Noname released her debut mixtape, Telefone, on July 31, 2016. Her debut album, Room 25, was released on September 14, 2018. She is member of the trio Ghetto Sage, with Smino and Saba.
Noname's interest in poetry led her to compete in local open mics and slam poetry competitions; she placed third place in Chicago's annual Louder Than a Bomb competition. Noname then started to freestyle rap with friends, collaborating with local Chicago artists including Chance the Rapper, Saba, Mick Jenkins, and Ramaj Eroc.
In 2013, she appeared on Chance the Rapper's second mixtape, Acid Rap, contributing a verse to the track "Lost" where she sang the chorus to the song as well as her own verse. She later contributed a verse for the song "Finish Line/Drown" from Chance the Rapper's 2016 mixtape Coloring Book. In December 2016, she appeared with Chance the Rapper on Saturday Night Live. She announced her first tour on November 13, 2016.
In 2014, she was featured on Mick Jenkins' mixtape The Waters, contributing to the track "Comfortable". In 2015, she was featured on multiple tracks from Kirk Knight's album Late Knight Special.
Noname first used the stage name "Noname Gypsy", which she chose as a teenager when she was transitioning from poetry to music, believing "gypsies were very nomadic, just not about staying in one space for a long time". In March 2016, she removed "Gypsy" from her stage name after learning of its racial connotation, saying she was unaware of the negative connotations of the term "gypsy" and did not want to offend Romani people. In a 2016 interview with The Fader, she explained her current stage name, following the change:
"I try to exist without binding myself to labels. I’m not really into labels at all, even the way I dress; I usually don't wear anything with a name brand. For me, not having a name expands my creativity. I’m able to do anything. Noname could potentially be a nurse, Noname could be a screenwriter. I’m not limited to any one category of art or other existence, on a more existential level."
Noname released her first mixtape, Telefone, on July 31, 2016, after three years production. Telefone was Noname's method of publicizing her new stage name, through songs presented as open-ended telephone conversations. The album is centered around important telephone conversations that Noname has had. Her rap speaks of black women's pain and also highlights the struggles of growing up in Chicago. The album was originally released as a free download on Bandcamp, and then on vinyl in September 2017.
Rolling Stone wrote it was one of 2016's "most thought-provoking hip-hop." Stereogum wrote that Noname possessed "a potency and urgency in her complicated, spoken word-esque cadences and subdued delivery that escapes many of her more animated peers." Consequence of Sound wrote that "the louder her music is played, the brighter her cadence glows, giving her lyrics a type of 3D craft that makes Telefone a diary of lessons too relevant to keep to yourself."
In October 2016, Noname and fellow Chicago resident Saba collaborated to produce "Church/Liquor Store", a song that explores the Westside of Chicago where liquor stores sit directly next to places of worship. Noname critiques the gentrification of the neighborhood and the erasure of crime believed to accompany it.
In August 2018, Noname announced that her second album, Room 25, would be released in the fall of 2018. The album, which took approximately one month to record, chronicles the two years since the release of Telefone, during which she moved from Chicago to Los Angeles, and had a short romantic relationship.
Noname compared her maturity on Room 25 to Telefone, saying "Telefone was a very PG record because I was very PG. I just hadn't had sex." Unlike Telefone, Room 25 was created due to a financial obligation. Noname said in an interview, "It came to a point where it was, like, I needed to make an album because I need to pay my rent. I could've done another Telefone tour, but I can't play those songs anymore. Like, I could, but I physically hate it because I've just been playing them for so long." Noname paid for the entire album herself using money from touring and guest appearances on Chance the Rapper projects.
The album was released on September 14, 2018. El Hunt of NME described the album as "flawless" and "smartly constructed and laced with intricate subtlety." Rolling Stone said Noname was "One of the best rappers alive" and included her on a list of "Artists You Need to Know". Pitchfork designated Room 25 as "Best New Music" and wrote that it is "a transcendent coming-of-age tale built around cosmic jazz and neo-soul, delivered by a woman deeply invested in her interiority and that of the world around her." PopMatters said the album was "vintage neo-soul and future rap hand in hand; a soulful sanctuary for those turned off by the austerity of mainstream mumble rap". She performed a three-song medley of "Blaxploitation," "Prayer Song," and "Don't Forget About Me" from the album in her solo television debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on October 17, 2018.
On May 15, 2019, Noname announced that her upcoming second studio album would be titled Factory Baby. In November of that year that she said she was quitting music, and expressed frustration with her predominantly white audience. She went on to say that the demographics of her fanbase made her want to quit music: "I refuse to keep making music and putting it online for free for people who won’t support me. If y'all don't wanna leave the crib I feel it. I don't want to dance on a stage for white people."
