Song of the Week: Noname Goes After Big-Name Hypocrites on “namesake”

Eddie Fu and Consequence Staff

August 12, 2023 at 5:03 AM·5 min read

The post Song of the Week: Noname Goes After Big-Name Hypocrites on “namesake” appeared first on Consequence.

Song of the Week delves into the fresh songs we just can’t get out of our heads. Find these tracks and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist, and for our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Noname is back and with something to say on “namesake.”

Noname has never been shy about calling out big names, and on her new track, “namesake,” the Chicago rapper disses titans of the music industry as hypocrites for working with the NFL. Spitting in a rapid-fire flow over a slinky instrumental from Slimwav, Noname specifically hits out at JAY-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, and Beyoncé on the Sundial cut.

On the second verse, Noname makes it clear where she stands regarding Jay and his relationship with the NFL. “I ain’t fuckin’ with the NFL or JAY-Z/ Propaganda for the military complex,” she raps. “The same gun that shot Lil Terry/ Out West, the same gun that shot Senair in the West Bank/ We all think the Superbowl’s the best thing.”

Noname is referencing the Department of Defense spending tens of millions of dollars to advertise the US military during NFL games, including marches, displays for veterans, fighter jet shows, and pushing players to stand during the national anthem, which wasn’t a standard league practice before the US invasion of Afghanistan.

Besides that, back in 2019, Jay signed a partnership with the NFL despite being a vocal critic of how the league handled the anthem kneeling protests of Colin Kaepernick, who was allegedly blackballed for his actions. Kaepernick and his 49ers teammate Eric Reid first chose to kneel in protest of racial inequality and police brutality following a visit from retired Green Beret and former NFL player Nate Boyer. The protest was interpreted as disrespectful to the American flag and military by disingenuous conservatives, including then-President Trump.

She continues on the bridge by name-dropping Kendrick, Rihanna, and Beyoncé, all of whom have performed during the Super Bowl Halftime Show: “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.”

Kendrick and Rihanna’s respective performances in 2022 and 2023 took place after both artists had spoken out in support of Kaepernick. Meanwhile, Bey appeared to advocate for police reform in her 2016 performance, but apparently, it wasn’t enough in Noname’s eyes.

It’s worth noting that Noname doesn’t hold herself exempt from criticism on the track, acknowledging her own hypocrisy for performing at Coachella: “Go, Noname, go/ Coachella stage got sanitized/ I said I wouldn’t perform for them/ And somehow I still fell in line.” But hey, at least she’s trying, right? And when it sounds this good, we’re definitely at least a little inclined to take her side.

— Eddie Fu
News Editor

Honorable Mentions

Dim Wizard – “X-Games Mode”

In his own strange way, David Combs has turned his Dim Wizard project into a power-pop version of Gorillaz — minus the cartoon primates (though, maybe that’s not a bad idea). Bringing in a host of different notable names from the world of indie rock, he seems to be as much of a curator and collaborator as he is Dim Wizard’s primary creative force. “X-Games Mode” is no different, as the melodic, spunky, catchy-as-hell track boasts songwriting credits from Sarah Tudzin of Illuminati Hotties and performances from Mike Kol and Bernie Sanders’ favorite Chicago rockers, Ratboys. It’s a ripping, steaming-hot bowl of indie rock soup, and I can’t wait for my next helping. — Jonah Krueger

Ratboys – “Morning Zoo”

With their upcoming album The Window due out in just a few weeks, Ratboys have seen fit to drop one more tuneful, country-tinged indie bop with “Morning Zoo.” Complete with sweeping violin lines, twinkling guitars, and a particularly twangy performance from vocalist Julia Steiner, the tune only serves to (somehow) increase the anticipation for the coming project. Up to this point, Ratboys haven’t missed, and “Morning Zoo” does anything but bring down their winning average. — J. Krueger

thanks for coming – “Loop”

Any new track coming by way of Rachel Brown (one-half of our May CoSign Water from Your Eyes) is bound to be a creative deconstruction of whatever slice of pop seems to be occupying their mind at the current moment. “Loop,” the latest from their project thanks for coming, does just that, coming across as a sparse but stuttering and emotional piece of indietronica. With their vocals delicately swaying between deadpan, matter-of-fact, and sweetly sung, the tune inspires the type of feelings that even our greatest experts have yet to explain. — J. Krueger

DAIISTAR – “Repeater”

Austin noise pop group DAIISTAR has shared “Repeater,” another blissful slice of their upcoming debut album. While the rhythm guitar in the track tends to revolve around a single chord, that chord ripples out with psychedelic fuzz and sheer power, and it’s downright hypnotic. Alex Capistran’s feather-light vocals, complete with warm harmonies, make it feel like the band is summoning some kind of dream pop deity. The structure of “Repeater” is simple, minimalist, undeniably pure — but at the same time, it’s humongous and enchanting. — Paolo Ragusa

Coach Party – “Parasite”

Coach Party are back with a furious new single, “Parasite.” Vocalist and bassist Jess Eastwood is at the very top of her range throughout the entirety of the track, adding fury, desperation, and palpable anger to “Parasite.” The shriek she lets out before the final verse may be purposely lower in the mix, but it’s nonetheless rousing and powerful, especially with drummer Guy Page’s frenetic drum fill accompanying it. But underneath Eastwood is a wall of sound, with fierce guitars and a motorik pace from Page. “Parasite” is another standout offering from Coach Party’s upcoming album Killjoy, and it demonstrates a more primal side of their sound. The mosh pits will be ready for this one. — P. Ragusa

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Song of the Week: Noname Goes After Big-Name Hypocrites on “namesake”
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Song of the Week: Noname Goes After Big-Name Hypocrites on “namesake”

Honorable Mentions