Troubadour

iTunes Review

Somali-Canadian rapper K’naan mixes star power — Damian Marley, Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, Mos Def, and Maroon 5 vocalist Adam Levine are some of Troubadour’s guests — and a variety of African elements on this 2009 release. Kicking off with an Ethiopian horn sample, the mesmerizing “America” finds K’naan rapping both in his native tongue and in English over looped guitar. “Somalia” features a lovely melody performed by a chorus and strings that contrasts nicely with the rapper’s edgy tones and words. K’naan frequently refers to Somalia’s harsh realities, and on “T.I.A.” (which stands for “This is Africa”), he one-ups U.S. hiphop artists by offering to show them what real violence looks like: “I’ll take rappers on a field trip any day/They never been opposite real clip anyway.” The high-energy “I Come Prepared” nods to Jamaican Dancehall, especially when Marley is on the mic. The album was partially recorded at Tuff Gong Studios in Jamaica and put simply, Troubadour impresses.