FIFA/Coca-Cola World Cup Trophy Tour 

 FIFA/Coca-Cola World Cup Trophy Tour 

 FIFA/Coca-Cola World Cup Trophy Tour 

 FIFA/Coca-Cola World Cup Trophy Tour 

 FIFA/Coca-Cola World Cup Trophy Tour 

FIFA/Coca-Cola World Cup Trophy Tour 

FIFA/Coca-Cola World Cup Trophy Tour 

Victoria, Seychelles

K'NAAN FORCED TO CANCEL UPCOMING COLLEGE TOUR DATES OPENING UP FOR MAROON 5 THIS NOVEMBER

Friday, October 30th - K'NAAN has unfortunately announced that he will be canceling his upcoming concert dates opening up for Maroon 5 this November due to fatigue. The cancellation comes on the heels of K'NAAN's fall tour opening up for singer Lenny Kravitz , as well as a solo club tour.

Said K'NAAN "I want to give a sincere apology to my fans who were coming out to the shows, and a huge sorry to my label mates Maroon 5. We were really looking forward to the tour, but unfortunately I'm not in a place where I can physically deliver my part of the show right now. I sincerely look forward to seeing everyone down the road. Sending you all love."

For more information, visit www.knaanmusic.com

Oh, Hello K’naan, Have a Seat

FROM DUSTY FOOT PHILOSOPHER TO INTERNATIONAL TROUBADOUR
by Ryan Bolton

K’naan is a tough guy to get a hold of. The only chance we got to chat was when he just had just landed in South Africa after a 15-hour flight. We only had a small window before he was whisked away to another interview. We guess that’s what happens when your critically-acclaimed music expands across continents. But the Somali-born, Toronto-raised hip-hop artist recently sat down with TRAVIS to chat about the current state of hip-hop, his volatile homeland and why the West needs to stick to the West.

TRAVIS: It’s a really intriguing story that you learned English through the raps of Nas and other hip-hop artists after fleeing Somalia as a young boy. Can you expand on this?

Well, I think different people have different ways they learn and what they respond to. I wasn’t particularly into the system of school and the model of teaching. I was also very suspicious and I wanted to take that into my own hands and learn a little differently.

And so I would take tapes and listen to them. I would try to take phrases and try to figure out what was being said. So, between the dictionary and writing out the words, I was able to learn a lot. Outside of that, what it did for me was it introduced me to a lot of culture that I wouldn’t have otherwise known. Because hip-hop is often the art of cities, there would be either stories or similes. I would search for a character that has been set in a simile, and I look for who the character is. I look at how the struggles of becoming a congresswoman and it led me to the Civil Rights Movement. There are so many things that I learned outside of English being a communication tool.

You seem to be doing something that a lot of other musicians don’t seem to be doing anymore – your songs carry a message. If you look at your songs like, “What’s Hardcore?” or if you look at the lines from “If Rap Gets Jealous,” like “I don’t even hear verses no more / I hear jerkin’ off, punks with lip glosses and purses.” It seems like you have a pretty big beef with today’s rap and its rappers.

We’re formed by the circumstances that we know. The place that I come from and what I know is really different than the place that a lot of mainstream rappers come from. I was becoming relevant in the same industry as them and there are some questions that needed to be answered because of that. Just my presence alone in the music industry poses questions and I wasn’t shy to ask those questions. Even though I respect other peoples’ struggles, we come from a vastly stronger struggle.

And how do you think you’re perceived by other mainstream hip-hop artists?

If it’s any sign of what they say to me when they see me, then it seems like they are really happy that I’m around. They’re proud of what I’m doing. They feel like their eyes are opening to a new world. I mean Nas, one of my favourite MCs of all time, in a recent interview, he was talking about me and my relevance in rap. He was sayin’ that he felt like I opened up a whole new world to him.

That sure means a lot, eh?

Yes, absolutely.

Although you rap about your upbringing and Africa quite a bit in Dusty Foot Philosopher to an extent, you really delve deep into your life back in Somalia in Troubadour, especially with songs like, “ABCs,” “T.I.A.” and “Somalia.” Why is this?

