| Capone-n-Noreaga | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Also known as |
C-N-N |
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Origin |
Queens, New York, United States |
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Genres |
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Years active |
1995-2004, 2006-2011, 2013-present |
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Labels |
Penalty (1996-1999) |
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Associated acts |
Busta Rhymes, DJ Premier, Kool G Rap, Mobb Deep, Nas, Tragedy Khadafi, Wu-Tang Clan |
Capone-n-Noreaga is an American hip hop duo from Queens, New York. The duo was formed in 1995 by rappers Capone and Noreaga. They were featured in the The Source magazine's Unsigned Hype column in October 1995, and signed to Penalty Records the following year. Before their debut album was completed, Capone was imprisoned for a parole violation, and Noreaga finished it with the help of New York City hip hop artists such as Mobb Deep and Tragedy Khadafi. The War Report was released in June 1997, and was met with critical and commercial success.
In 2000, the duo released their second album, The Reunion, on Tommy Boy Records. The album was similarly star-studded, but suffered from mixed reviews. Additionally, Capone had once again been sent to prison before its release for violating a probation sentence on gun possession, which undermined promotion of the album. The following year, Capone-n-Noreaga moved to Def Jam Recordings, but Tommy Boy still retained the rights to the names Capone-n-Noreaga and Noreaga (the label claimed that the duo owed it more recordings), so the group shortened its name to CNN and Noreaga changed his name to N.O.R.E. for his solo work. The duo recorded an album titled New Religion which was to be released in 2003, but its lead single "Yes Sir" failed to gain much attention and the album was shelved. In early 2005, Def Jam released Capone from his contract while retaining Noreaga. Capone released his debut solo album, Pain, Time and Glory, the same year.
The duo reunited in 2009 for the release of their third album, Channel 10, which featured production work from DJ Premier, Havoc and The Alchemist, among others. In 2011, the duo released the album The War Report 2: Report the War as a sequel to their debut before temporarily disbanding to focus on solo efforts. In 2013, the duo announced on Sway Calloway's morning show that they had once again reunited.
Discography[]
- 1997: The War Report
- 2000: The Reunion
- 2009: Channel 10
- 2010: The War Report 2: Report the War
- 2015: Lessons