Podcast culture can be complicated, especially when it intersects with health and accountability. DJ Vlad recently called out N.O.R.E. and the Drink Champs platform for pressuring guests to consume alcohol during interviews—a practice he says is deeply problematic, particularly for people battling addiction.
Vlad declined a 2022 invitation to appear on the show, explaining he didn’t want to drink while being interviewed. “I just don’t want to drink on the show. I’ll drink soda and just pretend to drink,” he recalled telling N.O.R.E. But the response he got was pushback. “No, no, no. You got to drink. You got to drink. This is the show,” N.O.R.E. allegedly replied. It’s the kind of pressure that shouldn’t exist in any professional space, and Vlad made his stance clear in follow-up messages. “There’s no way I will do an interview with anyone while intoxicated,” he stated. “I run a company and deal with legal issues. So, anything I say could have serious consequences.”
Eventually, Vlad appeared on the show in 2024, but the relationship deteriorated quickly. What really troubled him, though, was the pattern he observed. Vlad pointed to Drink Champs episodes featuring Lamar Odom and DMX—both with well-documented struggles with substance abuse—as examples of how the platform seemed indifferent to guest wellness. He also mentioned Ye, who has publicly discussed his own relationship with alcohol.
“Here’s the dark side of ‘Drink Champs’ that people don’t really want to talk about,” Vlad said. “You don’t take an addict to a drinking platform.” It’s a simple truth wrapped in podcast culture that often prioritizes entertainment over ethics.
The feud escalated further when Vlad accused N.O.R.E. of repeatedly backing out of a promised VladTV interview, adding another layer of broken trust to an already fractured relationship.
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