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K'NAAN CATCHES ON IN HIP-HOP >> SOMALIAN REFUGEE SHARES HIS GLOBAL MESSAGE, BUT STILL FACES INTOLERANCE
K'naan brings global consciousness to the forefront of Canadian hip-hop
Date published: 10/2/2008
BY BASSEY ETIM-EDET FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR There is no disputing that, in the past two decades, hip-hop music has received quite the bad rap. While critics wag their fingers at the promotion of violence and criminal activity often heard in lyrics, proponents of the genre claim the content is simply a reflection of reality for the disenfranchised. Amid all the ruckus, it is easy to overlook the quieter voices in rap music; not every artist rhymes about guns and drugs. Having spent his early years in war-torn Somalia before seeking refuge in Canada, poet and hip-hop artist K'naan could easily take his place among today's most favored gangster rappers--and probably with more credibility. However, that's not his style. Instead K'naan chooses to affiliate with more peaceful and intellectual-minded musicians, such as Mos Def and Bob Marley's sons Damian and Stephen. And he refuses to draw lines in the sand by labeling his music. "I think it's nice that people think my music is [socially] conscious, but it is not commentary I would make," K'naan said in a recent phone interview. "If my music has a message, then it's just that of justice and beauty and putting some attention on some difficult scenarios in some different parts of the world. But the real message is that music has to be good," he added. K'naan doesn't focus on the violence in his past, only pausing to summarize his experiences in Mogadishu, Somalia, as "as horrible as you would imagine." Still, he doesn't deny the relevance of his youth spent in an area of political unrest. "Those experiences did construct me and shape me--and it has a real impact on my sound," he said in a moment of self-reflection. And what exactly is that sound? Jim Welte of MP3.com best described it as fusion of "Bob Marley, conscious American hip-hop, and brilliant protest poetry."
Date published: 10/2/2008
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