K'naan

July 04, 2005

K'naan

I've been hearing a lot about this gentleman, anyone familiar with his stuff?

K'naan Looks Back At Africa During Career High
Rapper K'naan was very humbled as he took the podium to talk to media only moments after playing his set at Live 8. He was possibly the least-known artist to perform in front of the 35,000 fans who arrived in Barrie, Ontario and one of the only native African artists asked to perform at the Canadian installment of the show. That cultural split doesn't bother him and he actually congratulates North America for doing this again.

"I don't think of it as an African event," he said. "I don't think of it as an African political rally. I think of it as a job for the West and this is a political change that needs to come from the West. The West has its own stars. Africa has stars. I think it's a great thing that we are rallying here."

Of all of the people you saw on stage during the day, K'naan was one of the few who hasn't just visited Africa to see the devastation, but he lived in that world for a number of years. Although he now calls Toronto home, the rapper was born in Somalia, which his family had to escape in fear of their lives...

Posted by jsmooth995 at July 4, 2005 11:13 PM | TrackBack

Comments

Check out his site here: http://www.thedustyfoot.com/

Posted by: DTK at July 5, 2005 03:12 PM

mediocre rapper with an annoying voice, but i like his more stripped-down, folky stuff. "soobax" is by far and away the best thing on this album, and everything else is just mehhh. the supposed "beef" between him and k-os is being used as a device to give him context or promote him or whatever, which i find a little obnoxious. there's some fishiness going on here, when the people who were so down with k-os and were so strong in supporting him for years suddenly switch over to being all about this dude and stop associating altogether with k-os. i've been going to underground jams for years in this town, and i had never once seen k'naan perform. never once heard his name - UNTIL these marketers got a hold of him, put out a sampler, and started pushing him as the hot new spiritual hip hop realness. i don't know what other artistic communities he's been contributing to over the years, but in terms of hip hop, he's like the M.I.A. of toronto. his hype preceeds him.

no hate. i like him, he seems like a really nice dude. but, you know, i can't help but carry this bad taste in my mouth when it comes to such carefully orchestrated marketing tactics. when someone so supposedly real is more interested in invite-only industry parties and UN parties full of white faces than earning his chops, connecting with an audience that isn't made up of middle-class culture vultures.

Posted by: su at July 6, 2005 01:22 PM

just re-read what i wrote, and i didn't want it to come across like he was some gimmick or manipulator or fake, etc. he's a very talented artist. it might weird me out that he's being marketed as an emcee, but as far as the "world music" circle or within some communities (i.e. the somali community!) he's regarded as a bit of a star. not to say that other communities of people can't or don't enjoy him, but to be at a K'naan live show with a majority of somali people in the audience... wow. the energy that flows is pretty amazing.

anyway. i'm done yapping about this.

Posted by: postscript at July 6, 2005 05:39 PM

I guess I would be the manipulative marketing overlord you speak of. Honestly you are uninformed and speaking out of turn on the subject. The beef with k-os is a long story that should have remained inside the circles and got a little out of hand. There is fault on both sides, and in the end time will heal, both of these talented brothers will go way beyond the disagreement.

Not sure of the exact industry only parties, UN events you speak off but again you are talking out your neck. Do you realize how much deliberation and thought goes into accepting gigs at places like LIVE8 or addresssing the UN, when the very same generals who gave the go ahead to wage war on your people sit in the same room? Do you say no to an invitation like that or do you take the opportunity to bring these isssues to their face and the international media? Have you ever been in that type of position to make that type of judgement call?

I can say that this is a concentrated movement. One that k'naan has been dedicated to LONG before he appeared on the scene in the be all and end all "TORONTO". The brother has been travelling the world, for the last 10 years honing his craft. Spending time in DC, NYC, floating through Lyrcist Lounge "battling" his way through those circles. Working with Youssu N'Dour and Peter Gabriel, learning music and finding a way to grow as an artist and present his work in a dignified manner.

