N.O.R.E And Wife Neri Talk "Marriage Boot Camp"

A brand new season of “Marriage Boot Camp” kicks off this Thursday and we were blessed to speak with one of the couples from this Hip Hop Edition!

Source: Courtesy WeTV / WeTV

This season’s couples include Hip Hop legend N.O.R.E and his wife NERI, two-time Grammy Award nominee MONIE LOVE and TUFF, Producer MALLY MALL and TREASURE, and Love & Hip Hop Hollywood’s favorite on again off again couple SIIR BROCK and AMBER LAURA. BOSSIP’s Sr. Content Director Janeé Bolden chopped it up with Nore and his wife Neri about what compelled them to sign up for “Boot Camp,” how the show improved their relationship and whether or not they were fed up with the other couples by the end of production.

BOSSIP: What made you guys decide to try “Marriage Boot Camp after ten years of marriage?

Neri: Nore and I decided that we had an opportunity to be on national TV and be able to, not only, like, kind of inspire other people, because of the fact that we’re married so long. But also show we have our own issues. Communication could be better. We want us to just build a better bond and stronger bonds just to have more years of marriage. We had this opportunity to get to talk to Dr.Ish, which he’s amazing and Judge [Lynn] Toler she’s amazing as well. So, when they approached us with this one, why not go to the best of the best to help us with our problems?

BOSSIP: From the very first episode, Nore owns up to being the source of a lot of you guys problems, saying that you guys don’t have a ton of issues, but he takes the blame for the issues that you do have. Nore would you say that doing boot camp has improved you and Neri, would you agree?

NORE: I would say yeah, to a certain extent. Yeah, of course. I’m actually a fan of the program. I’m actually a fan of the show. I’m actually a fan of what they do. So, I was actually there to listen. When they called me out on certain things, instead of me debating or going back and forth with them, I just shut up and listened. I’m used to being the boss for the past 15 years of my life. I’ve been my own boss, but it doesn’t mean because you’re a great boss, that you can’t go back to being a dope employee.I wanted to learn, and I wanted to, you know, humble myself. And I wanted like Neri said, to learn from the best. So why not go out there and try to make a vacation of it as well?

Love that. Neri, what kind of improvements have you seen and your husband?

Neri: We did a lot of challenges throughout the show, and I don’t want to give away too much. I want you guys to be surprised, but some of the challenges really reveal a lot of things that we didn’t even know about ourselves. I would say, as far as your childhood and how your childhood affects your love for someone or just you loving someone in general. So, I felt like some things of my childhood. I was like, ‘Oh, that’s the reason I do certain things’ And then I see him and that’s the reason he does certain things, so that definitely opened our eyes to see our issues. We all have our issues, and it really comes from the way you were raised.

BOSSIP: I want to ask you about some of the other couples. What was it like being around them? Were any friendships made or folks that worked your nerves?

Neri: As far as one of my friends, her name is Monie, and she’s going to be our castmate on the show. I’m sure you guys know her. She’s a legend. And I was surprised she was on the show, and I really got along with her. But I also got to know the other couples as well. But as far as, like, I think since we were quarantined before — we were the first season to be quarantine prior — like, I think we were all just getting on each other’s nerves, to be honest.

It’s a little tougher when you don’t have the ability to leave. You’re kind of stuck in one spot.

Neri: Yeah. And then you’re forced to, like, kind of see everybody’s problem because you’re dealing with your issues and then you’re dealing with other people’s issues, and then you have your opinion on other people’s issues. It’s like you’re watching TV in front of your eyes. That’s what we were doing. We’re watching each other. So, it was kind of, like, weird because I never really been involved with other people’s issues, because usually I mind my own business when it comes to other people’s relationships. But this wasn’t the case. You were, like, in the relationship with them.

As a couple who’ve been together for ten years, did you have a hard time taking some of the others seriously, like a couple who maybe might be more of a TV couple than an actual couple. Did you have that experience at all?

Nore: We had it all. Some of these couples weren’t there with the great intention. Some of them were there trying to fix it. And some of them were there because they got a check. You know what I mean? I can’t reveal who because that’s not my job, but I love it. I love the fact that we got to experience it all. We got the experience a lot of reality TV show moments. We got the experience with people trying to repair their sh**. I got to experience it all. So, it was everything I thought it would be. And even more so for me, I was cool. I was cool with watching it all unfold.

Source: Courtesy WeTV / WeTV

Neri, the public hasn’t seen you this much until now. Are you feeling more comfortable being in front of the camera? Are you interested in maybe doing some more work in the spotlight?

Neri: Yeah. So, I’m excited for everyone to get to know me, not just as Nore’s wife, but as me. Neri, the wife, the mom, the entrepreneur that I’m going to be. I’m opening up this whole business. It’s going to do great for people’s health. So, I feel like I’m excited about that. And I’m excited because not only am I opening it up, but I’m getting to show the world, like, for example, like “Marriage Boot Camp.” I’m talking about it there. And also, in “Love and Hip Hop,” you see me like building it from the ground up. For me going from doing nothing to doing two shows at one time, I think it’s a lot. I’m kind of overwhelmed, but I am getting comfortable in front of the camera.

Nore were you worried at all about your wife having to deal with people possibly having things to say about her? Did you give her advice at all about how to handle haters and trolls?

Nore: That’s the thing. As long as you’re in the background, no one has anything to say about you. The minute you go in the front, you subject to be judged. You know what I’m saying? So, I explained that to her. The minute you put yourself on camera there’s going to be people that’s going to love you, there’s going to be people that’s going to hate you, but as long as you get paid ee’re going to be alright.

Now you guys are doing two shows. Would you do your own podcast or your own spin-off show? Have you thought about that at all?

Nore: We have “Smoke Champs” dropping on Halloween. That’s a spin-off of “Drink Champs,” obviously. And will I do my own reality TV show? It depends. I can tell you the truth. I love the storyline that “Love and Hip Hop” is doing. I love it “Marriage Bootcamp” for their professionalism and how they I presented this support right now. I’m actually cool with being an employee when it comes to that and or being a boss on Dream Champs on my own show. But I don’t mind showing up for work.

What do the kids have to say about seeing you guys on two shows? Are you going to let them watch “Marriage Boot Camp” as well? Do they watch “Love and Hip Hop?”

Nore: They couldn’t care less.

Neri: They’re like, ‘Where do you guys think you’re going’? When we’re heading to film. But they really don’t show interest. “Marriage Boot Camp,” they’re probably going to watch it. But there’s some things that I really don’t want them to watch because it gets personal, especially as far as your sex life. I don’t want my kids watching that.

Get a first look at the premiere below:

Tune in for the brand-new season of “Marriage Boot Camp: Hip Hop Edition,” premiering Thursday, October 7 at 9pm on WE tv