Noname breaks out of stereotypes with “Telefone”

In terms of rap music, sexism is, and has been, very, very clear. Men flaunt their wealth and power while simultaneously showcasing their dominance. Whereas women showcase their sexy side, something that usually overshadows their lyrical output unfortunately.

With mainstream rap consisting of the likes of Nicki Minaj and Iggy Azalea, as a man, sadly enough, it’s difficult to take women seriously, at least from a lyrical standpoint.

That is until I heard Noname, formerly Noname Gypsy, a Chicago-based emcee who is really beating the “sexy over stimuating” stereotype with her new record, “Telefone.”

Where women’s records up to this point have showcased this commercial pop sound, Noname is too small to effectively do that, which works to her benefit as she builds her brand as a serious woman emcee. Her jazzy instrumentals are clean cut and compliment her sound perfectly, however, like Anthony Fantano said, “I can’t really see many instrumental styles complimenting her rapping.”

Her lyrical ability, simply put, is something reminiscent of her intricate and quirky contemporaries in the likes of Chance the Rapper, Mick Jenkins, Saba and Jamilla Woods. It is a combination of the abruptness of slam poetry with the elegance of being written down.

On “Telefone” you will hear no trap beats, instead your ears are welcomed by the sounds of light percussion and jazzy synthesizers, like on “Diddy Bop” featuring Raury and Cam O’bi which is highly reminiscent of Childish Gambino’s “III. Life: The Biggest Troll [Andrew Aurenheimer].”

Her features are quite good too, especially for being relatively unknown, something I can definitely respect. One of the stand out features for me is theMIND who appears on “Sunny Duet.” His light, airy vocals add a nice overtone to the (ironically) sunny and uplifting beat.

Simply put, Noname is doing the exact opposite of maybe what is expected of her. She isn’t trying to flaunt her sexiness, she isn’t talking about money, she’s talking about real experiences something that follows her on the track “Bye Bye Baby” where she raps about having an abortion, regretting it and imagining herself having a play date in heaven.

Now I’m not saying that Noname is amazing, but she does have a style that is a breathe of fresh air especially from a woman. Call me sexist, but it’s true and with material like this, Noname can surpass her rivals and become a force to be reckoned with.

Move over Nicki, Noname is here to take center stage.