Noname is facing criticism after featuring conscious rapper Jay Electronica on her latest album Sundial. Fans have taken issue with Electronica’s verse on the song “Balloons,” which they perceive as anti-Semitic due to religious references. The Chicago rapper has responded to the backlash, asserting she is not anti-Semitic and stands against white supremacy. “Sundial” Controversy […]
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Ahead of the release of her third studio album, Sundial, Noname once again stirred up some controversy when fans protested the presence of New Orleans rapper Jay Electronica as a featured artist on the song “Balloons” due to accusations of antisemitism. In response, Noname threatened to withhold the album, but instead decided to merely delay the single’s release, dropping it with the rest of the album on Friday. That didn’t stop the more motivated detractors from continuing to decry Electronica’s verse, but Noname responded on Instagram, saying she is “not going to apologize for a verse I didn’t write.”
Noname denied being antisemitic, instead declaring herself “against white supremacy,” and allowed that “if you feel I’m wrong for including, that’s fair.” However, she stood adamant that “your disappointment truly means absolutely nothing to me and I say that with love.”
Jay Electronica has drawn criticism for supposedly antisemitic beliefs due to his membership in the Nation Of Islam. He has also sampled sermons of the controversial leader Louis Farrakhan in his music and lyrically references a trope from the biblical book of Revelation, “the synagogue of Satan,” which had been used in the past to justify hatred of Jews.
Electronica’s “Balloons” verse touches on his association with Farrakhan lines like, “I’m on fire, I’m plugged in directly to Messiah / I run with the mighty ‘Khan as we expose the liars.” And while it seems that some fans would like Noname to distance herself from the elder rapper — who had an affair with Kate Emma Rothschild, who is Jewish, in the early 2010s — it doesn’t look like she’ll be caving to their demands anytime soon.
Over the next month, we’ll hear the final hip-hop and R&B albums of summer 2023 before transitioning into the industry heavy-hitters, who tend to share major projects in the last quarter of the year. This weekend continued the trend of artists both new and old showing out on singles and LPs. Those who stand out in the latter category are Trippie Redd (A Love Letter To You 5) and Noname (Sundial).
Noname didn’t come quietly with her latest project, bringing on collaborators like Atoni, $ilkMoney, billy woods, and Jimetta. She received no shortage of backlash for her decision to work with Jay Electronica on “balloons,” which also features Eryn Allen Kane. Elsewhere on Sundial, the 31-year-old threw shade at huge names like Jay-Z, Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, and Rihanna, earning her plenty of attention in the media. We’ve already reported on that drama, but today (August 13), we’re spotlighting Sundial‘s closing song, “oblivion” featuring Common and Ayoni.
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“Sacrificial lambs, scam the church / The whole world berserk, the product is a perk,” the Chicago native begins over production by Berg. While Noname’s work here is impressive, it’s her collaborator’s verse as “oblivion” comes to an end that has us pressing the replay button consistently. “I’m a pallbearer to this fake ni**a era / Gamblin’ life so that I could get better,” the multivalent reflects in the latter half of his turn contribution. “My metaphysics ain’t for the Metaverse / It’s red alerts, I touch where the ghetto hurts.”
Before another weekend of HNHH release recommendations comes to a close, stream “oblivion” featuring Common and Ayoni above. If you’re feeling the collaborative track, make sure to add it to your playlist on Spotify/Apple Music. For those of you who haven’t yet streamed Sundial, you can do so at the link below.
Read More: Noname Returns With Sophomore Album, “Sundial”
Quotable Lyrics:
I’m a pallbearer to this fake ni**a era
Gamblin’ life so that I could get better
My metaphysics ain’t for the Metaverse
It’s red alerts, I touch where the ghetto hurts
The post Noname Closes Out “Sundial” Album With “oblivion” Featuring Common & Ayoni appeared first on HotNewHipHop.
Noname is back and even more radical than ever. Her five-year hiatus between projects left her with a slew of topics to address on her new album, Sundial. The first item up for discussion is several musicians’ alignment with the NFL. On her fiery Slimwave-produced track “Namesake,” Noname directly aims at Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Kendrick Lamar for lending their talents to the National Football League.
