Critically acclaimed rapper/singer K’NAAN  is back and gearing up to debut his new EP More Beautiful Than Silence on January 24th through A&M/Octone Records. The collection includes five new tracks including the single ‘Is Anybody Out There’ featuring Nelly Furtado as well as ‘Nothing to Lose’ featuring Nas and ‘Better‘ produced by Ryan Tedder. In addition to his EP, K’NAAN’s new album will be released in Spring 2012.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Wale feat K’Naan – Um Ricka (Produced by 9th Wonder)

Most of y’all already know about Wale going on tour with K’Naan. In fact, their DC date at the 9:30 Club is already sold out. We have supported both of these artists for years, and I’m glad to see that there is yet another successful hip-hop tour on the road. Check it:

4/01 Boston, MA @ House of Blues*

4/02 New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place*

4/03 Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head Live*

4/04 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club*

4/06 Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero*

4/08 Atlanta, GA@ Center Stage*

4/09 Williamsburg, VA @ College of William & Mary

4/11 Chicago, IL @ Metro

4/13 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues*

4/14 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall*

Download: J Period and K’Naan present The Messengers Preview (right click, save as)

We’ve covered K’Naan since 2005, and I’m glad to see that not only has he grown into a capable MC, but his buzz has cemented top artist in 2009. Hot off the heels of his album Troubadour, the Somali/Canadian MC teams up with producer J Period to drop The Messengers, a concept album that pays tribute to “The Messengers” in music, starting with Femi Kuti, Bob Marley, and Bob Dylan. The full Messengers release will drop on September 22nd.

I’m loving the concept of this project, and I wish these two well.

K'Naan dropped a video for my favorite track off of Troubadour, T.I.A. (This is Africa). Even though his whole Somlia is more gangsta than America stic gets old, you can't deny that this beat is rather insane. The video itself, directed by Nabil Elderkin (who did Kanye's Heartless) is rather dope as well.

Even though K’Naan might not be a household name, you would never know it by the enormous crowd that gathered in the Kennedy Center last night. Millennium Stage, the free concert series that usually puts on cultural events for small crowds was not ready for this. And to be honest, I don’t think America is ready for this dude’s impact either.
 

    Millennium Stage, the free daily concert series put on by the center was transformed into a summer festival, the massive crowds reminding me of an indoor version of Virgin Fest or Lollapalooza. The first sign that this was going to be a huge event was when my friend sent me a text saying that at 4:45 (an hour before showtime) there were already 100 people in front of him. The second sign? The quarter of a block line just for the Kennedy Center shuttle. The third sign, watching high from my perch watching a sea of people (by my count maybe 1500, possibly more) groove along with the Somali/Canadian rapper.  

Let me get this out of the way first: I have problems with K’Naan. I find his sort of “holier than thou” attitude about his struggles in Somalia to be disconcerting. The beginning of his song is peppered with references to how more “gangsta” he is for growing up in a war-torn nation. Even though I agree that “gangstaism” in rap is cliche, I still don’t like being talked down to, and having his situation beat across my head at every verse. Add to that the fact that, even though he is classified as a hip-hop artist, he’s far from it. I think I have more rhymes in my left foot than this dude does.

But seeing him on stage, rocking the crowd, I realized that 1.) Even though he drops a “nigga” or three in his albums, he’s not targeting the hip-hop crowd and 2.) Like M.I.A. (whom he will inevitably will get compared to), he is moving beyond what is hip-hop and infusing his culture into American hip-hop. In that second regard, he is seamless in that regard.

       

The setlist pulled mainly from his latest album, Troubadour, which dropped last Tuesday. Even though he got the crowd started with his hit “Soobax,” but his Chubb Rock infused track “ABCs,” really got the crowd moving. Again, it surprises me how music gets distributed in this new media landscape–this song has barely been out for a month and people are going crazy over it like its an instant classic. 

The concert as a whole was an interesting combination of hip-hop, African rhythms, and spoken word. K’Naan’s reputation for being a griot was in full effect, especially during the latter half of the set, with the Somali’s in the audience (several carrying flags) and the shared struggle was the focus of his spoken word. By the end of the set, he turned the cavernous crowd (which by then streatched from one end of Kennedy’s great hall to the other) into an intimate coffee house poetry slam.

The crowd, which consisted of everyone from frat boy douchebags (they seem to be at EVERYTHING) to Somali ex-pats got their (FREE) money’s worth and then some. People who were longtime fans and those who came to Foggy Bottom out of curiosity all seem to be impressed by the Somali sensation. Even yours truly will give him a second look. Can K’Naan carry the torch of third-world hip-hop in North America? After Friday night, it’s quite possible.

You know the best thing about living in a globally concious city like Washington, DC? We get not one, but TWO free concerts from the Somali rapper K’NAAN. He will be at the Millenium Stage this FRIDAY for a free show in support of his newest album Troubadour, which dropped on Tuesday.

Kennedy Center
2700 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20566 
Metro: Foggy Bottom (Blue/Orange lines)

Very dope video and song from Somalian rapper K’naan, whom we have profiled extensively on this site. His new album Troubadour drops on February 24th. Also, check out his interview on Hip-Hop Official.

We’ve covered K’Naan pretty extensively here on The Couch Sessions for the past few years, and I’m glad that the dude is getting his much deserved shine. The Canadian/Somali MC’s newest album Troubadour drops next month and his newest track bearing the name of his mother country is rather timely considering the pirate situation going on off the Somali coast. Troubadour will be in stores soon. (spotted at DDoff)

K’Naan – ABCs (feat Chubb Rock)

We’ve been profiling K’Naan since 2005, and I’m glad to announce that he is about to drop a star-studded sophomore album, entitled Troubadour, in January.

K’Naan is a Somalian immigrant who dropped The Dusty Foot Philosopher in 2005 to critical acclaim. The album, which detailed his struggles in war torn Somalia, mixes African rhythms with conscious US Hip-Hop and won a Canadian Juno award for best Hip-Hop album.

K’Naan seems to be pulling out all the stops for Troubadour. First off, the album was recorded at Tuff Gong studios in Jamaica. Secondly, the guest list is huge, and such artists as Damian Marley, Mos Def, Vernon Reid, Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and Chubb Rock (seriously?) make and appearance. Based on that information alone, this album looks to be the sleeper hit of 2009.

Troubadour drops January 2009. ABCs will be on iTunes real soon.

myspace.com/knaanmusic

From POP

From the National Geographic Web site:”As a child growing up in war-torn Somalia, hip-hop artist K’NAAN saw more violence and tougher streets than any gangster rapper could imagine. Now, in North America, he has established himself as a voice for change, a peacemaker, and a cultural bridge between the developing world and the West. His debut album, The Dusty Foot Philosopher, left an indelible mark on the hip-hop world and earned him a Juno award for Best Rap Recording. This performance will feature the Washington, DC, premiere of new material from his upcoming album, Troubadour. This concert will take place in the National Geographic Courtyard.”

Friday, October 3, 2008 at 9:30 p.m.
National Geographic Society
1600 M Street, NW

More about K’Naan here.