I guess I’m still in emotional purgatory. I think that’s probably a subconscious response to not living comfortably, but evading it. What happens is a part of you is still left behind and so my songs are still very much concerned with those things [back in Somalia]. In the small hours of the night, the time that I’m alone and I’m open and emotional, these are the thoughts that I have, so I write them. It seems like there is still a lot unresolved.

A lot of your work highlights issues happening back in Africa. Especially when you attacked the media with the pirates off the coast of Somalia, for instance. In what ways do you see yourself as giving a voice to such issues?

I feel like I’m kind of pushed into those positions. Circumstance does that to me. It’s not like there are choices used in the U.S. for public views from Somalia. There just isn’t. The news and the media works in a completely unremarkable way of telling the story from a one-sided way. And then my people look to me and wait for me to say something, because I’m the only one with the platform to do so. So, I kind of have to. But I don’t like being in those kinds of positions. I like writing songs. I don’t necessarily like to be on TV giving statements about pirates.

Right, and I read somewhere that like Bob Dylan, you don’t liked to be titled political. Instead, you really write protest songs like “Soobax.” Is it really important to stand up for certain issues for you?

It’s not important like calendar important. It’s not like a plan. It’s not important in the sense of a mission statement, it’s important in a sense that it’s just in my soul. It’s an urge. It’s a leech to get off your body. It’s nothing that I control. In that sense, it’s important. But if it’s political, like I have an idea of what I’m suppose to say, then I really don’t have anything to say.

When you are coming to Sheridan to pump out some spoken word and maybe some songs, we’re holding this Respect Campaign. How important is the topic of respect to you and what you do in this industry?

Well, I think respect has a lot to do with many things. It definitely has its place in dignity. When you respect people and their struggles, what happens is you tend to keep your dignity intact. Without dignity is dangerous. I think war is what happens when you take people’s dignity away. So, I really do think that a lot of medicine is contained in respect.

For students that might want to get involved in worldly issues, like, say, AIDS in Africa or genocide, but might need a little push to get involved, what would you say to them?

I wouldn’t give them a push if they were on the edge. I would ask them a question. I would ask them, “Why?” Why do they want to do what they want to do? Because a lot of people make the mistake of thinking that they have some position – that they live in the West – that they have some position to be of assistance or help to Africa. Oftentimes I really think that is another way to discredit Africa. I just wonder why these young students, who don’t really have a lot to offer, I wonder what makes them think they are in a position to be of help to such a great continent.

Can you go deeper on that? Do you think a lot of youth are maybe going on an empty promise? That they might say they believe in something, but the passion isn’t there?

You have to question what you believe in and where your beliefs come from. Sometimes our beliefs are based on falsehoods. If you look at this continent [of Africa] surely there are lots of problems, but what do you know about those problems and its causes? I meet a lot of people who say strange things to me, like a fan will come up after a show and say, ‘Hey, I just want to go and help Africa.’ And you’re kind of just like, ‘What do you mean? How would you propose to do something like that and who said that Africa is in need of your help?’ I just think that those are the bigger questions, it’s not on your questionable intentions. It’s your political and cultural viewpoints that this is a place that waits for you to help it.

Obviously talking about back home in Somalia is difficult, but just quickly for readers that don’t know, back home is now called the River of Blood. Why is this?

It’s a name for within Mogadishu, Somalia. But it’s been called that for a long time. It’s been called that when I lived there. It was a particularly difficult environment in the area and therefore was called the River of Blood.

But right now, more importantly, what’s going on generally in this country is a humanitarian crisis. The big issue is no central government. There hasn’t been a central government for 18 years. People are having a hard time surviving; there’s just too much violence. And the world has basically turned its back on this country, so there’s a lot going on and that’s why we need to look at the piracy [off the coast of Somalia].

Your name means ‘traveler’ in Somali – something that you obviously live up to these days traveling around the world, like being in South Africa right now. But what can we expect next for The Traveler?

Hopefully, just more music and more touring. Also, more sharing of sounds and ideas and so on. Just watch for it.

Friday, October 2, 2009, 12:04 PM

By Deborah Sengupta Stith

Thursday, October 1 marked a day in Austin City Limits history on two fronts. First the 34-year-old television show was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in an afternoon ceremony. Later in the evening the show welcomed rappers K’Naan and Mos Def to the stage in the first hip-hop show ever to be recorded in the show’s history.

It was a memorable evening indeed. I’m still processing. But here are a few thoughts.

