The Dusty Foot Philosopher - Music
The Dusty Foot Philosopher by K'naan
K'naan
Artist Biography For K'naan
Keinan Abdi Warsame Born 1978 Known Professionally As K'naan Is A Somali-Canadian Poet And Hip-Hop Artist. The Coming To America Songfacts States That Born In Mogadishu Somalia He Spent His Childhood There During The Somali Civil War Which Began In 1991. K’naan’s Grandfather Haji Mohammad Was A Poet And His Aunt Magool One Of Somalia's Most Famous Singers. The Young Somalian Acquired An Early Interest In Hip-Hop From The Records That Were Sent To Him From America By His Father. K’naan Describes Growing Up In Somalia Amidst The Ongoing Warfare On His Song "Coming To America". At Age 13 He Left For New York City With His Mother And Brother And Finally Settled In The Rexdale Neighbourhood Of Toronto. In 2001 K'naan Performed In Geneva At The 50th Anniversary Of The United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees. In 2005 He Performed With DobaCaracol During The Live 8 Concert In Barrie Ontario. His Full-Length Debut Album The Dusty Foot Philosopher Was Released In 2005. His Song "Soobax" Pronounced "So-Bah" Is Now Featured In The Best Selling Video Game FIFA Football 2006 Made By Electronic Arts And He Has Toured The World With The Cup. K'naan Participated In The Breedlove Odyssey Tour With Mos Def Talib Kweli Pharoahe Monch And Jean Grae. He Also Participated In The "Welcome To Jamrock" Tour Along With Damian Marley. The Dusty Foot Philosopher Received A 2006 Juno Award For Rap Recording Of The Year And Was Nominated For The Inaugural Polaris Music Prize. He Also Featured In A Song By M1 Titled "Till We Get There". The Song "In The Beginning" From The Album The Dusty Foot Philosopher Was Featured In The 2008 Comedy "Harold And Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay" He Also Toured With Stephen Marley On Stephen's "Mind Control" Tour. His Latest Album "Troubadour" Was Released In 2009 Featuring Guests Artists Such As Damian Marley Adam Levine Kirk Hammett Mos Def And Chali 2NA. A Remixed Version Of K'naan's Single "Wavin' Flag" Was Chosen As The Coca-Cola Anthem For The 2010 FIFA World Cup In South Africa. K'naan Won The 2010 Juno Awards For Canada's Artist Of The Year And Songwriter Of The Year.
Frogtoon Music - Song Info: The Dusty Foot Philosopher
K'naan - The Dusty Foot Philosopher
Critics Have Said K'naan Has "a Sound That Fuses Bob Marley Conscious American Hip Hop And Brilliant Protest Poetry." His Voice And Style Have Been Compared To Eminem But His Subject Matter Is Very Different According To K'naan He Makes "urgent Music With A Message" Talking About The Situation In His Homeland Of Somalia And Calling For An End To Violence And Bloodshed. He Specifically Tries To Avoid Gangsta Rap Clichés And Posturing Saying “ All Somalis Know That Gangsterism Isn't To Brag About. The Kids That I Was Growing Up With In Rexdale Would Wear Baggy Suit Pants And A Little Jacket From Zellers Or Something And They'd Walk Into School And All The Cool Kids Would Be Like 'Ah Man Look At These Somalis. Yo You're A Punk!' And The Other Kid Won't Say Nothing But That Kid Probably Has Killed Fifteen People. ” This Statement Was Made To Explain His Position On The World Of Difference Which Exists Between Where He Grew Up And The Ghettos Of The First World Nonetheless K'naan Denies That He Is Overtly Political Instead Explaining That He " Shows The State Of The World And If You Call It Like It Is You're Being Political." His Own Opinion Of His Music Is That It's A "mix Of Tradition And A Kind Of Articulation Of My Own Life And .. My Past Experiences." K'naan Has Said That He Is Influenced By Somali Music And The Traditional Instruments Of Somalia. His Most Recent Album Troubadour Also Draws Heavily From Ethiopian Sources Particularly Ethio-Jazz By Alemayehu Eshete And Tilahun Gessesse. Edit Live Performances Prior To The Release Of Troubadour K'naan Performed With A Small Acoustic Band Consisting Of Rayzak Back-Up Vocals Kiercey Acoustic Guitar And Mad Dog Djembe . This Style Was An Essential Element Of What Set K'naan Apart From Most Hip-Hop Acts. More Than That It Reflected K'naan's Value Of Meaningful Lyrics Over Shallow Theatrics. Since Troubadour K'naan Has Toured Exclusively With A Larger Electric Ensemble - Consisting Of Drums Bass Electric Guitar And Keyboards - And His Performances Now Also Feature Elaborate Lighting. This Change In Showmanship Along With His Collaborations With Such High Profile Artists As Adam Levine And Mos Def Has Helped To Shift K'naan More Into The Mainstream Flow Of The Music Industry And Has Helped Him Gain Exposure To A Wider Audience.
