Noname has challenged Black artists to band together to effect social change by limiting the amount of access they offer to their art through white-owned platforms.
On Thursday (January 19), the rapper and activist shared a long message divided into four images as a slideshow on Instagram. In it, Noname started with a statement about the myriad ways in which Black art can be accessed by white consumers.
“One of the biggest mistakes i believe we’ve made in our struggle towards liberation in this country is allwoing white america unfiltered access to our entire culture,” she wrote. “White america has created an institution of violent policing and medical neglect that is killing us EVERY FUCKING DAY. and every day we get on their platforms (tik tok, twitter etc) and we create trends, music, art and language that they turn into billions.”
After pointing out that she believes social media is sometimes manipulated by law enforcement officials, Noname called out the apathetic attitude white consumers seem to have when it comes to music “about the plight of living or the struggle to make it out.”
She went on to draw comparisons between Hip Hop and the evolution of Blues, adding that both genres have a predominantly white audience.
“Do yall never think, maybe white people don’t organize to end economic/racist exploitation that black people face simply because they love consuming the art we make out of survival,” the Chicago native suggested.
Rather than a complaint filled rant, however, Noname also included what she considered could be one solution to the perceived problem before asking fans to drop their thoughts in the comment.
“As black artists making black art, we have a responsibility to our community and to our culture,” she wrote. “I understand needing to survive under capitalism but there is power in collective action! what would it look like if we all said, unless festivals, streaming, social media puts 10% of their profits into a black community fund we use to house and feed people, we will no longer contribute our content.”
Anticipating questions from her followers, the “Song 33” rapper also addressed her own upcoming appearance at Coachella in the post simply titled “gate keeping.”
“I’m about to play coachella because i need the bread,” she explained. “Trust, i’m not above anybody but if there was a collective boycott where ALL black artists refuse to share our work unless we see radical change in our conditions, i would immediately do that shit.”
Noname’s words seemed to resonate with a number of her fans, garnering over 42,000 likes and over 1,100 comments in just eight hours. Before closing off the comments, the 31-year-old engaged in dialogue with those who offered their own thoughts about the idea of gatekeeping, and even those who challenged her position.
When one commenter brought up Coachella, Noname reiterated that she was not in a position to turn down work, reminding her followers that she had, in fact, stepped away from performing at one point.
“I stopped playing shows for yearsss! for the exact reason i’m talking about and nothing happened,” se responded. “I’m not a big enough artist for them to care. sorry but i’m not about to have my mom on the street unless EVERY artists willing to make that sacrifice. i almost [did] that shit and never again.”
Noname’s Coachella performance is set to take place on the same day as Frank Ocean‘s return to the stage for his first festival performance of the decade.
He will headline both Sundays and fans are already cooking up theories that he will release new music prior to the festival, which will make its way back to the Empire Polo Club in Indio for the weekends of April 14 to April 16 and April 21 to April 23.
This woke shit is the definition to true racism. You dont like white owned businesses but you love when white fans buy your music and go to your concerts…GTFOH
Confirming your ignorance and your part in the institution she is speaking about here. Congrats.
My fellow white people need to get over themselves.
You have no clue what you’re talking about, and don’t know what Noname means because you’re silly white boy that can’t empathize with another person’s struggle for 20 seconds out of your fucking day. You faggot.
Noname ….more like BigFace
Bitch Please! I am Black and white pepo do not have the keys to hiphop. Jay-z is the gate keeper (strong man).
It’s us BITCH, IT’S US!
Fight the power sis
I don’t hardly even spend money w black Americans anymore. Havnt spent a dime their way in years on music, movies, clothing lines nothing. imagine me give my money just to hear how racist or culture vulured we are all transaction.
She just one person with an opinion.
“Silence is violence”.. or how did that lame ass guilt ridden phrase go…
No need to waste your reply. Black America alone has a GDP of at least $1 trillion at this point. We don’t need racists’ money. We’re good on our own!
Don’t Fck wit everybody else money cause yours ain’t right gfoh
She still has a right to suggest a boycott given that our wealth as Black people primarily comes from the content we make. Don’t you think we deserve to live better?
Noble but unrealistic. They own all of that shit. So I don’t know where she is planning to go. The best thing you can do is not participate in it.
Capitalism chews up and spits out whatever it consumes, without care of who or what it exploits. How American works. Not sure what can realistically be done about it.
This! Green is the only color that matters in capitalism.
Another loser that didn’t make it and blaming the white man for it. Who is this bitch anyway? By the way remember Barack Obama the first black president? 😉 he didn’t become president by distancing him self from white owned businesses, he did the opposite.
This bitch is gonna get more black teens in to gang banging with her nonsense.
Another loser that didn’t make it and blaming the white man for it. Who is this bitch anyway? By the way remember Barack Obama the first black president? 😉 he didn’t become president by distancing him self from white owned businesses, he did the opposite.
This bitch is gonna get more black teens in to gang banging with her nonsense.
“imagine me give my money just to hear how racist or culture vulured we are all transaction” _ FUKIN FACTS!!!! They seem to only accuse white people of this and nobody else, so why would a white person support this??? Only a white idiot would…
NoName pissing off everybody. It’s hilarious. She’s not the first to say this. significant portions of Black artists have said this literally for 100 years going back to Blues artists…
And it follows the same pattern:
The people the co-opt what Blackfolk do call Blackfolk “the real racists” for wanting to be in control of our own cultural expressions.
