Noname Expresses Regret Over “Song 33” But Black Twitter Showers Her With Praise
The rift between J. Cole and Noname ended with a bang after the Chicago rapper checked her North Carolina elder’s with her track. Via Twitter, Noname expressed what appeared to be regret over releasing the track, framing it as a “distraction” while other issues are looming.
“i’ve been thinking a lot about it and i am not proud of myself for responding with song 33. 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. i apologize for any further distraction this caused,” began Noname’s tweet on Sunday (June 21).
She added, “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.”
Cole’s “Snow On Tha Bluff” was the first blow thrown and was who felt that the rapper was trying to police Noname’s tone along with some misogynistic undertones. On the Madlib-produced “Song 33,” Noname gave Cole some sharp, hard-hitting bars with J. Cole actually sharing the track to his fans.
Because some observers felt both rappers want the same liberation and justice for Black people, many thought that this so-called beef could derail all of the progression of late considering how split people have been in times past. Of course, Cole’s passionate fanbase seemingly egged on the situation, and they’re probably responsible for getting him riled up as well.
In a long-deleted tweet, Noname had a touch of smoke for rappers who, in her words, “whole discographies be about black plight and they no where to be found.”
Eagle-eyed fans took those words to be aimed at Cole and his past collaborator Kendrick Lamar, both of whom took to the streets in protest in North Carolina and California respectively.
Noname’s tweet related to “Song 33” garnered a bevy of responses from Black Twitter, most of them saying she was well within her rights to respond to Cole as she did. Of course, the stans have also found a reason to use this as some sort of admittance of defeat, which would be an incorrect assumption on even the most liberal scorecards.
In all, the two songs highlight that conversations and actions still need to be at the front of the movement.
Check out the reactions, which cover all sides, below.
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Photo: Getty
