Posted on 02/22/2009
As we settle into 2009, many have left behind the memories of an old year and look ahead to the promise of the new. For a musical nomad like Somalia-born, Toronto dweller K'naan, the physical and creative journey is never-ending as he meshes the opportunities of his present globetrotting emcee status into a mosaic rife with the bloody images of the stricken homeland he left behind. Instead of collecting dust in the four years since his critically acclaimed debut, The Dusty Foot Philosopher, K’naan busied himself taking his eclectic message of peace to the world. With new experiences and insights, the constant wanderer drops another collection of passionate, thought-provoking songs on Troubadour.

This new album finds K’naan again expertly blending the sounds of Africa and hip-hop without sacrificing any of his incisive commentary on world conditions and the asinine fakery of his musical peers. Yet it’s noticeably slicker with production from Soulshock and Karlin and guests including Damian Marley and Mos Def.

“I'm someone who backpacks the development of my music along with the development of myself. So my traveling…is the equivalent of 20 years 'cause of just the amount of things that we experience, the amount of struggle you see, the amount of traveling you do and also the processing of it all. I grew quite a bit and I think this album has a more universal feeling to it because of that.”

The expansion is evident on tracks like “If Rap Gets Jealous” with Metallica’s Kirk Hammett slaying the guitar like he’s playing for his usual hard-driving outfit. But broadening his palate from the simpler djembe and DJ leaves K’naan with no fear of backlash from his fans.

“If you like The Dusty Foot Philosopher, you'll like anything I do, kinda just because I did everything on The Dusty Foot Philosopher. So it's like you can't really think, 'Oh, why didn't he stay in the box?' when there was no box.”

When he speaks of life on the streets on the old school-inspired “ABCs” featuring Chubb Rock (and an energetic sample of “Treat’em Right”) his memories of war-torn, impoverished Somalia, ring truer than the rampant droning of American gangsters.

“None of my life has been ever like pretentious in that way… there's a level that [hardship] could also take you to where it either breaks you entirely or it makes you someone like me. It just makes you very appreciative instead of very screwface.”

Much has been made of his flight from Somalia, brief stay in Harlem and eventual settlement in the Dixon area of Toronto amongst a community of Somali expats. But the difference in this wise 30-year old’s journey isn’t so much in the derring-do as in his ‘what to do’ attitude. Like Damian Marley told him, his work is ‘strong, manifesto-type’ music. Though such assessments surprise K’naan, his music rises above sad sack reflection or mindless rump-shaking; it prompts discourse and action.

“I only do it from the urge. I feel like I'm responding to something rather than consciously making an effort to do something. I just do it because of the urge, the necessity of the moment to do that thing.”

Long before the events in Sweden that led to the arrest and overnight jail stay of Sol Guy, K’naan’s friend and manager (documented in the Internet single, "Kicked Pushed"), a young K'naan saw the inside of a cage firsthand.

“Nobody I'd ever known [or] grew up with was never not in prison, so it was like very normal.”

Rather than a cliché excuse for tough guy posturing, K'naan never mentioned his lock up on his albums, but instead internalized the lessons learned to find his path to hip-hop. It was the encouragement he received from the jail's longtime residents and their faith in his rhyming skills that caused him to take his writing seriously and consider being more than just a fan of the music he admired.

Now, well-versed in the English language, K’naan is able to blur the line between rap lyrics and poetry, giving his fans a mix of protest and eloquence in the tradition of Bob Marley. Referencing lyrics from Marley’s “Burnin’ and Lootin’,” K’naan observed, “You feel all the oppression and injustices in the music that he describes. You never feel oppressed by it, though. He allows you that space in that beautiful moment… If I'm able to touch a miniscule version of that, then I'm very fortunate is all.”

- Candace L.

*K'naan's Troubadour is in stores Tuesday, February 24th.

Watch K'naan's video for "Dreamer" below:



We've also got his video for "ABC's" featuring Chubb Rock as well: