Musical Monday #2: K'Naan

I usually am not all that enthralled by hip hop, but sometimes I head off on a search for child-appropriate things to play in dance class that I also like. Although he is often totally inappropriate for children, this is how I found K'Naan. He is so elegant. What I like most about him is that you would think he'd be one of those "peace and love" dance hall type world music rappers, but he grew up in Mogadishu and is totally hardcore. In addition to being totally hardcore, he is totally a poet. He tells it high and low, oscillating between a taut, do-not-mess-with-me rage and spinning a tiny glimmer of hope into a thread to hold on to. He is an excellent storyteller. Check out his tiny desk concert for NPR, "Fatima" is my favorite.