K’naan’s new album delivers
Daniel Gallen, Managing Editor
May 19, 2009
Filed under Uncategorized
Forget about generic verses about bling or clubs; the lyrics of “Troubadour,” about war, crime and extreme poverty, both refresh and disturb. K’naan lets the listener know the with the hook for the opening track, “T.I.A.” (shorthand for “This Is Africa”).
The Somali-born rapper lets you know that he is from the rough streets of Mogadishu, not the streets of New York. In a genre dominated by Auto-Tuned dance hits, K’naan’s music is a refreshing change of pace.
“Troubadour” appears to be divided into two distinct parts, with the first six songs forming one part and the last eight tracks forming the other. The first six songs of the album have an upbeat tone, with “ABC’s,” which features Chubb Rock and Dreamer, and great star power with Damian Marley making an appearance on “I Come Prepared,” Maroon 5’s Adam Levine singing on “Bang Bang,” and Kirk Hammett of Metallica laying down a guitar track for “If Rap Gets Jealous.”
These big names seem like they would help K’naan’s music, but they actually hold him back. When K’naan starts rapping, he has a flow. The flow is contagious to the listener, keeping his attention throughout the entire song. But guest appearances mess up this flow. Chubb Rock’s verse on “ABC’s” is lethargic while Levine just doesn’t fit.
This problem also appears later on during “America,” where both Mos Def and Chali 2NA make verses that feel sluggish compared to K’naan’s precise style.
Starting with “Wavin’ Flag,” the album takes an emotional turn. He expresses his strong desire to see peace in Somalia, something for which he is willing to wait patiently.
“Somalia,” an ode to K’naan’s homeland has compelling lines, “So what you know about the pirates terrorize the ocean” and “And when I try to sleep, I see coffins closing” comes off as a challenge to the other rappers of the world to try to live with what he lives with.
“Troubadour” reaches its emotional climax at the tenth track, “Fatima.” Here, in a song about lost love, K’naan releases the rage built up from everything his country had done to him in his life: “Damn you shooter, damn you the building / Whose walls hid the blood she was spilling / Damn you country so good at killing / Damn you feeling, for persevering.” This track is K’naan at his most vulnerable, exposing a side most rappers are not willing to show.
The rest of the album rides the emotion of “Fatima” to the finish with slow ballads such as “Take A Minute” and “People Like Me.”
After listening to “Troubadour,” the listener receives a revelation that the life that their favorite American artist is rapping about can be null and void compared to the life K’naan has led. “Troubadour” is truly a great album, making the listener think about K’naan, Somalia and themselves.
[rating:4]