Noname, the Chicago rapper, and activist, has clarified her lyrics on “Namesake”, a track from her latest album Sundial, that called out JAY-Z, Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Kendrick Lamar for working with the NFL despite its treatment of Colin Kaepernick and others players who protested police brutality and racial injustice.In an interview with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden, Noname said that she did not hate JAY-Z or any other artists she mentioned but instead had ideological differences. She also said that the song was not only about them but about the complacency of the public and herself in supporting institutions that she did not believe in.“I don’t hate this man,” she said about JAY-Z, who now produces the Super Bowl Halftime Show. “I don’t know JAY-Z. He’s a total stranger. We just have ideological differences. That’s all, which the song was just talking about a lot of things, but definitely complacency from all of us.”“I think the names got the most focus like, ‘Go Rihanna, go. Go, Beyonce, go.’ But really that was supposed to be me mimicking the crowd, like this is how y’all look, making all these critiques about folks on the internet but then we be running to the shows to go and support.”She added: “I have made similar moves in my career where I’ve contradicted myself, where I’ve done things or supported institutions that I don’t believe in, and that’s why I called the song ‘Namesake,’ because even though I’m saying all this stuff, I am the same. We are all the same.” On “namesake,” Noname rapped: “I ain’t fuckin’ with the NFL or JAY-Z/ Propaganda for the military complex.” She also criticized Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Kendrick Lamar for their affiliation with the football league, implying that they were hypocritical for claiming to support Black lives while profiting from an organization that oppressed them.Noname is known for her outspoken views on social issues and her involvement in activism. She runs a book club that promotes works by authors of color and has prison chapters for incarcerated readers. She also donated the proceeds from her album Sundial to various mutual aid funds and grassroots organizations.Noname’s lyrics sparked a debate among hip-hop fans and critics, some of whom praised her for speaking her mind and others who accused her of being disrespectful or jealous of the success of the artists she named. Noname, however, said that she was not trying to start a beef or a controversy but rather to spark a conversation and challenge herself and others to be more consistent and accountable.“I’m not trying to be divisive or anything like that,” she said. “I’m just trying to be honest and transparent and hopefully inspire some dialogue or reflection.” Noname also revealed that she had made peace with J. Cole, another rapper whom she had a public disagreement with last year. J. Cole released a song called “Snow on the Bluff” that addressed Noname’s tweets about the lack of involvement of some prominent rappers in the Black Lives Matter movement. Noname responded with a song called “Song 33” that criticized J. Cole for focusing on her instead of the more significant issues.Noname later apologized for releasing “Song 33” and said that she and J. Cole had a “spirited debate” and resolved their differences. She said that J. Cole even offered to donate to her book club and to perform at her block party but was unable to because of his family commitments.“I wouldn’t say [Cole] was necessarily wrong,” she said. “I think we both could have gone about it better way… [W]e both could have done better. I’m like, ‘Bro, I’m only on Twitter; I’m not even talking about you. It’s tweets, I thought you wasn’t on Twitter.’” She added: “He’s really sweet. We do not have beef, we love Cole over here.” 4Noname’s album Sundial, which features guest appearances from Saba, Smino, and Phoelix, has received critical acclaim and has been praised for its lyrical depth, musical diversity, and social commentary. Noname said she wanted to make an album that reflected her growth as an artist and a person and hoped to inspire her listeners to think and act differently.“I just wanted to make something that felt good to me, that felt honest to me, that felt like a reflection of where I’m at right now,” she said. “And hopefully, people can take something from it, whether it’s joy, whether it’s anger, whether it’s motivation, whether it’s curiosity, whatever it is that they feel, I hope that they feel something.”
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