N.O.R.E. first gained notoriety as one half of the Queens duo Capone-N-Noreaga. Their debut album, War Report, was a huge success but following Capone's incarceration Noreaga was left to fend for himself. This prompted the release of his hit debut solo album,N.O.R.E., which proved an even bigger success. The project was spearheaded by “Superthug”—a track produced by The Neptunes that would also prove instrumental to their own success. The rapper also scored big in the Latin market with his hit single "Oye Mi Canto" during the reggaetón explosion.