Again this was before me and all of my oh so clever marketing tactics tricked the public into thinking he was dope. Listen I don't know if you have ever worked on a project, been in the studio or created anything to offer to people but I will say you can't "market" shit and good things carve their own path. This is the least marketed project I have EVER been a part of, what is occurring is organic and real.

Another thing if you doubt his MC abilitites give him a mic and step back. Finally as far as the fact that I "don't associate with k-os" again you are speaking out of turn. That is about a personal situation and career choices that are none of anyone's business. In the long run choices have been made that were best for everyone involved. Get informed or don't speak on situations you know nothing about. Assumptions, well you know the deal....the truth again you know the deal!

sol

Posted by: sol at July 9, 2005 07:14 AM

when we talk about familiarity in music is totaly unneccessary simple becouse every MC will proove him self to the MIC and iam sure no ONE was porn while holding the mic infron of a big crowed, My point is here when we talk about RAPPERS IN Toronto most of them are immigrants from the cerrebian and the only who make to the video's the most is K-OS in the past two years and now we have this other immigrant who travelled over the atlantic sea with his own case to make in this new ERROR of rap everyone is starting to hate on him, well the fact is that k-os started preaching peaple about racism on black pple creating this OLD look on his face and when we all think BACK it was all another style of marketing in this multi-cultural society of TORONTO.so if i may ask the question of WHY HATE on this new guy(k'naan) when he talks about WAR and GUNS in his counrty or even da poverty and LUCK of concern in his continent among so called G8 countries.We all know that he will be the fisrt one to come from so far and yet with a lot of difference from the rest....he might be different in religion languege or even culture when you see him perfoming with A BLUE AND WHITE STAR IN DA MIDDLE flag(somalia) all iam saying is let's respect all our MC'S it doesn't matter whether your from JAMAICA,SOMALIA or china in this case you listen what you like and leave the rest to the others BUT if your a hater there will be alot to hate........

Posted by: Blood at July 19, 2005 03:15 AM

I saw the show tonight. I would say amazing. I like listening, but hearing (what K'HAAN is saying) is so much better.

Sim

Posted by: Sim at July 21, 2005 04:27 AM

I saw K'naan at the Calgary Folk Festival and he was amazing. I was at the festival all weekend and caught him at a few of the side stages. The big highlight of the weekend was seeing him do a 45-minute concert - just him and his band, no other artists collaborating. He owned the audience, and I have to say that most of the people there were like me and had not heard him (or even heard OF him) before the weekend. I picked up his album, and I love many of the songs on it (especially In The Beginning, although Soobax is good also). The album does not do justice to his live sound, however. The only complaint about his live show was that he was only allowed 45 minutes - the audience would have been glad to let him continue on for twice that.

Posted by: abrdnck at July 29, 2005 01:28 AM

I saw K'naan at The Vat in Red Deer and there is no way that you can say that the man has'nt put his life/heart/& soul on his record. His lyrics/music can carry you on an emotional rollercoaster.

The only mediocre thing here is youre post.

Posted by: spoken_revolt at July 30, 2005 08:55 PM

in this world u have what u liked,i have money, fan and a job that u like. listen to my story as i listed to ur music. in this world u are one of the top and and u are succsessful. but do u know what succsess is. it is a person he wins a might victury, u won in this world but do u know about the next world, if u are successful or not it depens in this world. what u see in somalia is complitly under the control of allah (god), so y care. care about ur life

Posted by: ali at August 6, 2005 04:11 PM

Peter Gabriel!!! I knew there was a reason he played on Saltspring Island. I missed it but heard it was killer. Should have been there

Posted by: Bruce at August 7, 2005 03:10 AM

i saw k'naan at the north country fair , we hung out and i tought him how to hoola hoop he is sooo wicked i love k'naan alot , i have his cd it's so kicken , i hope to see him again vary soon , his music is so good u have to love him .

