It’s difficult to keep the names straight, particularly because one of the rappers performs under the monicker “Noname.” That part can get confusing, though the antisemitism is clear.
The lyrics to the song “Balloons” by Fatimah Nyeema Warner (“Noname”) on the album “Sundial,” released on Aug. 11, praises Louis Farrakhan, the antisemitic Nation of Islam leader.
A guest performer in the song is the hip-hop musician Timothy Elpadaro Thedford, who once went by “Jaydolf Hitler” but is now known as Jay Electronica and Elpadaro F. Electronica Allah.
“If anybody asks, tell ’em Farrakhan sent me,” Electronica raps in the song. He adds that he “Saw the Roth family in half to get my clout back.” The latter is an apparent reference to the Rothschild family, which is at the center of many antisemitic conspiracy theories.
The rapper, who has long associated with Nation of Islam, also raps about the Russian attack on Ukraine being a “hoax.”
Meanwhile, Noname has not apologized for the lyrics.
“I am not antisemitic. I don’t hate groups of people,” she has stated. “I am against the white supremacy, which is a global system that privileges people who identify as white. I’ve been clear about this for years.”
Of Electronica’s contributions, Noname said: “I’m not going to apologize for including it on my album. If you feel like I’m wrong for including that’s fair. Don’t listen. Unfollow and support all the other amazing rappers putting out dope music. Your disappointment truly means absolutely nothing to me, and I say that with love.”