Chicago rapper Noname has announced a 19-date tour across the US to kick off 2019 in support of her latest LP, Room 25. The tour begins right after the new year on January 2 in Detroit and culminates on March 15 in Oakland, hitting New York City along the way for two nights at Brooklyn Steel on January 5 and 6. Noname’s latest album has been lauded by critics and fans alike, proving a worthy follow up to her incredible mixtape, Telefone. Often artists struggle to outshine their hit debuts, but Noname faces no such problem in Room 25. “At the forefront of it all is Noname, who has upped her game in every possible way,” says BrooklynVegan in their review of the album. The album is unfailingly personal as Noname details life after the fame of Telefone, striking a denser, more complex tone. Noname lays down rhyme patterns that exist on their own, not always matching the cadences in the music, forcing the listener to pay attention rather than put the album on play in the background. It’s a triumphant effort, one that will keep audiences rapt during performances.

Noname got her start after years of writing poetry, eventually starting to do slam poetry in Chicago. Her poetry led her to taking up rapping which helped her meet fellow Chicago rappers like Saba, Mick Jenkins, and Chance the Rapper. Noname released her mixtape, Telefone, in the summer of 2016, on the cusp of deciding whether to pursue music or throw in the towel for a regular job. That winter, Noname performed with Chance the Rapper on Saturday Night Live and blew up after viewers felt she stole the show. The overwhelming success of Telefone led Noname on several tours across the world, even years after the mixtape released. Noname’s use of instrumentation in her hip hop lends itself to an incredible live show, dominating the stage and giving audiences a powerful, all-captivating experience that few others can produce.

Noname returns to New York City this January for a two-night run at Brooklyn Steel. Tickets are on sale this Friday, September 21.

Brooklyn Steel

1/5, 1/6

8:00 p.m.

$25.00

Tickets