Blackfolks who want acceptance, join in and tell those Blackfolk to shut up.
Once the cultural artform goes “universal” White People/non-Black people claim it as theirs and redefine it then Black people look around at the carnage and go “what happened?!”
rinse. repeat.
NoName pissing off everybody. It’s hilarious. She’s not the first to say this. significant portions of Black artists have said this literally for 100 years going back to Blues artists…
And it follows the same pattern:
The people the co-opt what Blackfolk do call Blackfolk “the real racists” for wanting to be in control of our own cultural expressions.
Blackfolk who want acceptance, join in and tell those Blackfolk to shut up.
Once the cultural art form goes “universal” White People/non-Black people claim it as theirs and redefine it then Black people look around at the carnage and go “what happened?!”
rinse. repeat.
NoName offending f everybody. It’s hilarious. She’s not the first to say this, tho significant portions of Black artists have said the same thing for nearly 100 years going back to Blues artists in the early 1900s.
And the pattern is always the same:
1. Blackfolk make something unique to us that can only come from us.
2. White People dismiss it as trash from inferior people.
3. White People (and others) decide to participate and find they like it.
4.White people (and others) decide it belongs to them, too.
5. They try to change it or push for their preferences to redefine for their tastes.
6. It’s declared universal and Blackfolk are told to follow suit.
7. Black people push back to reclaim it.
8. White People (and others) call Black people “the real racists” and selfish ungrateful whiners who’d be nothing without them.
Hip Hop is just the latest to go this route.
NoName offending everybody. She’s not the first to say this, tho significant portions of Black artists have said the same thing for nearly 100 years going back to Blues artists in the early 1900s.
And the pattern is always the same:
1. Black people make something unique to us that can only come from us.
2. White People dismiss it as trash from inferior people.
3. White People (and others) participate and find they like it.
4.White people (and others) decide it belongs to them, too.
5. They try to change it to for their tastes.
6. It’s declared universal and Black people can’t own it and never did.
7. Black people pushback to reclaim it.
8. White People (and others) call Black people “the real racists” and ungrateful whiners who’d be nothing without them.
Hip Hop is just the latest to go this route.
NoName offending everybody. She’s not the first to say this, tho significant portions of Black artists have said the same thing for nearly 100 years going back to Blues artists in the early 1900s.
And the pattern is always the same:
1. Black people make something unique to us that can only come from us.
2. White People dismiss it as trash from inferior people.
3. White People (and others) participate and find they like it.
4.White people (and others) decide it belongs to them, too.
5. They try to change it to for their tastes.
6. It’s declared universal and Black people can’t own it and never did.
7. Black people pushback to reclaim it.
8. White People (and others) call Black people “the real racists” and ungrateful whiners who’d be nothing without them.
Hip Hop is just the latest to go this route.
We can take this further, wait till Jamaicans start gatekeeping Hip Hop and exclude everybody, even all other non-jamaican blacks.
Wait till white and asian owned companies start gatekeeping the technology that was highly popular and needed among Hip Hop producers to achieve the sound… so forth and so forth.
If everybody was gatekeeping like this, whole humanity would still live in caves.
Everything is a Remix, whether you like it or not. This lady thinks that somebodys freedom of expression should be limited, just because they are not black or black enough. Holy F*** with the level of her stupidity and bigotry….
And i’m not saying that you shouldn’t give credit where it’s due or that history should be forgotten.
the jews who run the industry trotted this bitch out to talk shit as usual – always the same sht from these people means nothing anyway
You gotta love the irony in her saying “we have to start gate keeping” followed by “I don’t have the answers”…this victim mentality and woke culture is killing the black communitah.
She sounds racist as fuck. It’s easy to blame white man on everything, then you don’t have to do a damn thing about yourself or the obvious problems within the community. You want to exclude white people, yet you gladly accept their money. You want to reap all the benefits and take none of the responsibility and think it’s white people’s job to fix all your shit for you? There is such a thing as black racists and I don’t know why it should be tolerated any more than any other form of racism. If you want change, why not demand black rappers glorifying drugs and violence to switch up their message, they are the content providers and big part of the problem. While you’re at it, why not ask THEM for a donation to the community the next time they flash their jewelry or brag about their money and cars. Smh
Maybe whites need to gatekeep our infrastructure and technology they use to make their music. They can go back to slapping their knees to make beats and spitting from a stoop and see how much they make when they can’t get their trash music on iTunes or Spotify because we gatekeep that too. What a stupid take.
Stop being so sensitive, all she asked for was 10% and look at you crying a river of crocodile tears. She should’ve asked for 15% just to see you cry an ocean. But you are right, maybe we should go back to that and develop our own way. Leave us alone forever. Don’t even think about us. A Jew should never be forced to live with a Nazi. We should never be forced to have to deal with you.
Maybe whites need to gatekeep our infrastructure and technology they use to make their music. They can go back to slapping their knees to make beats and spitting from a stoop and see how much they make when they can’t get their trash music on iTunes or Spotify because we gatekeep that too. What a stupid take.