K’Naan:

In my opinion, the Somali-Canadian rapper, who fled his wartorn homeland at age 13, is one of the deepest artists working these days. He opened his set explaining “I write the experiences that were given to me. I write between the line of tragedy and beauty.” Then he spent the next hour delivering both. Launching his performance with a drum and a handclap, he proceeded to blend traditional East African sounds with everything from hip hop to thrash in a whirlwind tour of songs about his homeland, at times marked by brutal fury and in other moments full of wistful longing. Highlights include a haunting a Capella version of the song “Somalia.” The heartbreaking yet celebratory memorial to a fallen friend “Fatima.” And, of course, the infinitely triumphant closing track, K’Naan’s signature, “Waving Flag.”

Mos Def:

The Mighty Mos was in the house! With timpani-flanked drum kit onstage and a pair of turntablists at his back, the rapper threw down. Hard. The venue suited him, an actor/musician who knows how to play to the camera as well as crowd. From the thunderous drums woven with Eastern samples of opening track “Ecstatic,” the title track of his latest album, through the throwback conclusion with his 1999 track “Umi Says,” the rapper was riveting. Explosive. Whether pounding the drums while performing or laying himself bare in the center of the stage he commanded the room. He threw down rhymes, he danced a samba, he wailed for god. He vamped, playing a crazy lounge singer. He paid tribute to Michael Jackson with his own rendition of “Billie Jean”. He moonwalked. Heart on sleeve, his performance bled passion. Highlights include throwback track “Don’t Push Me,” a ferocious version of the new album’s “Quiet Dog” and the collab track with K’Naan “America.”

» www.austin360.com

K'Naan goes a capella at the Phoenix

By Livia Murray, Staff Writer

10/1/09

"Can I interest you in a little a cappella?"

Midway through his concert, K'naan casually posed this question to the crowd assembled before him. There was a momentous roar, but the room fell silent as he began to sing "Somalia". The crowd just stood there, not hooting or hollering, but trying to take everything in.

K'naan's performance at the Phoenix on September 18th was everything one could hope for. The greatest qualities of K'naan's music- his raw and natural style- were all the more striking. The strongly expressive lyrics that we all know and love through his recorded music are one thing; to see him deliver them live was quite another.

K'naan has presence, but doesn't put on the gangsta swagger. What makes him fascinating is his sincerity and his conviction in what he is saying, to the point where you are hanging onto his every word. His personality matches his style: raw, natural and exceedingly real. Just as he doesn't glorify his hardships when he speaks, he doesn't glorify himself when he performs.

Though he fronted a five-part band of guitar, bass, keyboard, drums and djembes, K'naan sang a great deal of his songs without accompaniment. The rendition of "Somalia" that he sang for us, he explained, was the one he had originally written. It was certainly much darker than the Troubadour version, and this was the reason why he modified it for the album release. The chorus went something like "Somalia... now that you've learned to kill, you must learn to die." Though the recorded version is far from light-hearted, it still captures a glimmer of hope, which K'naan seems to hold onto even in the bleakest of situations. The original "Somalia", however, was devoid of this and sent shivers down my spine.

"Waving Flag" was a treat. K'naan performed half of it a cappella, and then the band kicked in. Everyone was swaying and singing along with arms in the air in adoration. To perform "Fatima", our little troubadour took out a stool from backstage and sat down with the microphone. He talked about the song a little and then sang it for us, with more emotion than you would expect considering the amount of times he must have performed it. He bowed his head at the end; he must still hold onto the memory.

Of course, nothing topped the Somali rapping in "America". Though intriguing because the lyrics themselves are a mystery, K'naan still manages to convey a meaning through his delivery. The body language expressed by his frantic movements somehow also translates, and in spite of the language barrier, a subtle inkling of an idea is communicated.

Witnessing K'naan was an interesting experience. His energy and personality added to the show so that seeing him perform was a more intense version of listening to his music. His style stands out and his ideas are striking in their sheer naked reality. He is a thing of his own, and the show was a great moment to take in his musical wisdom.

