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."
Sunny Duet
NoName Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But don't call me crazy
Rain don't feel like rain
It's been so calming lately
Love is just a word, unless you show it
So tell me, what you call me when I'm not around
I used to have a name that look like butterflies and Hennessey
I'm sitting on my front lawn waiting for him to call me
He said he knew my name
Shame on me, fool me once, shame on you
I got my candy cane
My name is hella pimping too
You could watch a player move
Oh we could call this ice cream on my Sunday sweater
Patent leather tethered to a fancy car
I know you wanna touch me
In your old religion caviar
Holy water avatar
Blue like the tears when I left you
I met you on Saturday morning
It's raining it's storming
I approach me with caution
I come with a warning
You sweep me off my feet
I'll probably clean my act up
I swear I'll be on my best behavior
From this day forward, a lifetime after
If you're my baby
And I know this world is so damn crazy
But that don't mean a thing
It can forgive me, hate me, call me crazy
As long as you know my name
I use to dream in parables
Partially love you naturally
Happily ever after
Cigarette over blunts now
Miracle Whip at Funtown
Summertime delight, delight
Mississippi over ice
Janet Jackson and flashing lights
We can dance a little, if you'd like to
My vagabonds is a lonely road, a celebrated haiku
Contemporary overzealous think I really like you
Sing with me, sing with me paranoia light blue
Piano was a deep red, your fingers were a green hue
I should make a rainbow out of sacrificial love in the club
Of the ollie ollie, feeling holy
The DJ was religion
I swear on the Pope he know me
Name is just a name
But don't call me crazy
Rain don't feel like rain
It's been so calming lately
Love is just a word, unless you show it
So tell me, what you call me when I'm not around
The lyrics to NoName's song "Sunny Duet" express a sense of detachment and longing for love and understanding. The singer reflects upon the futility of assigning labels and names to people, and how love requires more than just words to be meaningful. The lyrics also touch on themes of identity, memory, and regret.
The first verse opens with a declaration that a name is just a name, but at the same time, the singer pleads not to be called crazy. She then goes on to describe how the rain no longer feels like rain, implying a sense of detachment from reality. The second verse paints a picture of the singer waiting for someone who knows her name, unsure if she can trust him or if he truly knows her. The chorus repeats the message that love and identity require more than just words and labels to be real and meaningful.
Throughout "Sunny Duet," the singer's tone of voice is almost melancholic, conveying a sense of yearning and longing for something beyond words. The song's sparse instrumentation (mostly piano and drum beats) adds to this feeling of aching loneliness and isolation.
Line by Line Meaning
Name is just a name
The singer believes that their name doesn't define their entire identity
But don't call me crazy
The singer is concerned about being labeled as crazy by others
Rain don't feel like rain
The singer is currently experiencing a pleasant mood despite the gloomy weather
It's been so calming lately
The artist has found some peace and serenity recently
Love is just a word, unless you show it
The artist believes that actions speak louder than words when it comes to love
So tell me, what you call me when I'm not around
The singer is curious about how others perceive them when they're not present
I used to have a name that look like butterflies and Hennessey
The singer had a fancy name in the past
I'd trade it up for happiness but joyful don't remember me
The artist would rather have happiness than a fancy name, but they can't seem to find joy
I'm sitting on my front lawn waiting for him to call me
The artist is waiting for someone they care about
He said he knew my name
The person the artist is waiting for knows them well
Shame on me, fool me once, shame on you
The singer is acknowledging their own naivety and the other person's deceitfulness in the past
I got my candy cane
The artist has a sweet treat to enjoy
My name is hella pimping too
The singer's name might be considered cool or impressive by some
You could watch a player move
The singer is confident in their ability to attract and win over others
Oh we could call this ice cream on my Sunday sweater
The singer is wearing a nice outfit and eating ice cream, enjoying life's simple pleasures
Patent leather tethered to a fancy car
The artist is describing someone or something that is flashy and luxurious
I know you wanna touch me
The artist is aware of someone's attraction to them
In your old religion caviar
The singer is alluding to the opulence and extravagance associated with certain religious practices
Holy water avatar
The singer is referencing a religious figure or symbol
Blue like the tears when I left you
The artist is describing the sadness they caused someone
I met you on Saturday morning
The artist is recalling the time they met someone special
It's raining it's storming
The weather was bad on the day the artist met someone important
I approach me with caution
The singer wants the person they're addressing to be careful with them
I come with a warning
The artist is warning the person they're addressing about their own complexities or issues
You sweep me off my feet
The singer is describing the effect someone else has on them
I'll probably clean my act up
The singer is inspired to improve themselves for the person they care about
I swear I'll be on my best behavior
The singer is making a promise to be well-behaved in the future
From this day forward, a lifetime after
The artist is committing to a long-term change
If you're my baby
The artist is addressing someone they love or care about
And I know this world is so damn crazy
The singer acknowledges that the world can be chaotic and unpredictable
But that don't mean a thing
The singer believes that their love is stronger than any external circumstances or challenges
It can forgive me, hate me, call me crazy
The artist is saying that they don't care how the world perceives them, as long as their loved one knows who they are
As long as you know my name
Ultimately, the artist wants to be recognized and understood by the person they love
I use to dream in parables
The artist had ambitions and aspirations in the past
Partially love you naturally
The singer has complex feelings for the person they're addressing
Happily ever after
The artist wants a fairy tale ending with the person they care about
Cigarette over blunts now
The singer has changed their preferences, likely related to substance use
Miracle Whip at Funtown
The singer is using specific details to describe a experience or location from their past
Summertime delight, delight
The singer is describing a happy and enjoyable experience
Mississippi over ice
The artist is referencing a drink or cocktail made with ice and a specific type of alcohol
Janet Jackson and flashing lights
The artist is referencing a particular song or music video, or perhaps a moment from their own life
We can dance a little, if you'd like to
The singer is suggesting a fun activity to do with the person they care about
My vagabonds is a lonely road, a celebrated haiku
The singer is expressing that their lifestyle or choices might be unconventional, but they find poetic beauty in it
Contemporary overzealous think I really like you
The artist feels that people judge them for their feelings towards someone else
Sing with me, sing with me paranoia light blue
The artist is making a poetic statement, perhaps about shared feelings of anxiety or mental health struggles
Piano was a deep red, your fingers were a green hue
The artist is recalling a specific moment or image related to music and someone they care about
I should make a rainbow out of sacrificial love in the club
The singer is making a metaphorical statement about the difficult but rewarding nature of love
Of the ollie ollie, feeling holy
The artist is referencing a children's game or chant, perhaps to evoke a sense of childlike joy
The DJ was religion
The singer is describing a powerful emotional experience related to music
I swear on the Pope he know me
The singer is emphasizing the depth and sincerity of their beliefs or feelings
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: AHMANTI BOOKER, CAM O'BI, FATIMAH WARNER, ZARIF WILDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind