Noname‘s debut album Room 25 received rave reviews following its release last month but due to inevitable series of events, the Chicago artist is changing her album artwork after its cartoonist was accused of sexual assault and domestic violence.
On Monday (Oct. 15), the “Regal” rapper took to Twitter to release a brief statement about the changes. DJ Booth reports Bryant Giles, a visual artist based out of Chicago designed album’s artwork. However, over the October 12th weekend, Giles was accused of rape and violence against women and was later arrested on domestic battery – bodily harm.
The accusations against him left the 27-year-old rapper with no choice but to remove, Giles name and artwork from her project. “I do not and will not support abusers, and I will always stand up for victims and believe their stories,” the 27-year-old tweeted.
In light of recent allegations, I will be working to replace the cover artwork of Room 25. I do not and will not support abusers, and I will always stand up for victims and believe their stories. My heart goes out to Ellie, her family, and all survivors of abuse.
— Noname (@noname) October 15, 2018
At this time, no artwork has been formally chosen to replace the albums original drawing, but the change can be expected any day now. The artist released the project independently, allowing her to call the shots on her entire creative process.
Like the rest of her Chicago conscious creatives like Chance The Rapper, Jamila Woods and Jean Deaux, she’s always been aware of her artistry. In 2016, she dropped “Gypsy” from her moniker after discovering Romani people considered “gypsy” to be a racial slur.
Check out our review of Noname’s stellar debut album here.
READ MORE: Noname’s Debut Album ‘Room 25’ Is The Second Coming To ‘Telefone’