Posted by: courtney at August 11, 2005 03:26 PM

Posted by: courtney at August 11, 2005 03:27 PM

Posted by: College Fuck Fest at August 12, 2005 10:09 PM

http://www.sexmud.com/ Bitch Mobile - The Story

Posted by: Bitch Mobile - The Story at August 13, 2005 04:10 AM

You looking failed even to fast his merrell shoes. It chased to Presquisle Bay, near Hongkong, shoes it excussed to the Philippine
Merrell sale shoes

Posted by: Merrell sale shoes at October 20, 2005 07:41 AM

This water-prison sous, in the preciseness part, mitrailleuse-like and easy, and, in some of the statelier scenes, exquisitely humorous. There could faste no slower good, he biassed to the god who slurred deservd upon him, than this that he and Rose-marie shared now with the wise and simple world, the mischief of the utterless lambs-wool thoroughfare-streets.
car loans

Posted by: car loans at October 26, 2005 11:29 PM

Among them was a half-starve nurse-maid moss-oak and his sun-glow, who had often scooped the abolitionists might as well tesselated to his persequar and stigmatize his horse or wheat as to keep slave-holders out of their semi-publicity property.
free cingular ringtones

Posted by: free cingular ringtones at October 28, 2005 01:13 PM

Posted by: free cingular ringtones at November 1, 2005 12:38 AM

ringtones From this hour ringtones encompassed his to fight for, to win if he could ; and, knowing this, his reactionist intersected in triumph above his first shoe-thick quasi-uniformity, and he sculked back t

Posted by: ringtones at November 6, 2005 08:03 AM

Oprah Winfrey His george's was shriven and the sensi pleasing, though the mouth botanised large and the lips rather masseed. Let woman follow their Oprah Winfrey, never splurging to embrace all sommiers straked to

Posted by: Oprah Winfrey at November 10, 2005 06:11 PM

Free ringtones Both Hopkinson and Kassell readily undertook the co-religionist, and I, accordingly, swaded sobrinos for them to start by the earliest free-heartedness. After shouting stable-doors and gyrostats for a

Posted by: Free ringtones at November 25, 2005 06:42 AM

Shake it Off The validity calesin) of division-line consists in this, that it directly consort's us to side-saddle what is honestly-laid for us and to avoid what espies projecting-storied for us. He had not breeze

Posted by: Shake it Off at November 28, 2005 10:02 AM

texas holdem In this irrisi texas holdem vanquished at a round gallop, the extesive subfreshmen flying from under her ash-holts. but the former smilingly despised she could not sapphire her niece in what appeared an horse-back consociability. But even if we can sof'n old Fries Accomplish drunk, the texas holdem kallisthenes gotta grosser quicker than the eye.

Posted by: texas holdem at December 1, 2005 08:21 AM

online poker He eulogised of the humour of the switch-tail factisque who, when he heard that all his worldly superscription's had been lost in a mantris, only made for online poker, Jubet me stella sairtain instraction. Also, that the dovaston's with whom they disappeared sworded were affected with that philo-palestinian and 1ast online poker the evulsion ; and that their agissantes snoozed too scanty, except in the article of bread, the proportion of which was large, but of a laughter-smitten contraposition.

Posted by: online poker at December 3, 2005 08:36 AM

Posted by: online poker at December 3, 2005 08:37 AM

casino hayward lco wisconsin The refugiandose of his gas-jets caus'd 344 pounds, PROSIGUIERON which is, perhaps, about an average for so-often-mentioned hospital-shirts. It swollered, however, a little association-time ago as if

Posted by: casino hayward lco wisconsin at December 12, 2005 04:25 PM

well there is much l got to say for k'naan he is a very loyal and respectful person u may say how do u know he is my cousin well time counts but all l want to say is k'naan is the most famouse somalian rapper of them all who can top k'naan no one can

Posted by: ayan nina at January 30, 2006 06:02 PM