MOG Editorial Review

Thanks to his early life in Somalia and his formative years in Canada, emcee K'Naan has developed the kinds of diverging interests that created some of the most interesting hip-hop in recent memory when he released Troubadour in 2009. There are plenty of reggae and afrobeat elements that seep into the sound, but it never overshadows K'Naan's flow and funky grooves throughout. He manages to take listeners on a globe-trotting hip-hop journey, enlisting Damian Marley for reggae jam "I Come Prepared" and Metallica's Kirk Hammett on the guitar-heavy "If Rap Gets Jealous," spreading positive messages throughout in the process. While other rappers might lose their voice trying to explore so many sounds, it's to K'Naan's credit that the sound, no matter how eclectic, is distinctly his alone, which makes Troubadour work in the end.