Review Summary: "I pray my momma don't forget about me."
Room 25 is what hip-hop sorely needs from an artist right now; expansive and not afraid to try something different. Noname, ever the lyricist, sounds nothing like her compatriots, male or female alike. She opens the album rapping about her pussy teaching 9th grade English and ends the album having covered self-worth, religion, her legacy and the mark she hopes to leave behind. It’s done with an incredible smile and an even more incredible delivery; almost spoken-word eqsue, it ebbs and flows sporadically, very rarely letting up in how soothing it is, such as on the laid-back ‘Window’. The fast-paced lyrics are matched by an equally fast-paced instrumental combination that acts as almost a counter to her flow. It’s consistently off-time, and almost jazz-esque in its presentation. The live drums on a large chunk of the album add an incredible layer to each track, such as the fantastic ‘Blaxploitation’;
”I’m struggling to simmer down, maybe I’m an insomnia-black”; and harken back to jazz-inspired hip-hop albums of the past without sounding tacky. The guests she brings along are no slouches either. ‘Ace’, a severe standout, contains Saba’s best ever verse; it’s rapidfire, contemplating his last few years of success, and it’s kept together by a slow, methodical beat that lets the artists breathe and let rip. Elsewhere, solo-track ‘Don’t Forget About Me’ is easily Noname’s most emotional track;
”I know my body's fragile, know it's made from clay/But if I have to go, I pray my soul is still eternal””.
Room 25 is near-perfect on all fronts, proving that Noname is not just the female voice for hip-hop, but the voice for hip-hop. She just hopes you can hear it too. And closer ‘no name’ perfectly ties it all together;
”Don’t let it pass you by.”
4.4/5
Recommended Tracks: Self, Blaxploitation, Don’t Forget About Me, Ace, no name
