By Lily Goodman
SCOPE has teamed up with the Black Student Union to bring hip-hop artist Noname to the IMU following the Black History Month Talent Show on Friday.
Noname, a native of Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood who has rapped and performed slam poetry since 2010, gained wider recognition and praise after appearing on longtime friend Chance the Rapper’s 2013 mixtape “Acid Rap.”
Having placed third in Chicago’s annual “Louder than a Bomb” poetry competition, Noname released her début mixtape, “Telefone,” in July 2016. Focused on important phone conversations she has had over the years, the playful and succinct lyrics, paired with the stylized rhythm of hip-hop, help to create a euphonious narrative that ends up being quite soothing to the ears.
The content is nothing short of engaging or political in her poetry and rap and prevalent throughout her mixtape. Noname often speaks about the plight of black women and the struggles of growing up in Chicago while maintaining the authenticity of being a product of the millennial generation.
Lauded as being refreshing and honest, “Telefone” sparked widespread critical acclaim, and it was voted in the top 25 of 2016 by Complex Magazine, beating out well-known artists from DJ Khaled to Lady Gaga for the title. Noname is now in the midst of a sold-out tour with stops in most major cities in the United States.
Her show in Iowa City, which features an opening act by another Chicago native, Rayne Lenae, is set to take place Friday in the IMU, and it will close out this year’s talent show, concluding Black History Month at the university with a bang. SCOPE and the Black Student Union encourage all students to support their peers and to catch a rising artist perform her art.
