The Dusty Foot Philosopher, K’naan’s full-length debut, is a thought provoking journey filled with spoken-word lyrics and African instrumental interludes. K’naan brings us a collection of fresh, original tracks with a voice and flow at times reminiscent of Eminem, but whose lyrical content sets him apart driven by his strong belief in positive change.

A refugee at 13 years old K’naan left Somalia in the height of the war and settled in Toronto, Canada. Growing up in a part of Mogadishu, Somalia known as the River of Blood, was hard to say the least. At 11, he and his three best friends were running away from armed gunmen; his friends were killed, but he dodged the bullets. His brother, who is two years older, was imprisoned for blowing up the federal court building. The day he was to face the firing squad, he escaped with the assistance of his aunt, Magool, one of East Africa’s most famous singers. During these events the brother’s mom had been visiting the US embassy everyday, pleading for a visa so they could flee the unstable and war torn country and join their relatives in America. With luck and whoever else was watching over them, the day the embassy was packing up a staff member finally took pity and stamped her visa. K’naan, his brother and their mom flew out of the country on the last commercial airline.

K’naan’s music celebrates his people and his country-and condemns the senseless violence and murders that caused their collapse. The video for Soobax, which airs on MTV, was filmed among crowds of exiled Somalis in Mombassa and Nairobi’s Eastleigh, (or “Little Somalia”) district, because the likelihood of his murder in Mogadishu was too great to risk. Soobax speaks to the warlords and gunmen that have caused civil strife in K’naan’s hometown. The chorus sung in Somali is directed at these warlords on behalf of the people who no longer want war. The words of the chorus translate to:

“You’ve exasperated the people-so come out with it/The troubles have increased-so come out with it/You spilled the blood, so come out with it/You’ve burned the root of the earth, so come out with it.”

Smile speaks to anyone who has been oppressed, offering hope when the road ahead looks bleak. The chorus repeats: “Never let em’ see you down-smile while you bleeding!”…The African Way utilizes creative background music supplied from a group of nomadic musicians K’naan came across and recorded in a restaurant in Mombassa, Kenya.

Overall the LP is a breath of fresh air in the money, hos and rims world of Hip Hop. K’naan overtly takes shots at rappers who glorify their struggles and gives the listener perspective on what’s really hardcore. In What’s Hardcore he raps: “We begin our day with the weight of the gun/…we’ve got no police, ambulance, fire fighters/We start riots by burning car tires/They lootin’, and everybody starts shootin’/So what’s hardcore, really?/Are you hardcore? Hmmmm…”

K’naan pushes the envelope in what audiences expect out of rap music. He takes a chance with his use of guitar, African rhythms and vocals. On track 9 he spits, “If raps gets jealous because I rock heavy/it don’t worry me if muthaf*****s don’t get it/yo if rap gets jealous because of where I’m headed/I used to be public enemy don’t forget it…”

The strength of The Dusty Foot Philosopher lies in its refusal to compromise consciousness for commercial success. K’naan demonstrates his commitment to positivity and his willingness to share his story to inspire his listeners.