Noname has finally clarified some of the lyrics on her recent album, Sundial, in conversation with Apple Music's Ebro Darden.
The Chicago rapper took to the song "namesake" to call out two specific institutions: "I ain't fuckin' with the NFL or Jay-Z/ Propaganda for the military complex." Hov's Roc Nation entered a partnership with the NFL in 2019 and he now produces the iconic Super Bowl Halftime Show. The NFL, which also has a longstanding relationship with the U.S. military, has been accused of blackballing Colin Kaepernick after he protested police brutality in 2016 by kneeling during the National Anthem.
In the bridge of the song, Noname also calls out Rihanna, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, and even herself.
In a clip Darden shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, she clears some of the air.
"I don't hate this man. I don't know Jay-Z," Noname explains. "We just have ideological differences, That’s all. The song was just talking about a lot of things, but definitely complacency from all of us."
She further goes on to say, "I have made similar moves in my own career where I’ve contradicted myself, where I’ve done things or supported institutions that I don’t really 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 one in the same."
In conversation with Complex's Jordan Rose, Noname also cleared the air regarding her highly publicized dispute with J. Cole. "I wouldn’t say he was necessarily wrong. I think we both could have went about it in a better way," she said.
Noname also received criticism for having Jay Electronica on the song "Balloons." She responded to accusations of anti-semitism by saying: "I'm not going to apologize for a verse I didn't write. I'm not going to apologize for including it on my album. If you feel I'm wrong for including that's fair. Don't listen. Unfollow and support all the other amazing rappers putting out dope music. Your disappointment truly means absolutely nothing to me and I say that with love."