All I Need
NoName Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Noname quit the weed
Telefone delight
Love is all i need
My honeybee red black and green
Majestic queen
This for my homies my omi say love
And all of the fallen callers and ringers
When singers hittin my tele
And tele paging my beeper
The reefer got me like "whoa, slow down"
I need a minute for minute's sake, a dinner plate
A casanova with catalogs of his dinner dates
Make me feel special, Jay Electro-Soul
I need a nigga to follow me to the rabbit hole
And fall in where I fall in
I'm ballin' I'm out control
You say you see a way that
I can not see, then say that
I never knew it all
I'm just trying not to fall
And now I'm chasing patience
I need it for greatness
Look at this time I'm wasting
Mad at how it ended
Really, If I tell the truth about it
If it's not how I want it, it's just how I need it
Everything is everything
A cigarette for wedding ring
And tell me that you love me and love me tomorrow
The matrimony catalyst for secondary
Get to know me in Chicago
How I go where you stay
Unorthodox paradox in a pair of Doc's
With an overbite, oversight to a merry clock
Happy go lucky was a time, you and I
Happy go lucky was a time, do or die
You remind me to love myself for the principle
For the kid inside, til the end of time
Happy go lucky was a time, umm okay
Noname off the drugs
Noname quit the weed
Telefone delight
Love is all i need
My honeybee red black and green
Majestic queen
This for my homies my omi say love
You say you see a way that
I can not see, then say that
I never knew it all
I'm just trying not to fall
And now I'm chasing patience
I need it for greatness
Look at this time I'm wasting
Mad at how it ended
Really, If I tell the truth about it
If it's not how I want it, it's just how I need it
The overall theme of NoName's "All I Need" is love and patience. The opening lines, "Noname off the drugs, Noname quit the weed, Telefone delight, Love is all I need," suggest that the artist is seeking something greater than what drugs and even communication can provide– love. NoName then mentions a partner, referred to as "honeybee red black and green, majestic queen," perhaps an allusion to the Pan-African flag and Black feminism. This partner appears to be a source of love for the artist.
NoName then contemplates her future, suggesting that she may miss her partner after autumn, as autumn represents change and loss. She also talks about the significance of time and being patient, saying, "And now I'm chasing patience, I need it for greatness, Look at this time I'm wasting, Mad at how it ended."
The artist seems to be grappling with the concept of control and surrender, as she mentions that if it's not how she wants it, it's how she needs it. This line reveals a need to accept that things may not always go according to plan and that she must surrender to the unpredictability of life.
Overall, "All I Need" is a deeply introspective song about finding love and being patient while navigating life's twists and turns.
Line by Line Meaning
Noname off the drugs
Noname has stopped using drugs
Noname quit the weed
Noname has stopped smoking marijuana
Telefone delight
The joy of talking on the telephone
Love is all i need
Love is the only thing I need in life
My honeybee red black and green
You are my love, my queen, my everything
Majestic queen
You are a beautiful and powerful woman
This for my homies my omi say love
This is for my friends and family who believe in love
Like maybe I'mma miss you after autumn
I might miss you when the season changes
And all of the fallen callers and ringers
And all of the people who used to call and message me
When singers hittin my tele
When musicians contact me through my phone
And tele paging my beeper
And my pager starts beeping with messages
The reefer got me like "whoa, slow down"
Marijuana is making me feel too high and out of control
I need a minute for minute's sake, a dinner plate
I need some time to myself, and some food to eat
A casanova with catalogs of his dinner dates
A charming man with a lot of experience in dating and fine dining
Make me feel special, Jay Electro-Soul
Make me feel loved and appreciated with the power of music
I need a nigga to follow me to the rabbit hole
I need a man who is willing to take risks with me and go on adventures
And fall in where I fall in
And be by my side no matter what happens
I'm ballin' I'm out control
I'm living my life to the fullest, sometimes without thinking about the consequences
You say you see a way that
You claim to know a better future than me
I can not see, then say that
And even if I can't see it, you urge me to believe you
I never knew it all
I accept that I don't know everything
I'm just trying not to fall
I'm trying to avoid making mistakes or falling into bad situations
And now I'm chasing patience
I'm learning to be patient in life
I need it for greatness
I believe patience is essential for achieving great things
Look at this time I'm wasting
I realize that I've wasted a lot of time
Mad at how it ended
I'm angry about how things turned out
Really, If I tell the truth about it
Honestly, if I'm being truthful
If it's not how I want it, it's just how I need it
If things don't go as planned, it's probably for the best in the end
Everything is everything
Everything in life is connected and meaningful
A cigarette for wedding ring
I'll take something harmful instead of something that should be a symbol of commitment
And tell me that you love me and love me tomorrow
Promise me that your love for me will never fade
The matrimony catalyst for secondary
The prospect of getting married is causing me anxiety and confusion
Get to know me in Chicago
Spend time with me in my hometown to really know me
How I go where you stay
I'm willing to go wherever you are to be with you
Unorthodox paradox in a pair of Doc's
I'm unique and different but still follow some conventional standards
With an overbite, oversight to a merry clock
I have physical flaws but still lead a happy life
Happy go lucky was a time, you and I
We used to be carefree and happy together
Happy go lucky was a time, do or die
We had to work hard to stay happy, but it was worth it
You remind me to love myself for the principle
You inspire me to love myself for who I am and my beliefs
For the kid inside, til the end of time
I'll always cherish and value the young and innocent version of myself
Happy go lucky was a time, umm okay
We had some good times, but I'm not sure if they were worth it in the end
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: FATIMAH WARNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bnatural0415
I'm sad that I'm just finding out about Noname over the past year. She is so dope, but you know artists with talent as such don't get the airplay and props that they deserve. They play this mainstream crap that has no substance or meaning. Noname gives off positive energy and her music is so sweet and innocent. It makes u feel youthful again. It's sunny and happy, something we need in this horrible world we live in. Keep up the good work and continue to bless us with your catharsis thru your music. 1 Love Sista! 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽
@tammiemccullough3691
Bnatural Brown I feel that same way!!!
@andilengwane3372
It’s a pity people don’t appreciate this woman’s music as they should be .
@saintmelanin1779
5 years later and still on replay ❤️❤️❤️
@djones1234567654321
her flow is insane
@Ahdree23
Xavier Omar is my guy.....LOVE his voice
@akinchinnery1167
He nice, for real☝🏿!!!
@john1120
"My honey bee wear black and green" dope ass line.
@Classikh
"My honey bee red, black and green majestic queen."* The colors of the Pan-African flag.
@alyssabrugman5196
She is so underrated yall