Somali-Canadian artiste K'naan is rap's new sell-out act, who sounds like he'll hit gold this year
Somali-Canadian artiste K'naan is rap's new sell-out act, who sounds like he'll hit gold this year
Troubadour
Artiste: K'naan
Label: Universal Music
Price: Rs 295
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The first thing that strikes you about K'naan (Keinan Abdi Warsame), the Somali-born rapper who is steadily gaining recognition, is that he sounds like a male M.I.A. Especially so on T.I.A. (This is Africa), with its clap beats and a female chorus with child-like vocals (that's a bit Gwen Stefani style as well but then Gwen's an M.I.A. follower too), from his second album Troubadour. So even if he's rapping "You don't know how hard it's here/The streets need this shit here," it's an incredibly dancey track that you're moving to. It doesn't sound like K'naan wants to get political. For this one, it sounds like pure pop will do.
With his second album K'naan also sounds like he's desperate to make that breakthrough. His debut Dusty Foot Philosopher was bolder and edgier, and broke new sonic ground with tracks like Soobax, which in his own words "don't give a fu@* no more".u00a0
Troubadour, to K'naan's credit is hooky as hell -- there's Dreamer that sounds like a nod to the Black Eyed Peas, except for the absence of some snarling bass lines. Plus K'naan's got a host of stars guesting on his second album including Maroon 5's frontman Adam Levine, rasta heir Damian Marley, Kirk Hammett and Mos Def.
Marley opens I come prepared, where K'naan has aspirations like these: "to become the king of New York like a De Niro" and "and they say I might become big as a Beatle" rapping over arrangements that Dr Dre did a decade ago. Still, the sound hasn't lost any of its appeal.
Levine crawls out of the Maroon 5's now split up-now together haze on Bang bang that fortunately sounds nothing like he's done on any of his albums, but doesn't bring anything except his name to the track either.
It could have been one of the Scissor Sisters or Mika on the track and we would have probably had more fun. Ditto with Kirk Hammett on If rap gets jealousu00a0-- Slash would have pimped it up with at least one wailing solo. Wavin' Flag, an anthem for a cola is cloyingly syrupy and perfect for plastic peace marches. The lyrics just don't cut it.
America with Mos Def is the only track that shows some of the grit and promise that his debut held.
No revolutionary rap here. Pop fizz? Yes.
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