Noname Unites Poetry and Rap, Continuing a Legacy

The rapper and poet Noname emerged on the music scene in 2016 with her breakout album “Telefone,” captivating listeners everywhere. Her latest album, “Sundial” (2023), further cements her standing as a top-tier rapper. Known for infusing her music with literary themes and activism, Noname often uses literary devices to align with protest movements, as illustrated in her song “hold me down,” which alludes to “Stop Cop City” in Atlanta. “Rap is poetry set to music,” Noname shares. “I see poetry and rap as one and the same.”

Noname’s journey into creative writing and rap began at the YOUmedia project at the Chicago Public Library, where she joined a poetry workshop as a teen and launched an open-mic series called “Lyricists Loft.” Other Chicago-based artists, like Jamila Woods and Chance the Rapper, also benefited from similar programs such as Young Chicago Authors (YCA). Noname continues to advocate for public libraries and revolutionary literature, speaking out about the high cost of books and pushing for book donations and accessible literature.

In 2019, supporting literature access for Black leftists, Noname started the Noname Book Club. The club has since expanded to 14 chapters across the U.S., including affiliated prison chapters. In 2021, she launched the Radical Hood Library in Los Angeles’ Jefferson Park, providing a space for community political organization and access to books.

We recently met at the Radical Hood Library, an inviting space adorned with ferns and posters celebrating Black love. The bookshelves featured categories like “Femme Labor,” “Abolish Prisons,” “Español / Spanish” and “Settler Colonialism in Occupied Americas.” Noname isn’t the first in her family interested in the intersection of literature and Black liberation movements. Her mother, Desiree Sanders, operated Chicago’s Afrocentric Bookstore in the 1990s, providing a wide range of books by Black authors. Noname sees her book club and library as a continuation of her mother’s legacy.

Christopher Soto: How have the literary arts influenced your music and vice versa?

Noname: Reading poetry when I started writing influenced my rap style. Many people call me a poet rather than a rapper, though I am a rapper who uses poetic devices. My music is abstract compared to straightforward rap, giving it an edge. Music has made my writing more concise, especially when I convey political messages. Music acts as a tool, making me aware of the listener, whereas my poetry can be more self-indulgent.

CS: Tell us about your mother’s bookstore, the Afrocentric Bookstore.

N: Opened in 1990, initially a tiny bookstore in the back of another store, it ran for about 18 years. It promoted Black literature, hosting book signings with famous and local authors. I remember moving books and meeting icons like Maya Angelou, Cornel West, and others. The bookstore, carrying diverse books, fostered important conversations and community connections.

CS: It’s the fifth anniversary of the Noname Book Club. What are you proud of and excited about for the future?

N: I am proud of the community we’ve built, now in 14 cities plus prison chapters. In the next five years, I aim to make the club more pan-African and expand across the Black diaspora, reaching places like Guyana, Tobago, Martinique, Ghana, Brazil, and Cuba.

CS: Why is the book donation program to incarcerated readers important to you?

N: People often overlook or negatively stereotype incarcerated individuals. Angela Davis said, “Prisons do not disappear problems, they disappear human beings.” Our program builds community despite state efforts to dismantle these links. We incorporate their responses to books into our local meetups, creating a unified community.

CS: Your song “Don’t Forget About Me” mentions fans saying your music saves lives. Can you expand on the impact you hope art can have?

N: Art is transformative, helping us see beyond ourselves and connecting cultures and languages. However, art has limitations; revolutionary art alone isn’t enough. Art can also be used by capitalists and the state; hence, leftist artists should create counterbalances while retaining the freedom to explore various themes.

CS: Government interference in disseminating radical Black literature is well-documented. Can you discuss these histories and the power of literary resistance?

N: Black-owned bookstores thrived as spaces for radical conversations and organizing, but the FBI destabilized many. Despite a resurgence in the ’90s, they fell again with Amazon’s rise. These spaces are crucial as traditional state libraries often don’t hold specific Black radical texts. Supporting community-based bookstores helps make literature accessible.

CS: Would you consider publishing a poetry book or other genre?

N: I might, but probably not poetry. I’m drawn to short stories, but I want to do it for the right reasons, not just for commercial gain. The literary world is hyper-capitalist; if I publish, I want it to feel ethical and independent.

CS: Any recent reads you recommend?

N: Octavia Butler’s “Xenogenesis” series is excellent. It’s sci-fi with themes of racism and colonialism. The story is entertaining and thought-provoking, blending political messages with a captivating narrative.

This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.

Source: Los Angeles Times