“Song 33” by Noname
To begin with, Noname’s “Song 33” is a direct response to a song entitled “Snow on tha Bluff” by rapper J. Cole. The song’s lyrics are rife with the many ills plaguing the American system and society at large. Prominent among the numerous topics she covers is the issues faced by the average African American woman in America. In doing so, she sends a direct attack the way of African American males, implying that despite the fact that they are also victims of the system, they also contribute to the plights of their own black sisters. And how? According to Noname, black men have the responsibility to protect black women. However, they sadly fail woefully at this.
Attack on J. Cole
Noname dedicates the entire of the song’s second verse to criticize J. Cole. In her somewhat shocking attack/criticism, she rhetorically asks why Cole would go about focusing on her in “Snow on tha Bluff” when there are way more relevant topics he should have focused on such as the horrible unjust treatments (including rumored lynchings) African Americans have to face on a daily basis.
“He really ’bout to write about me when the world is in smokes?”
That said, it’s vital that readers note that Cole also touched on said relevant topics Noname is talking about in his “Snow on tha Bluff”. He did not only talk about Noname in that song.
Writing, Production and Release Date
Noname exclusively wrote the lyrics of “Song 33”. A producer named Madlib also exclusively produced it. The song itself was released on June 18th, 2020. It is single #3 from her “Factory Baby” album. It is titled “Song 33” simply because the first and second singles from the album are respectively titled “Song 31” and “Song 32”.
Did J. Cole respond to “Song 33”?
In a certain way, we can say he responded to the song on the very day it was released. He did so by deciding to be the bigger man and promoting the song instead. Interestingly enough, few minutes after “Song 33” was released, he took to his official Twitter account to share the song with his fans. .
