There is no disputing that, in the past two decades, hip-hop music has received quite the bad rap. While critics wag their fingers at the promotion of violence and criminal activity often heard in lyrics, proponents of the genre claim the content is simply a reflection of news and reality for the disenfranchised.
Amid all the ruckus, it is easy to overlook the quieter voices in rap music; not every artist rhymes about guns and drugs. Having spent his early years in war-torn Somalia before seeking refuge in Canada, poet and hip-hop artist K’naan could easily take his place among today’s most favored gangster rappers–and probably with more credibility. However, that’s not his style. (more…)
Rating: Review Date: June 10, 2008 Website:K’naan Website Label: Interdependent Media
K’naan “The Dusty Foot Philosopher Deluxe Edition” Album Review
It’s been more than two years since I was first introduced to the music of K’naan. It was early 2006, and I saw him open up a show for Jean Grae, Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Now I’ve always said that Kweli and Mos are among the best live performers in hip-hop – yet K’naan somehow managed to give the most memorable performance of that evening. (more…)
This is a pretty dope video that takes you behind the scenes of the Soobax video shoot, and shows K’naan explaining the meaning behind the song. K’Naan’s “The Dusty Foot Philosopher Deluxe Edition” dropped last week and, yes, a review is still coming soon!
This week’s track of the week is K’naan’s Smile - one of my favorite tracks from his album “The Dusty Foot Philosopher.” Although the album dropped back in 2005, the “Dusty Foot Philosopher Deluxe Edition” was released last week, containing new versions of many songs and a couple never-heard-before tracks. A review for the new album will be coming soon, so in the meantime click below to listen to Smile:
And follow along with the lyrics after the break. (more…)
I saw this cat open up for Kweli once, and he ripped it. Soobax, (pronounced “sohbah”) the first single from K’naan’s upcoming album “The Dusty Foot Philosopher Deluxe Edition,” is percussion-fuelled protest music at its finest. Set in K’naan’s native Somalia, the song is a fervent look at life in a war-torn country ruled by competeing warlords and their gangs. (more…)
There is no disputing that, in the past two decades, hip-hop music has received quite the bad rap. While critics wag their fingers at the promotion of violence and criminal activity often heard in lyrics, proponents of the genre claim the content is simply a reflection of news and reality for the disenfranchised.