50 Similar Tracks:
K'naan - Strugglin' K'naan - I Was Stabbed By Satan Busta Rhymes - I Know What You Want feat. Mariah Carey Buck 65 - Centaur G-Eazy - Good One Busta Rhymes - Flipmode Squad Meets Def Squad feat. Jamal, Redman, Keith Murray, Rampage The Last Boy Scout & Lord Have Mercy Wyclef Jean - Bubblegoose feat. Stan, Kyle, Cartman & Kenny 645AR - Yoga Beastie Boys - Railroad Blues Macklemore - American Eminem - Renewing The Staff Dr. Dooom - Dr. Dooom's In The Room Dr. Dooom - Bitch Gets No Love Jay-Z - The Watcher 2 feat. Dr. Dre, Rakim & Truth Hurts Jay-Z - '03 Bonnie & Clyde feat. Beyoncé Margaret Cho - My Puss Busdriver - Buy 1 Style Get 2nd Style Free Mike Ladd - Housewives At Play Iggy Azalea - Dirt In Your P***y Ass Bitch Buckwheat Boyz - Peanut Butter Jelly Time Suicidal Rap Orgy - Terds Are The Master Thomas Rusiak - Hiphopper The Coup - Foul Play TLC - Sexy - Interlude Dizzee Rascal - Suk My Dick Don Chezina - DEMARA IN YO CARA Arcade Fire - Chestnuts Roasting B2C - Show Me Yo Bootyhole B2C - Crap Rap MC Frontalot - Shame Of The Otaku Goodie Mob - Dirty South feat. Big Boi Mr. Lif - Washitup! Soul Position - The Jerry Springer Episode Koolfox - KA BoOm Part 2 D12 - It Ain't Nothin' But Music AZ - Phone Tap Apathy - Drive Slow Astonat - Not A Goon Matt Elliott - What The Fuck Am I Doing On This Battlefield? Avery Watts - This Is War Swollen Members - My Life Lexicon - Junk Food Eminem - Marshall Mathers Timbaland - Scream feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger The Coup - Pork And Beef Redman - Mr. Ice Cream Man Skit The Lonely Island - Jizz In My Pants Avant - Christmas Came To The Ghetto Fugees - Cowboys Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Operation CB
POPULAR
TRACKS
MIXES
ALBUMS
Video 1 : 50
Music Tags for K'naan:
Biography - K'naan
Keinan Abdi Warsame Born 1978 Known Professionally As K'naan Is A Somali-Canadian Poet And Hip-Hop Artist. The Coming To America Songfacts States That Born In Mogadishu Somalia He Spent His Childhood There During The Somali Civil War Which Began In 1991. K’naan’s Grandfather Haji Mohammad Was A Poet And His Aunt Magool One Of Somalia's Most Famous Singers. The Young Somalian Acquired An Early Interest In Hip-Hop From The Records That Were Sent To Him From America By His Father. K’naan Describes Growing Up In Somalia Amidst The Ongoing Warfare On His Song "Coming To America". At Age 13 He Left For New York City With His Mother And Brother And Finally Settled In The Rexdale Neighbourhood Of Toronto. In 2001 K'naan Performed In Geneva At The 50th Anniversary Of The United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees. In 2005 He Performed With DobaCaracol During The Live 8 Concert In Barrie Ontario. His Full-Length Debut Album The Dusty Foot Philosopher Was Released In 2005. His Song "Soobax" Pronounced "So-Bah" Is Now Featured In The Best Selling Video Game FIFA Football 2006 Made By Electronic Arts And He Has Toured The World With The Cup. K'naan Participated In The Breedlove Odyssey Tour With Mos Def Talib Kweli Pharoahe Monch And Jean Grae. He Also Participated In The "Welcome To Jamrock" Tour Along With Damian Marley. The Dusty Foot Philosopher Received A 2006 Juno Award For Rap Recording Of The Year And Was Nominated For The Inaugural Polaris Music Prize. He Also Featured In A Song By M1 