K’naan is no stranger to gracing a big stage. We’re talking about a guy who brought down the house when he performed his spoken word infused Hip Hop to talk about the plight of refugees at the 2001 50th anniversary of the UN Commission for Refugee's. But for the spoken word artist/MC sharing the stage with some of Hip hop’s greats on the Rock The Bells Festival’s stage is still an honor. “It’s amazing, man. There’s something about it. A couple of the people that are on the bill are people that I came up listening to. So to be playing with them is a beautiful thing.”

K’naan’s journey to Hip Hop’s largest festival stage was an interesting one to say the least. Coming from an artistic family (his aunt was one of Somalia’s most famous singers and his grandfather was a highly respected poet) its easy to see how he became involved in music. Before he could fully understand and speak English, he was memorizing the rhymes of MC’s like Rakim & Nas (whom he shares the stage with at Rock The Bells) in his homeland of Somalia. As one of the last to leave the country in the midst of civil war, he first made his home in NYC before moving to Toronto, Canada, where he became a part of the music scene. A few albums later (his latest troubadour features Mos Def and Adam Levine from Maroon 5) and he is on tour with some of Hip Hop’s legends. We caught up with him to talk about Hip Hop as second language, rocking the crowd and how you can have fun and still be seen as political.

Examiner.com: Since some much of importance is placed on lyrics in Hip Hop, how did you get drawn in since English is not your first language? What was it about that made you enjoy it?

K’naan: The energy. The rhythmic energy. There’s something about music in general. Its not a 100 hundred percent necessity for you to know the details of someone’s lyrics and what they mean (to get drawn in). A lot of times music means what we want it to mean. And Hip Hop is no exception, although its more heavy on lyrics and lyrics based. But what really was drew me in was the rhythmic patterns and the energy of it. It had such a youthful energy to it that I connected to.

Examiner.com: When you did start to understand the music did it coincide with what you had imagined the meaning to be?

K’naan: Sometimes it did. Sometimes it was just funny. (laughs). Other times lyrics you thought were powerful and world changing were kinda not talking about not much. And you’re like, “Wow”. But to be honest it was never one way. There were lyrics that you unraveled and find out had great depth and meaning.

Examiner.com: Do you think you get pegged as being political because of the content of what you say or because nobody else is saying anything?

K’naan: (Laughs) I think it’s the later to be honest, man. I think it’s so easy to pick me out as the artist who is being political mainly because a lot of music is devoid of anything to say at all. There’s not a story to follow. There’s nothing that they actually are telling, even if it’s just a love song. There’s nothing for me to get out of it. When I do songs there are precise about something. The only time they know that that happens in the genres that I’m in usually it’s political so they tag me the same.

Examiner.com: Do you feel like carrying that tag is kinda like a burden? People seem to have a higher expectation of you so because of that you can’t just go out and having fun.

K’naan: Actually the truth of the matter is that its not so much a burden than that its just not true. We do have fun. That’s why I can write a record like “Bang, Bang”, which is a fun pop record. I do have those sides to me. I’m not always serious. Its always an activist type of tag that I get as well. If you say. “I saw the rain today.” They are like, “Oh my God. He called it like it is. He must be conscious. He must be political.” No. I just can see shit. (Laughs) And maybe know why. Maybe that is the extra element. Maybe I have some clue as to why.

Examiner.com: What is a K’naan show like?

K’naan: My show has always been different and a little bit of a stand out. It’s a honest and direct approach to music that whenever we play every night feels like a new show. Even if we play as we have in the past over 500 shows in the last two years.

» www.democracynow.org

By Ken Capobianco

One of the central personas of hip-hop has been the thug who understands the ways of the cruel streets. Don’t tell that to K’Naan, a rapper and musician who grew up in war-torn Somalia.

“When I hear all this talk about thug life, I laugh,’’ K’Naan, 31, says from New York, where he lives most of the time now. “A lot of MCs talk about violence, but they really haven’t seen it or had it affect their lives. It’s like watching a film, because you know that you are listening to something that is unreal and unbelievable. I know what I’ve seen, and that’s real.’’

K’Naan, who’s on tomorrow’s Rock the Bells tour at the Comcast Center, left Somalia in 1991 while the country was undergoing civil war. Rebels were battling to topple then-President Mohamed Siad Barre, and much of the fighting happened in the streets of the districts of Mogadishu where K’Naan lived. (He settled in Canada.)

