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Noname, Room 25

Noname, Room 25

Noname — Room 25

Born in Chicago and having come of age in its slam poetry scene, Fatima Warner’s hip hop flow feels relaxed and effortless, an effect she balances with humble, earnest and self-examining lyrics. Room 25 features plenty of incisive, socially conscious rap from Noname and her collaborators, and she’s funny and sexually evocative too, but her greatest gift to the audience is her honesty. Her beats are diverse and organic, largely centering on cosmic jazz, and her primary collaborator, producer Phoelix, bathes Noname in a dreamy, airy sound all its own. This self-released album is her second, and it’s easily one of the strongest rap albums of 2018. Highlights: “Blaxploitation,” “Montego Bae,” “Prayer Song”

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