NoName has never been one to hold her opinion on trending cultural moments. After her famous squabble with J. Cole about the role of Black elites and celebrities in the revolution, the rapper then went on to criticize Beyonce for their at-odds views on capitalism and pro-Blackness. Now, NoName is taking aim at Bey’s new visual album Black Is King that premiered overnight on Disney+ for its excessive displays of wealth and exploitation of the African aesthetic.
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In a tweet published on Friday morning, the rapper sarcastically praised the lauded film. “We love an African aesthetic draped in capitalism,” she wrote. “Hope we remember the Black folks on the continent whose daily lives are impacted by US imperialism. If we can uplift the imagery, I hope we can uplift those who will never be able to access it. Black liberation is a global struggle.”
The 28-year-old Chicago MC then retweeted information about anti-government protests occurring in Zimbabwe including an Associated Press post about a prominent Zimbabwean journalist being arrested during the protests.
Although the wry-delivery of the message may seem offputting, NoName’s purpose of the tweet was to criticize the use of the aesthetics of African countries while simultaneously ignoring the fight for systemic reform occurring on the ground right now. The message of Black Is King was surely an uplifting message for some, but ultimately it does not investigate the ongoing plight for social and systemic reform in many African nations.
Do you think NoName’s criticism is fair? Let us know!