Noname Is Not Apologizing For Jay Electronica’s Anti-Semitic Verse On New Album
Noname released her new album Sundial this past week and it was immediately caught up in controversy due to Jay Electronica spitting anti-semitic bars on the track “Balloons.” The 31-year-old lyricist shared a statement this past weekend and revealed that she will not apologize for what he said.
“Here’s the truth. No, I’m not antisemitic. I don’t hate groups of people,” the Chicago artist wrote on Sunday (Aug. 13). “I am against white supremacy which is a global system that privileges people who identify as white. I’ve been clear about this for years.”
“I’m not going to apologize for a verse I didn’t write,” she continued, addressing the New Orleans rapper’s contribution to the album. “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.”
Noname just released a statement on IG regarding the antisemitism controversy surrounding her latest album.
Most of the top comments on her most recent pinned post are from users criticizing the Jay Electronica verse pic.twitter.com/OJNstjP0qG— Joey (@gothamhiphop) August 13, 2023
Jay Electronica’s verse on “Balloons” took aim at the Jewish religion and reaffirmed his allegiance with Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam. “Everywhere I step foot I leave a trail of names/ Of the sons of Yakub, in a trail of flames/ I’m on fire, I’m plugged in directly to Messiah/ I run with the mighty ‘Khan as we expose the liars,” the 46-year-old rapper spit.
“And some f**k boy eighty-fiver come run up and press me/ It’s all a hoax, quite simple, a joke like Zelenskyy/ The Imams, the Rabbis, and the Pope, incidentally/ Couldn’t stop my boca from quotin’ quotes from the senseis,” he rapped later in the verse. “If anybody asks, tell ’em Farrakhan sent me/ It’s the war of Armageddon and I’m beggin’ the listener/ If you ain’t fightin’, that mean you either dead or a prisoner.”
Jay Electronica has not issued a statement about his lyrics on Noname’s “Balloons.”
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