Compared to the grittiness of his debut, The Dusty-Foot
Philosopher, K’naan’s latest album Troubadour might come
across as a bit of shock. The production is super-slick, the beats are
clean and radio-ready and the guests are high-profile: Mos Def; Adam
Levine and Kirk Hammett (!?) all take a turn. All this may have some
purists yelling “sellout!” but they’ll be drowned out by the majority
of people who are going to eat this album up and not simply for the
high production values. All flash aside, this Somalia-born rapper is
the real deal. Whether snarling like Lil’ Wayne or with the sing-song
delivery of his childhood hero, Lucky Dube, K’naan tells the story of
his complex upbringing and coming-of-age with style and conviction.
When combined with the album’s glossiness, it can be jarring. But the
rapper remains true to himself throughout, even reciting lyrics in his
native dialect in songs like “America.” And considering that
Troubadour‘s subject matter largely deals with one of the
poorest and most violent countries in the world, it never feels
heavy-handed. The song “Somalia” weaves a chronicle of his youth in a
place “where the streets have no name” with the sweet voices of
children. Like much of the album, it’s heartbreaking but also joyous.
And that’s what will turn this one-time slum kid into a superstar.
Alison Lang
This article appears in Mar 5-11, 2009.