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