Much of the material from his two albums - 2005’s “The Dusty Foot Philosopher’’ and this spring’s “Troubadour’’ - is preoccupied with his homeland and how its troubles have affected him. In “Somalia’’ he sings: “This is where the streets have no name and the drain of sewage/you can see it in this boy/ how the hate is brewing.’’

On a number of tracks, he calls out rappers for their bogus macho swagger. In “What’s Hardcore,’’ in which he describes the violence of Somalia, he flows: “I make 50 Cent look like Limp Bizkit’’ adding his former country is “harder than Harlem and Compton combined.’’

What makes K’Naan’s music so compelling is not only his lyrical agility and social conscience but his ability to draw on so many musical resources - from his African roots and reggae stylings to hip-hop, pop, and rock (“If Rap Gets Jealous’’ from “Troubadour’’ features Kirk Hammett of Metallica).

“I consider myself an artist above all things,’’ K’Naan says. “Therefore, I don’t want to commit myself to one style of music. Many people call me hip-hop and that’s fine, but I am not just a hip-hop artist.’’ K’Naan also played guitar and added percussion - as well as some supple singing - on his albums.

K’Naan says he learned English by watching television, and he studied the cadences and fluid wordplay of older rappers like Rakim. “I’m lucky that I didn’t do it now,’’ he says. “I would only be able to talk to you about popping champagne corks.’’

Most of his songs are potent, detailed narratives and evocations of Somalia and the struggles his people have gone through and continue to endure.

He says that he is committed to shedding light on the country and adds that the shift to living in North America was disorienting. “When I first arrived in Canada, I needed to figure out things and life was difficult. I did odd jobs, but I always knew that I would be a musician and survive.’’ In “Rap Gets Jealous’’ he talks about saving money to “send it back to Mogadishu where my family and friends getting patched up again.’’

He says he named the new record “Troubadour’’ because he has always seen himself as a storyteller.

“I used to tell stories to my family since I was a boy. Sometimes I had memorized up to 120 stories, and some would last up to 45 minutes. It’s just something I love to do.’’

His new record features many guests - including Adam Levine, and Damian Marley - and it’s diverse musically. “Bang Bang’’ has a soaring pop hook and could easily be a single. “America’’ is a straight-up hip-hop track in which he trades verses with Charlie 2na and Mos Def. “Fatima’’ is a sweet lament of lost love spurred by subtle horns and underlined by organ fills. Despite the lyric’s sadness, the song turns into a joyous singalong.

Both of his records are rhythmically intricate, tightly arranged, and supremely melodic, which gives them accessibility for mass audiences. But K’Naan says he’s not sure that this is the direction he’s going to follow in the future.

“I never have a master plan,’’ he says. “Music should have no formula. The melodies and lyrics come, and I strive for the most beautiful music possible. I don’t affect it as much as it affects me.’’

K’naan sense
Somalian rapper on lyrics, beats and politics

“It’s easy to pick me out as an artist who is being political.” K’naan

Before K’naan could fully understand and speak English, he was memorizing the rhymes of MCs like Rakim and Nas (with whom he shares the stage at this weekend’s Rock the Bells show.)

“A couple of the people that are on the bill are people that I came up listening to,” says the Somalian rapper. “So to be playing with them is a beautiful thing.”

Coming from an artistic family — his aunt was one of Somalia’s most famous singers and his grandfather was a highly respected poet — he was one of the last to leave the country in the midst of civil war. He moved to New York City and later to Toronto. A few albums later (his latest, “Troubadour” features Mos Def and Adam Levine from Maroon 5) and he is on tour with some of the legends that inspired him.

Since so much importance is placed on lyrics in hip-hop, how did a kid whose first language is not English get drawn in?

“It’s not a 100 percent necessity for you to know the details of someone’s lyrics and what they mean,” he says. “A lot of times music means what we want it to mean. But what really drew me in was the rhythmic patterns and the energy of it.”

He says when he started to understand what the rappers were saying, it didn’t always coincide with what he had imagined they were rapping about.

“Sometimes it was just funny,” he laughs. “Other times, lyrics you thought were powerful and world-changing were kind of not talking about much.”

K’naan’s own rhymes often do have deeper meanings, but don’t peg him as political.