Titled "Till We Get There". The Song "In The Beginning" From The Album The Dusty Foot Philosopher Was Featured In The 2008 Comedy "Harold And Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay" He Also Toured With Stephen Marley On Stephen's "Mind Control" Tour. His Latest Album "Troubadour" Was Released In 2009 Featuring Guests Artists Such As Damian Marley Adam Levine Kirk Hammett Mos Def And Chali 2NA. A Remixed Version Of K'naan's Single "Wavin' Flag" Was Chosen As The Coca-Cola Anthem For The 2010 FIFA World Cup In South Africa. K'naan Won The 2010 Juno Awards For Canada's Artist Of The Year And Songwriter Of The Year.
read less
read more
16 Similar Artists To K'naan - Frogtoon Music
Flo Rida Madcon Pitbull Gym Class Heroes Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Iyaz B.O.B K-OS Kardinal Offishall Macklemore Sean Kingston Travie McCoy Far East Movement Will.I.Am Mike Posner Diddy - Dirty Money.
Critics have said K'naan has "a sound that fuses Bob Marley, conscious American hip hop, and brilliant protest poetry." His voice and style have been compared to Eminem, but his subject matter is very different; according to K'naan, he makes "urgent music with a message", talking about the situation in his homeland of Somalia and calling for an end to violence and bloodshed. He specifically tries to avoid gangsta rap clichés and posturing, saying:
“ All Somalis know that gangsterism isn't to brag about. The kids that I was growing up with [in Rexdale] would wear baggy suit pants, and a little jacket from Zellers or something, and they'd walk into school, and all the cool kids would be like, 'Ah, man, look at these Somalis. Yo, you're a punk!' And the other kid won't say nothing, but that kid, probably, has killed fifteen people. ”
This statement was made to explain his position on the world of difference which exists between where he grew up, and the ghettos of the first world Nonetheless, K'naan denies that he is overtly political, instead explaining that he "[shows] the state of the world [and] if you call it like it is you're being political." His own opinion of his music is that it's a "mix of tradition and [a] kind of articulation of my own life and [..] my past experiences."
K'naan has said that he is influenced by Somali music and the traditional instruments of Somalia. His most recent album, Troubadour, also draws heavily from Ethiopian sources, particularly Ethio-Jazz by Alemayehu Eshete and Tilahun Gessesse.
[edit] Live Performances
Prior to the release of Troubadour, K'naan performed with a small acoustic band, consisting of Rayzak (back-up vocals), Kiercey (acoustic guitar) and Mad Dog (djembe). This style was an essential element of what set K'naan apart from most hip-hop acts. More than that, it reflected K'naan's value of meaningful lyrics over shallow theatrics.
Since Troubadour, K'naan has toured exclusively with a larger electric ensemble - consisting of drums, bass, electric guitar, and keyboards - and his performances now also feature elaborate lighting. This change in showmanship, along with his collaborations with such high profile artists as Adam Levine and Mos Def, has helped to shift K'naan more into the mainstream flow of the music industry and has helped him gain exposure to a wider audience. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.