On November 13, Chicago-based rapper and poet Noname, formally known as Noname Gypsy, will takeover Tipitina’s as part of her tour, “Everything is Everything.” A frequent collaborator of Grammy-winning MC Chance the Rapper, she’s a gifted performer whose music flirts with elements of spoken-word poetry, acoustic soul, and hip-hop beats.
A year ago, the 25-year-old whose real name is Fatimah Warner, released Telefone, her first solo project. After its relase Vulture called her “Chicago rap’s next big thing,” NPR named the album one of their top 50 of 2016, and Rolling Stone slotted the album into the number 10 spot on its list of the top 40 rap albums of 2016.
On the album, Noname showcases a lyrical bluntness textured with a sonic softness that allows the rapper to gently rock her listener with lullabies that tell the story of the harshness of reality. Her subject matter encompasses lived experiences of everything from grief to growing up and particularly center on what it means to be a young black woman in the United States.
Noname spent the formative years of her creative life learning the production and performance of poetry in the YOUmedia Program for Young Creatives at Chicago’s Harold Washington Library. Later, she gained recognition for collaborations with high-profile artists such as Chance and Mick Jenkins. In April, she performed for NPR’s Tiny Desk, which you can see below.
Ticket are available for purchase for $20 on Tipitina’s website. Arima Ederra will be her supporting act.