“I think it’s so easy to pick me out as the artist who is being political mainly because a lot of music is devoid of anything to say at all,” he says. “I’m not always serious. It’s always an activist type of tag that I get as well. If you say. ‘I saw the rain today,’ they are like, ‘Oh my God. He called it like it is. He must be conscious. He must be political.’ No. I just can see s—.

DJBooth.net Exclusive: Rock The Bells 2009 Opener in Chicago

Tinley Park, IL -- The official start of summer for children is the end of the school year. For those who are several years removed from the days of test-taking and homework, the official start of summer might be Memorial Day, whenever the weather gets nice, or simply after the first major concert of the warm-weather season is attended. Whatever the case may be for you, DJBooth.net officially kicked off its summer on Saturday, when Rock The Bells opened at The First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, Illinois.

Since its inception in the summer of 2003, Rock The Bells has been a rite of passage for summer concertgoers in need of a live hip-hop fix. In past years, headliners have included reunited groups Wu-Tang Clan and A Tribe Called Quest. For the tour’s 2009 incarnation, headliners included The Roots, Busta Rhymes, and Nas with Damian “Jr Gong” Marley, who performed together for the first time since wrapping up their forthcoming joint album, Distant Relatives.

Most concertgoers whom we spoke with at the festival were impressed with main stage acts Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek), who spit an impressive freestyle over Kanye’s “Get Em High,” Big Boi, who emptied out the Outkast vault with hit after hit, Tech N9ne, who brings more energy to his live performance than nearly everyone’s favorite rapper, and K’naan, whose current album, Troubadour, was meant to be performed live. The real buzz, however, disseminated from the impressive lineup on the second stage, Paid Dues.

Headlined by Wu-Tang members and crowd favorites GZA and Raekwon, the second stage also featured impressive performances by Slaughterhouse (Joe Budden, Royce Da 5”9, Joell Ortiz and Crooked I), Buckshot (with special guests KRS-One and Kidz In The Hall), Tabi Bonney, M.O.P. and Mickey Factz. Unlike the main stage, which was behind-schedule the whole afternoon (several sets had to be abbreviated as a result), the Paid Dues stage packed a mean punch, delivering hi-octane acts from start to finish.

For those looking to truly kick off their summer, we recommend attending Rock The Bells 2009 on one of its remaining nine stops across North America. For those who are strapped for cash or simply live too far from the hosting cities to attend, thanks to our friends at Guerilla Union and MSO, DJBooth.net will be featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the festival. Throughout the week, we will showcase video interviews with Big Boi, Slaughterhouse, K’naan, Buckshot, Tech N9ne with Krizz Kaliko, Tabi Bonney, The Knux, and B. Dolan.

That's the thing about hip-hop… it just keeps giving.

Passion from Somalia.

A hip hop artist from Somalia? Are you kidding me? When my friends told me that one of their favorite artists, K'NAAN was coming to town, I originally hesitated because I really didn't know. Now I'm glad I went because I would have never known what I would have missed out on. Glad I chose wisely and went.

Somalia, a country known for its poverty and stricken by war, now can boast about one of their most talented and successful artists. K'NAAN brings passion, insightful and provocative lyrics to your cerebellum. Ringing through your ears and touching your heart, his music brings a different taste to poetry. Singing relentlessly about the political mess of his own country, he doesn't't forgot about the ongoing quest for world peace. His lyrics will make you think, react, and most of all move your head up and down. The melodic sounds soothe, and the beat will move you in a way that you need to be moved.

Pop & Hiss offers a look at some of the artists we expect to make noise in 2009.

Artist: K'naan

Why him: Though it’s popular in Europe, African hip-hop has not yet found its footing in America beyond the elegant gangsterisms of the Senegalese-born, New Jersey-based singer Akon. This year, a Canadian might be the one to break the intercontinental barrier. Kaynaan Warsame was born to one of Somalia’s most prominent artistic families in 1978 and grew up in Mogadishu as that city was torn apart by civil war. Immigrating to Toronto with his family as a teen, he soon turned to rap as a way to articulate his experience. His light-stepping but tough rhyming style is infused with the rhythms of his homeland, and his subject matter is both political and playfully personal.

