(Fatimah Warner aka Noname performs at Saturn Birmingham. (Photo: David A. Smith/Getty Images))
Last Thursday, June 18, Noname dropped a track titled “Song 33.” At only a minute and nine seconds, Noname confidently expresses her opinion over the Madlib-produced instrumental. On the track, Noname spits, “basement studio when duty calls to get the verse out/I guess the ego hurt now/it’s time to go to work, wow, look at him go/he really bout to write about me when the world is in smokes?”
madlib killed that beat and i see there’s a lot of people that resonate with the words so i’m leaving it up but i’ll be donating my portion of the songs earnings to various mutual aid funds. black radical unity ✊?
— Noname (@noname) June 21, 2020
On Sunday, Noname took to Twitter to apologize for the distraction she caused with “Song 33.” The song started as a response to J. Cole’s “Snow On Tha Bluff,” an alleged sneak diss at the Chicago rapper. Many felt his bars were degrading and counterproductive, especially at a time when unity and healing should be in the front of people’s minds.
Despite her having the best intentions in mind, Noname took to Twitter to state “i tried to use it as a moment to draw attention back to the issues i care about but i didn’t have to respond. my ego got the best of me.” Although “Song 33” proved to be an entertaining distraction, Noname is contributing her portions of the song’s earnings to several funds helping with aid.