It’s no secret that N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN’s “Drink Champs” is the spot where legends come to spill shots, tea or decades of stories. The show is essentially a cultural archive in real time, offering unfiltered conversations with some of the biggest icons in Hip Hop, R&B and beyond.

From the moment Keyshia Cole sat down, the Oakland-bred singer, songwriter and reality star held court with honesty and charisma, moving effortlessly from heartfelt memories to hilarious sidebars. Over the course of her decadeslong career, Keyshia released multiple platinum albums, penned chart-topping anthems like “Love” and “Heaven Sent,” and opened her life to the world through reality television. Her emotional transparency and raw vocal style made her a generational voice, and that same realness was front and center throughout her “Drink Champs” appearance.

Below are seven standout moments from the episode that highlight why Keyshia’s story still resonates.

1. Tupac Shakur told her to stop rapping

Keyshia dropped a major gem when she casually revealed her early music career included rapping — until Tupac Shakur stepped in. “When we met Tupac, he was like, you're just a little lady. This is not — we're not going to do this. You're going to be singing and you're going to stop rapping about weed and being out in the streets,” she said.

She also recalled playfully clowning the late icon. “I definitely told him his feet stink,” she said, explaining that Pac had on some no-sock Versace shoes at the time. The moment captured a hilarious but sincere memory that few fans had ever heard before.

2. Why Keyshia stopped making heartbreak anthems

Known for songs that put pain on wax, Keyshia opened up about outgrowing heartbreak music. “I had already sung about all the heartbreak I could sing about,” she said. “How many different ways can we rewrite this story? I'm over it.”

When asked about her discography’s emotional range, she joked, “My music is definitely bipolar… It’s not one song that you can say is a true happy song. It’s always some kind of hurt leading up to a little bit of happy.”

3. She was the reality TV blueprint before the Kardashians

N.O.R.E. made a bold claim during the episode: “I feel like the Kardashians stole everything from you.” Keyshia didn’t co-sign the accusation directly, but she spoke thoughtfully about her influence and the toll it took.

She explained why she ended “Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is,” despite the show’s success. “I really wanted my mom to get healthy… and once I saw that goal was not going to be reached… I just — it's time to stop.” While her reality show predated the Kardashian empire by a year, her focus was on authenticity: “That was my whole goal... I wanted us to really grow together.”

4. Her love for Mary J. Blige runs deep

While discussing her place in R&B, Keyshia gave major props to the Queen of Hip Hop Soul: “I’m her baby sister. Actually, yeah, I’m her sister. S**t. That’s the way it goes.”

She elaborated that Mary’s strength inspired her early on. “I studied her strength,” Keyshia said. “You can’t get away from Mary… [She] ain’t about no game.”

5. She wrote Monica’s verse on “Trust”

Amid a conversation about songwriting, Keyshia made a surprising reveal: “I wrote Monica’s verse on 'Trust.'” The song became a fan favorite from her 2008 album, A Different Me, a platinum-certified body of work that also boasted appearances from Tupac, Nas and more.

She also noted that writing for others isn’t rare in R&B. In addition to being open to such an opportunity in the future, she also made it clear that her peers have provided words for her, as well — namely, Elijah Blake, who will be supporting Keyshia on her “The Way It Is: 20th Anniversary Tour.”

6. She was supposed to collaborate with DMX

Keyshia’s episode also touched on a missed opportunity with another legend. “We were supposed to do a session, but he never showed up,” she said about a planned collab with DMX. “It was a record for him.”

The singer doesn’t harbor any ill feelings, but admitted, “I was really sad about that.” N.O.R.E. followed up with stories about X’s notorious unpredictability — adding weight to her memory.

7. Keyshia met The Notorious B.I.G. at an Oakland record store

Keyshia closed out one of her stories with a gem about her teenage years in Oakland. “That's where I met Big,” she said, referring to The Notorious B.I.G. “I told him I wanted to sing. He said, ‘Yeah, okay, okay.’ Big was cool as s**t.”

She explained that meet-and-greets at local record shops were instrumental in her come-up: “That’s how I started — with the local mom and pop… going to the record store and meet-and-greets everywhere.”