In 1995, Capone-N-Noreaga appeared in The Source magazine's Unsigned Hype column in October. In 1996, the duo secured a recording contract with Neil Levine's Penalty Recordings. In 1996, before the group’s debut album was completed, Capone was imprisoned for a parole violation, and Noreaga finished their debut album The War Report, with the help of various fellow New York City hip-hop acts such as Mobb Deep and Tragedy Khadafi.