NONAME & FRIENDS
The Whittier Bar
September 12, 2026
Do you remember what you got for your 13th birthday? What about your 23rd? Chances are you're not getting many presents at that age. Even more, chances are, these days what you thought was important back then isn’t as important as you thought. What you probably do remember are the people who showed up—not the themed cakes or the pile of presents but the friends who laughed with you or just let you cry because it was your birthday. Sometimes friends you’ve met at different stages of life become friends and even collaborators with each other, and that may be the sweetest present of all.
On a recent Saturday night, friends of dj noname. came to the Whittier Bar to celebrate the birthday of this artist who is bridging the music scenes of two cities, Tulsa and Dallas. His time in Dallas showed him what it meant to network in a big city, while his time in Tulsa showed him what building from the ground up could look like. The benefits of both approaches were on view in this show, where authentic relationships and collaborative artistry made for a memorable night of music.
Walking into the dimly lit Whittier Bar, where the stage is right by the front door, instantly launches you into an immersive experience. Mine started with Doktor Rheal, a dj and music producer from Dallas whose main genre is Latin hip-hop, a genre whose growth took it all the way to the main stage in this year's Super Bowl halftime show. The Whittier is no Super Bowl arena, but that doesn’t mean that Rheal didn’t have the crowd just as excited. As he played song after song, friends and artists arrived exchanging greetings. It’s important to note that a hip-hop show is a fashionably late event; people filter in, artists arrive just in time, but it’s the dj who makes sure that the show goes on. Rheal stood solo behind a makeshift red standing desk and set the tone for the night.
The first rapper to take the stage was Tulsa’s own Jay The Icon, an artist who’s been working like a machine lately. This year alone he’s put out singles, a solo project, and collab projects with dj noname. and fellow Tulsa artist N Dot Darko. Jay The Icon took the stage with a smooth, laid-back delivery. His smoker-influenced sound gave off notes of an early Wiz Khalifa, but I bet if anyone could see an early Wiz for the price of this night’s admission, they would be running to the door.
You might think chivalry is dead until you listen to Mr. Wortham rap. He carries himself with such a gentleman's swagger; the name “Mr.” is so fitting. As he moved across the stage I couldn’t help but think, these are grown man raps. His flow was so debonair, full of metaphors and double entendres that might breeze right by you if you didn’t listen close enough. There was no jumping or screaming. Just a calm and collected M.C. showing that you can be a gentleman and still be cool.