K'Naan's Troubadour: Don't Call It a Reinvention

by John McCurdy

The term “reinvention” gets used a lot, so I won’t employ it here. But there is a certain newness to K’Naan, a Somalian-born rapper, who just came out with his third album, Troubadour.

We’ve seen lyricists come from other parts of the world - other parts of the third world, even, like Akon and M.I.A. - but I don’t think any of them have done what K’Naan has. While still remaining true to his heritage and beliefs, he has produced a hip-hop album that will please the American masses.

For sure, those who consume mostly top-40 music will enjoy K’Naan’s practically bouncy flow and perky beats. But I’ll contend that even true rap heads will appreciate his messages and attitude, as long as they can get past his somewhat juvenile voice.

Upon first listen, one might have a negative reaction to the boyish intonation and heavily synthesized tracks. Give it some time, though, and listen hard to what the man spits, and you might just discover that he does indeed know what he’s doing. And at the very least, you have to like the celebratory sounds that back him up.

Troubadour showcases such superficial pleasures as “T.I.A.”, “Bang Bang” (featuring the always-welcome vocals of Maroon 5’s Adam Levine), and “15 Minutes Away.” I won’t say that each of these is thought-provoking, but I’ll guarantee the majority of you will vibe to them.

Of course, more in-depth listening will glean gems like “Somalia,” “America,” and “Fire in Freetown.” These will indeed get an emotional response, as in each, K’Naan’s got something to say about the titular locations and their differing belief systems.

This is “poppy” stuff, not to be confused with the work of Three 6 Mafia, or even that of T.I. Think Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor and you’re darn close; Troubadour is the work of a young, talented, and thoughtful M.C. over fairly sunny beats.

All this being said, the album isn’t flawless. While track variation allows the record to move without dragging, K’naan himself doesn’t do much to alter his own delivery. He isn’t the worst singer in the world, but as you hear him fill in on nearly every chorus, you’ll wish he left some of them to his guests, which include Damian Marley and Mos Def.

Troubadour is worth picking up, if only for the couple of lines on “Does It Really Matter,” the album’s professed club hit, in which K’naan pokes fun at the tired clichés of today’s rap: drops and auto-tune.

I’d recommend that you don’t give up there, though; there’s a lot to like here.