What's next: K’naan’s 2005 debut album, "The Dusty Foot Philosopher," won a Juno (the Canadian Grammy) for best rap album; next month A&M/Octone Records will release "Troubadour," which was mostly recorded at Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong Studio with help from guests such as Damian Marley, Mos Def and Maroon 5’s Adam Levine. If Kenya’s favorite son, Barack Obama, could win the hearts of America, why not this sharp-witted Somali stylist?

-Ann Powers

NPR Music

January 6, 2009

Somali Rapper K'Naan Schools American MCs

News from Somalia usually involves violent warlords, or pirates hijackingships off the coast. Other than that, average Somalis don't have much of avoice. But a rapper from Somalia named K'Naan is trying to change that, and inthe world of hip-hop, he's become an artist to watch.

K'Naan grew up in Mogadishu, on what he calls "the meanest streets inthe universe." In one song on his new album, he calls his hometown the"risky zone," full of pistols and Russian revolvers.

"The song's called 'ABCs,' " K'Naan says. "And it's about howbeing born in a certain place changes everything, your destiny. I got the kidschoir singing, 'They don't teach us the ABCs / We play on the hard concrete,'and for us, that is very true."

Somalia is one of the poorest and most violent countries in the world.Malnutrition and clan warfare are rampant. According to Amnesty International,some 6,000 civilians were killed in fighting in 2007 alone. K'Naan says he wantsto use his music to raise consciousness about what's happening there.

"The people of Somalia just do not have a voice," he says."They are to me the most forgotten people in the world."

The rapper left Somalia as a teenager in 1991 with his mother and olderbrother. The country was in a civil war involving multiple fighting factions.

"Mogadishu was burning. The government is falling," he says."And all the embassies are packing out, and my mother is able to get visasto the U.S."

New Life In North America

His family eventually settled in Toronto. Eighteen years later, K'Naan isestablishing his name in Canadian and American hip-hop. His first album, 2006'sThe Dusty Foot Philosopher, was a hit with critics here and abroad.His latest, Troubadour, features Mos Defand DamianMarley. The L.A. Times recently listed K'Naan as an artist towatch in 2009, while The Guardian called him "powerfully low-key,theatrical [and] witty."

K'Naan writes in a variety of music styles. But before he moved to NorthAmerica — before he spoke any English — his first love was American rap.

"I came to the door / I said it before / I never let the mic magnetizeme no more," K'Naan raps, before saying, "That was Eric B and Rakim[from] Paid in Full. I used to say it just like that. But, of course,I didn't know what 'door' meant."

K'Naan could not be mistaken for an American rapper: For one thing, he has akind of vintage Bohemian look. He says he doesn't think that American rap hasmuch credibility, because even the toughest American neighborhoods aren'tnearly as dangerous as Mogadishu.

"Where rocket-propelled grenades are fired around you on a daily ... aguy bragging on TV talking about how gangster he is?" K'Naan says."For us, it's more a source of entertainment. It's more like a comedy orsomething we watch. Say, 'Oh wow, that's kind of cute of American gangsters.'But it isn't hardcore, it isn't that bad. Let's get things in perspective, youknow?"

Lately, K'Naan has been talking about the Somali pirates who've beenhijacking ships from Western countries off the Somali coast. Because, he says,there's more to that story, too.

                             K’NAAN

Announces New Track Listing for Sophomore Solo Album‘Troubadour’ Set For Release on A&M/ Octone on February 24^th

Mos Def,  Damian “JR Gong” Marley, Chubb Rock,Kirk Hammett of Metallica, Chali 2na and Adam Levine & James Valentine ofMaroon 5 set to Join K’NAAN on ‘Troubadour’

Solo andFestival Tour Dates Set to Kick off in Grand Rapids on February 5^th

 “2009 Artist to Watch” The Los Angeles Times

K-ROCK/ KROQ LosAngeles Adds “If Rap Gets Jealous” into Rotation

New York, January 12, 2008– Reaffirminghis place as one of music’s most compelling new voices, celebrated Hip Hop MC,griot, and singer/ songwriter  K’NAAN has announced the release of hislong-awaited sophomore album, Troubadour,on February 24^th via A&M/ Octone Records. The albumfeatures of slew of unique musical collaborations from a variety of artistsincluding Damian “JR Gong” Marley, Chubb Rock, Mos Def, Kirk Hammett of Metallica, Chali 2na and Adam Levine & James Valentine of Maroon 5.The first single off the album, ”If RapGets Jealous,” was added into rotation on K-ROCK/ KROQ last week. Fresh off his national tour with Matisyahu,K’NAAN has also announced 2009 tour dates that will kick off in early Februaryto support the release of Troubadour(see dates below).

