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Noname, aka Fatimah Warner, is a rapper from Chicago who has cropped up on some major releases as a guest star, and is finally getting her time in the spotlight as a solo artist. Kudos to Chance The Rapper for putting her on his breakout tape Acid Rap, she also showed up on 2015’s Surf and his joint mixtape with Lil B.
Last year, Noname released her own debut mixtape Telefone, a jazzy and devastating collection of tracks that explore the intimacies of growing up in Chicago as a young black woman. It ended up on our best rap albums of the year list, so if you haven’t checked it out make sure to do so.
Noname and her band performed for NPR’s legendary Tiny Desk concert series, and the easy way they improvise with one another is a testament to their skill. She is quite clearly the frontwoman, but defers to her bandmembers and accords them the sort of respect that it’s rare to see in 2017. Warner possesses an unmistakable charisma and self-assurance that makes her a joy to watch, even when she’s rapping about the gruesome realities of death and depression. Check out the performance above and keep an eye on all things Noname — she’s on the come up.
