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K'naan - Troubadour
- “Troubadour” is Canadian rapper K’naan’s sophomore album. He has a very unique sound with many influences in the industry as well as cultural influences. K’naan is originally from Somalia where he grew up in the worst of conditions during the Somalian Civil War. In the opening song on the CD, “T.I.A.,” K’naan makes a point that other supposedly tough ghettoes are no comparison to the streets that he grew up on. Still, rather than using this to boost his ego and legitimacy in rap, he points out, “I was never looking for street cred.” The song is full of energy with African chanting in the background, backed by a loud, intense, and freeing drumming beat. Through the song, K’naan opens up a bit of his world and introduces the Africa he grew up in to his audience. In “Dreamer,” K’naan denounces violence rather than using it as his identity. He sings, “We like to have fun, we like to forget all the guns and fighting.” He brings us back to his childhood and says having dreams is the reason he isn’t dead. Hip-hop is notorious for rivalries and fighting, but K’naan sheds light on the importance of finally bringing peace to hip-hop.
“Somolia” opens up with light voices of a chorus of children, bringing us in to a somewhat tragic tone. The children’s chorus forms a beat and becomes a major foundation of the song. K’naan sings about how pirates terrorize the ocean and the threat of death that seems to be ever present, by singing, “When I try and sleep I see coffins closing.” Through all of this, the song still manages to be optimistic in the end. The song tells how he overcame immigration issues and the educational system failing him. K’naan sings about how studying the English language, including through his passion of rap music, saved his life. It helped him rise out of poverty, but he still remains loyal to his roots.
“I Come Prepared” is a very catchy song, using K’naan’s authentic Somalian rap style aside of the rasta, mellow reggae inspired rapping of Damian Marley. K’naan sings, “My job is to write just what I see, so a visual stenographer is what I be.” The song showcases K’naan’s original sound as he sings about not letting fame get to his head and just letting his music be what feels right for him. The song also shows the somewhat political side to a majority of his songs as he sings how heroes of war who try to suppress evil are the real heroes in the world.
K’naan doesn’t simply claim to have an original sound, making music about whatever comes to him. He goes through a great variety of genres including rap, reggae, pop, rock, and even those that are still foreign to us. “If Rap Gets Jealous” establishes that K‘naan doesn‘t plan on sticking to just one genre. It’s a full on rock head banger featuring Metallica’s Kirk Hammet. Still, K’naan doesn’t resort to the song just being a rock song alone. He uses an appropriately rough singing voice in the chorus and uses hard, intense rapping throughout the song, alongside the overpowering rock background, including guitar riffs and instrumental solos.
“Bang, Bang” is a much lighter song, actually having nothing to do with guns or real violence. Instead, it speaks to the weapons of women and love, hitting K’naan while vulnerable and off his guard. The verses of the song are very fast paced, as in the heat of a gun showdown. Adam Levine of Maroon 5 is right in tune with the feel and tone of the song, but lightens up the chorus with soft, beaming vocals to contrast with K’naan’s rapping. This is one that is sure to stick in your head and it is a lot of fun to listen to. “Fatima” is another song that is much more pleasant and light, almost therapeutic. The song questions whether love is all you really need and if loving and losing is really worth it. K’naan asks his subject, Fatima, if she knew the name of the man who “stole her away.” He sings how the plans for their future were taken with her. He sings, “They say children have rights to be free.” The way he sings, it makes you think that a child’s innocence was ripped away from her, making this a very bittersweet song. K’naan ends it with counting his blessings, despite the sadness that her memory has left him in.
Two of the most notable songs on the album are, “ABC’s” and “America.” “ABC’s” features a classic rap hollering background. Its tone is reminiscent of '90s rap, making it very fitting for old school rapper Chubb Rock to be featured on the track. I really appreciate the line that Chubb Rock delivers about not needing to use the “N” word, having too much respect for himself and his race. In “America,” K‘naan notes, “I got my own sound, I don’t sound like the rest.” K’naan goes back and forth in languages between English and Arabic. “America” is the anthem of international hip-hop artists bringing their voices to America. K’naan has quite a talent for creating slick, tight, evenly flowing rhymes. “Troubadour” shows critical hardships in his life as well as those that are going on all over the world. He promotes peace and a better tomorrow. K’naan was wise enough to add a few lighter tracks, showing his appreciation for life. As he says in “Dreamer,” “It’s OK to feel good.” K’naan’s music covers a number of genres and styles, showing his consciousness, where he came from and where he ended up, as well as the universal themes that he brings together in this engaging and fun album.
Reviewer: Kelsey Zukowski
new
Reviewer's Rating: 8
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
Added: 28-Jun-2009
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