Noname doesn’t mince words in her diss when the track opens, rapping, “Read in between the line at the crime scene / I ain’t f*cking with the NFL or Jay-Z / Propaganda for the military complex, the same gun that shot lil’ Terry / Out West, the same gun that shot Senair in the West Bank / We all think the Super Bowl is the best thing.” In this line, Noname calls out Jay-Z for entering into a partnership with the sports league despite the criticism it has faced over the treatment of its majority Black players, including former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Following in the line of attack, Noname turns her pen towards Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar, who at one point spoke out in support of Kaepernick’s sideline activism. Somehow, later they both performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. For Kendrick Lamar, that was in 2022. Rihanna was this year’s headliner. Beyoncé seemingly used her 2016 performance to advocate for police reform, but in the eyes of Noname, it is simply performative.
“Go, Rihanna, go! Watch the fighter jet fly high / War machine gets glamorized, we play the game to pass the time / Go, Beyoncé, go! Watch the fighter jet fly high / War machine gets glamorized, we play the game to pass the time / Go, Kendrick, go! Watch the fighter jet fly high / War machine gets glamorized, we play the game to pass the time,” raps Noname.
To be fair, those aren’t the only entertainers to feel Noname’s vicious sting. She also delivers a gut punch to herself in the line, “Go, Noname, go! Coachella stage got sanitized / I said I wouldn’t perform for them, and somehow I still fell in line f*ck!” No one is beyond reproach on the track, not even Noname.
Listen to the “Namesake” above.
Sundial is out now via Noname. Find more information here.
Noname is one of the most talented and creative lyricists in the game, and she just returned to prove that with her new album Sundial. Not only that, but it’s her first in five years since her excellent LP Room 25 back in 2018, and follows a lot of reflection, growth, and unfortunately, injustice. Moreover, on her new track “Namesake” off of this new project, the Chicago rapper tackles the systemic issues of the NFL, and calls out a few massive musicians who worked with the organization. For those unaware, the sports giant is not a huge cog in the military entertainment complex, but amid protests from player Colin Kaepernick for police brutality and systemic racism, the league essentially cut his career short.
Furthermore, Noname specifically disses Jay-Z, who partnered with the NFL in 2019 to manage its live music events and to its social justice programs. In addition, the 31-year-old addresses multiple artists who performed at the Super Bowl despite the organization’s misguided ties. These are Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, and Rihanna, who have all advocated for racial justice at one point in their careers, or throughout all of it. However, Fatimah Nyeema Warner also points the blame on herself as well, hinting that these are much more nuanced and difficult issues than a simple criticism conveys.
Read More: Noname Responds To Backlash Over Jay Electronica Feature
“Read in between the line at the crime scene / I ain’t f***ing with the NFL or Jay-Z,” Noname raps. “Propaganda for the military complex, the same gun that shot lil’ Terry / Out West, the same gun that shot Senair in the West Bank / We all think the Super Bowl is the best thing.” Then, she swaps out Kendrick, Beyonce, and Rihanna’s names in the following line, repeated thrice. “Go, [artist], go! Watch the fighter jet fly high / War machine gets glamorized, we play the game to pass the time.” Finally, the Telefone MC flips the script on herself. “Go, Noname, go! Coachella stage got sanitized / I said I wouldn’t perform for them and somehow I still fell in line… f**k!”
Meanwhile, considering that these are all artists with Black heritage at the least, it’s at least a compromise to see them perform on this stage for multiple years in a row. However, the issues that Noname speaks on are much larger than a performance. To call it a diss would be misleading; it’s about accountability, power, personal gain, and the systemic issues that drive artists between a rock and a hard place. Hopefully there’s been a lot of change behind the scenes that can eventually translate to more overt battles against Black plight. For more news and the latest updates on Noname, come back to HNHH.
Read More: Who Is Rapper Noname?
The post Noname Sends Shots At Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce, Jay-Z On New Song appeared first on HotNewHipHop.
After a five-year sabbatical from the rap game, Chicago artist Noname is back. The rapper will release her third studio album, Sundial later this week. The album has a promising set of collaborators, as well as some captivating album artwork,
The week following her album release, Noname will celebrate Sundial with a special block party in Chicago.
You can see all the details below.
Sundial is out 8/11 via Noname. Find more information here.
