Somalia. The name alone conjures up images of unbridled destruction, merciless warlords and ruthless terror. A place where nobody-children, the elderly, religious figures-is safe from the atrocities of war, and where the idea of "childhood," where 8-year olds handle AK-47s like toys, exists in chronological terms alone. But it's also "The Nation of Poets," where a poem can both inspire peace and end wars. Where every weekend, regardless of the climate, one can find a play or concert at a local theatre. Growing up, it was both of these Somalias that informed musician/emcee K'NAAN Warsame. The grandson of Haji Mohamed, one of Somalia's most famous poets, and nephew of famed Somali singer Magool, the emcee is creating his own musical path through reggae, funk, pop, soul and, above all, hip-hop. It was albums like Eric B & Rakim's Hip-Hop classic Paid in Full that would provide temporary salvation from the bullets and carnage that constantly surrounded K'NAAN in Somalia; but after too many brushes with death, including one in which three of his best friends were murdered, K'NAAN's mother fought hard to secure visas and move their family to Toronto. Since then, K'NAAN has played over 350 shows spanning five continents, and recorded and released his award-winning debut outing The Dusty Foot Philosopher. He has had the privilege of sharing the stage - as well as recording with - artists such as Mos Def, Stephen Marley, Damian Marley, Talib Kweli, Amadou and Miriam and many more.

K'NAAN's sophomore album Troubadour represents the sum of these experiences and more. Armed with classic beats, live instrumentation and innovative rhymes, K'NAAN carves a new path filled with eloquent and thought-provoking lyrics in the tradition of great folk singers and protest songs. Having spent the better part of the last two years taking his message directly to the people, Troubadour is the sonic document of an artist who has a lot to share, but clearly has a lot more in the coming years. Recorded primarily in Kingston, Jamaica where K'NAAN was granted unprecedented access by his friends Stephen and Damian Marley to their father Bob Marley's original home studio at 56 Hope Road and the legendary Tuff Gong Studios, Troubadour is a hip-hop album like no other. K'NAAN successfully blends samples and live instrumentation for a sound that's both rooted in traditional African melodies and the classic hip-hop tradition. It's easy to brand K'NAAN with the "political rapper" tag. But that'd be both easy and disingenuous. K'NAAN's lyrics lie in stark contrast to emcees that use their medium as a pulpit to promote their beliefs. Consider his words more front-page reportage than editorial page. "My job is to write just what I see/So a visual stenographer is who I be," he rhymes in "I Come Prepared." Doubtless, K'NAAN is not without his opinions, but in his sophmore album Troubadour, songwriting always comes before sermons. For anyone who's said that hip-hop has nothing left to say, Troubadour proves that it all depends on where you look.