K’NAAN’s debut album, 2005’s  TheDusty Foot Philosopher, left an indelible mark on the hip hop communityand the global music world, and now he returns with an album that inspires andis musically rich with classic beats, novel instrumentation and innovativerhymes. K’NAAN uses his unique voice and authentic style to bring an enormousdose of realness and urgency to the hip-hop world, in the tradition of greatfolk singers and protest songs he carves a new path filled with eloquent andthought-provoking lyrics.  From thedynamic power “ABCs” to the genre bending grooves of “If Rap Gets Jealous” andthe acoustic African folk melodies of “Fire in Freetown,” K’NAAN widens the traditional hip-hop perspective onhis new album expanding boundaries with the combination of hard-hitting rhythmsand lyrics.

Asa child growing up in war-torn Somalia, K’NAAN has seen more violence andtougher streets than any gangster rapper could ever imagine. Escaping on thelast commercial flight out of the country, K’NAAN arrived in North America andhas proven to be not just your average MC, but a voice for change, apeacemaker, and a cultural bridge between the developing world and the west.Within the last two years alone, K’NAAN has played over 500 shows across fivedifferent continents, recorded and released his debut outing, The Dusty FootPhilosopher, and has had the privilege of sharing the stage – as well asrecording with – artists such as Damian “JR Gong” Marley, Stephen Marley, MosDef, The Roots, Nelly Furtado, Dead Prez, Youssou N’Dour, Amadou and Miriam andmany more. In 2006, K’NAAN took home the JunoAward (Canada’s Grammy) for BestRap Recording and most recently received “Newcomer of the Year” honors at the UK’s BBC Radio 3 Awards.

Someearly reviews on the album have hit with praise coming from media outletsacross the board:

“2009 Artist to Watch” THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

“A fusion of traditionalAfrican folk music and socially conscious, street hardened-hip hop… K’NAAN isset to invigorate a scene burned out on braggadocio and posturing” SPIN MAGAZINE

“3 1/2 Stars” BLENDER MAGAZINE
 

“An artist to watch” NPR

NEW AlbumTrack Listing:

ABC's (Featuring Chubb Rock)

Dreamer

I Come Prepared (Featuring Damian Marley)

15 Minutes Away

Bang Bang (Featuring Adam Levine)

Fire In Freetown

People Like Me

Somalia

America (featuring Mos Def & Chali Tuna)*

Fatima*

If Rap Gets Jealous (Featuring Kirk Hammett)*

Take A Minute

T.I.A.*

Waiving Flag*

*- Denotes New Track

ConfirmedTour Dates for K’NAAN:

2/05                        GrandRapids, MI                        CalvinCollege Fine Arts Center

2/06                        AnnArbor, MI                        MichiganUnion Ballroom

2/08                        Chicago,IL                                    Reggie’sBar and Grill

2/10                        Madison,WI                                    TheAnnex

2/11                        Minneapolis,MN                        CedarCultural

2/13                        Lincoln,NE                                    Universityof Nebraska

2/14                        Denver,CO                                    TheBluebird

2/16                        SanDiego, CA                        SanDiego Sports Arena

2/19                        Garberville,CA                        Toph’sHouse

2/20                        Oakland,CA                                    FoxTheatre

2/21                        LongBeach, CA                        LongBeach Arena

2/24                        Boston,MA                                    TheMiddle East- Upstairs

2/26                        NewYork, NY                        SOB’s

2/27                        Washington,DC                        KennedyCenter- Millenium Stage

2/28                        Baltimore,MD                        Sonar

3/01                        Philadelphia,PA                        WorldCafé

3/04                        Atlanta,GA                                    Vinyl

3/05                        Jacksonville,FL                        JackRabbit’s

3/06                        Orlando,FL                                    Social

3/07                        Miami,FL                                    BicentennialPark

3/09                        Portland,OR                                    DougFir

3/10                        Seattle,WA                                    Neumos

Formore information on K’NAAN, please visit:www.thedustyfoot.com and

www.myspace.com/knaanmusic