Noname Jabs At Beyoncé, JAY-Z in New Song Over NFL Ties
Noname sent shots at Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Rihanna in her song “Namesake” from her new LP, Sundial. On Friday (Aug. 11), the Chicago emcee aimed at the quartet of superstars on her new cut for playing ball with the NFL. Additionally, the track criticizes them for performing at the Super Bowl and, in Hov’s case, serving as the league’s mascot to improve their social justice efforts.
“Everybody got their role, don’t be an opp/ Everybody got their roles, I’ma play mine/ Like Scooby-Doo in a haunted house/ I see the ghost that they talkin’ ’bout, I see the signs,” Noname asserted. “Read in between the line at the crime scene/ I ain’t f**kin’ 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 some Samir in the west’s back/ We all think the Superbowl’s the best thing.”
As the song continued into the chorus, the activist began questioning Kendrick, Bey, and RiRi for their NFL ties. Noname then began looking at herself in the mirror. She criticized herself for aligning with Coachella, noting that she’s no better than the artist she name-dropped.
“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,” she added. “Go, Kendrick, go/ Watch the fighter jet fly high/ War machine gets glamorized/ We play the game to pass the time/ Go, Noname, go/ Coachella stage got sanitized/ I said I wouldn’t perform for them/ And somehow I still fell in line.”
Jay and Roc Nation partnered with the National Football League in 2019. With the deal, Hov became the league’s live music entertainment strategist and looked to push social justice efforts. His deal arrived on the heels of the football league effectively blackballing Colin Kaepernick, driving the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback out of the league.
JAY-Z would use his new role to open the door for more Hip-Hop and R&B acts to take sports’ biggest stage. Super Bowl performers have included Kendrick, Bey, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, and Anderson.Paak. Rihanna was the latest superstar to take the stage during Super Bowl LVII between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.
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