1. “Black Mirror”
2. “Hold Me Down” Feat. Jimetta Rose and The Voices Of Creation
3. “Balloons” Feat. Jay Electronica and Eryn Allen Kane
4. “Boom Boom” Feat. Ayoni
5. “Potentially The Interlude”
6. “Namesake”
7. “Beauty Supply’
8. “Toxic Afro Futurism”
9. “Oblivion” Feat. Ayoni and Common
10. “Gospel?” Feat. $ilkMoney, Billy Woods, and Stout
Sundial will contain features from Common, Jay Electronica, $ilkMoney, Billy Woods, Stout, Eryn Allen Kane, Ayoni, Jimetta Rose and The Voices Of Creation.
Noname intended to release “Balloons,” featuring Jay Electronica and Eryn Allen Kane as the album’s first single, however, she has decided to release it with the album in its entirety.
You can see the Sundial artwork below.
On August 17, Noname will celebrate the release of Sundial with the Sundial Block Party in her hometown, Chicago. Attendees can enjoy performances by Noname, Alex Vaughn, and Navy Blue. The Sundial Block Party will take place at 4310 S. Lake Park Ave, and will be free to attend with the donation of a book.
Noname initially announced Sundial in April and pegged July 2023 for its release. More recently, her announcement of Jay Electronica as the featured artist on her “Balloons” single received some backlash and caused Noname to reconsider in a string of since-deleted tweets.
“y’all don’t want the album. fine,” Noname wrote last week. Another tweet read, “oh the song fa sho coming out lol. the album is another story. i’m good on the selective outrage. anyways hip-hop is in a great place right now. another noname album ain’t really necessary.”
Noname had a change of heart, it appears.
On Thursday morning, July 20, Noname posted the Sundial tracklist. If that wasn’t enough to indicate that the album is, indeed, still coming out, she made it explicitly clear in her Instagram caption.
“Sundial Tracklist [sunshine emoji] my album Sundial will drop august 11th,” Noname wrote. “i was going to release the single balloons tomorrow but i’d rather share it with the rest of the album. see y’all in a few weeks :)”
Sundial comes nearly five years after Noname’s last album, Room 25. Check out the tracklist below.
1. “Black Mirror”
2. “Hold Me Down” Feat. Jimetta Rose and The Voices Of Creation
3. “Balloons” Feat. Jay Electronica and Eryn Allen Kane
4. “Boom Boom” Feat. Ayoni
5. “Potentially The Interlude”
6. “Namesake”
7. “Beauty Supply’
8. “Toxic Afro Futurism”
9. “Oblivion” Feat. Ayoni and Common
10. “Gospel?” Feat. $ilkMoney, Billy Woods, and Stout
After Noname announced that the release of her Sundial single “Balloons” was imminent, some fans were overjoyed that she had new music on the way, but others were disappointed in her choice for one of the song’s featured artists. After a minor backlash to the presence of Jay Electronica — whose 5%er philosophies often mirror Black Israelite and Nation of Islam talking points that some folks feel reinforce antisemitic beliefs — Noname threatened to withhold the album, saying rap is in a good place (the song’s still coming out, though).
“niggas legit rap about actual murder and sexual assault that they commit in real life and y’all can’t take a jay elect verse?” she wrote on Twitter. “please drink water and be safe out here. i’ll see y’all when my album drop in a few weeks. sending love and prayers.” However, when fans responded poorly to that tweet, Noname tried to elaborate on her choice, then seemingly got frustrated when her points were met with more pushback. “y’all don’t want the album,” she wrote. “fine.”
When another fan argued she should “stick by the action instead of wasting time arguing and then getting upset,” she conceded, “oh the song fa sho coming out lol. the album is another story. i’m good on the selective outrage. anyways hip hop is in a great place right now. another noname album ain’t really necessary.”
It’s easy to understand why Jay’s appearance might have come at a poor time. Hip-hop fans are perhaps especially sensitive to perceived antisemitism after Kanye West’s antics last year, which came at the same time as NBA star Kyrie Irving’s faux pas of sharing a link to a conspiracy video. Unfortunately, because Noname has a reputation for scrutinizing other artists’ politics, it seems that fans are taking the opportunity to fire back at her. For what it’s worth, though, artists have threatened to cancel album releases in the past, only to release the albums anyway — so perhaps when cooler heads prevail, that’s what will happen here, too.
