Lyrical Poetry: T.I.A.

I was first introduced to artist K’naan through his amazing collaboration with Nelly Furtado, “Going Away.” (It’s definitely a track to check out if you have yet to hear it. YouTube it.) The unique vibe and flow that K’naan brought to that track with the famed artist of folklore created something that was truly a breath of fresh air.
His latest release, “Troubadour,” doesn’t disappoint. The first track “T.I.A (This is Africa)” sets the scene allowing K’naan to establish who he is as an artist (seemingly saying, “here I am, take notice!”) and show off the cultural inspiration of the album. The collaborations on the album are varied and showcase different styles that make them both reminiscent of the featured artist’s catalog but with a twist. This creates for an overall interesting group of songs. His collaboration with front man of band Maroon 5 Adam Levine is a definite standout, as is his collaboration with Metallica’s Kirk Hammett. The track featuring Levine titled, “Bang Bang,” was recently featured as the free download of the week on Apple’s iTunes, quickly receiving many positive reviews. The two have such distinctive sounding voices and styles that it makes for a sound that is truly pleasing and fun to the listener.
One of the greatest things about the album is K’naan’s use of instruments such as trumpets, organs, and strings in addition to the other usual album instruments such as guitars and drums, which aid to the overall appeal of the album. The lyrical content isn’t half bad either. The songs truly give you an image of a place outside of your own. They take you to where K’naan has been and give you an insight into who he is as a person and give a highly personal air that allows you to begin to relate or sympathize with him easily. His vocals have strength that back up the words he uses for an overall great feel that makes you take a listen.
Right now K’naan is relatively unknown, but I am sure it is only a matter of time before many people start to take notice of his creativity and see the impact he could have in changing the way modern hip hop is viewed. He’s definitely an artist with a new album to pick up and to watch out for in the near future.