K'naan - "Strugglin'"
04.24.2008
I'm slowly drifting in the arms of trouble / then trouble holds me / and nothing else's close to me more than pain
The Song:
"Strugglin" is the second single from K'naan's album The Dusty Foot Philosopher Deluxe Edition. Unlike the vibrant and percussive first single "Soobax", this song gently soaks into your speakers like a mellow lullaby. Backed by a band usually fit for a singer-songwriter, not a hip-hop artist, the song incorporates soft guitars, drums and bass that set a quiet, pensive mood. Showing his poetic and introspective side, the song discusses how pain and struggling are the circumstances K'naan came to know intimately while growing up in Somalia. In an especially thoughtful lyric K'naan rhymes, "I'm slowly drifting in the arms of trouble / then trouble holds me / and nothing else's close to me more than pain / unfortunately like a self fulfilling prophecy / I'm supposed to be strugglin'."
The Background:
K'naan, an award-winning singer and musician, was born in Somalia, a country that has not had a functioning government since 1991. K'naan's family moved to Harlem after catching the last domestic flight out of Somalia and eventually settled in Ontario, Canada. Using his ability to blend Western and African influences, K'naan's music is a fusion of world music and hip-hop that borrows from the protest songs of Bob Marley, the hip-hop lyricism of Mos Def, and the storytelling traditions of Somalia. Despite the violence K'naan has experienced, his lyrics address the possibilities for positive change and peace. His album, The Dusty Foot Philosopher Deluxe Edition, will be released for the first time in the U.S. by the Bay Area-based record label, Interdependent Media on June 24, 2008.
2006 Winner Juno Award Winner- Best Rap Album*
2006 Polaris Music Prize Nominee 2007**
BBC Radio 3 Winner- Best New Artist, World Music
*The Juno Awards are the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards
**The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label
Streams:
"Strugglin'"
http://www.audibletreats.com/download/Knaan/Knaan-Strugglin.mp3
http://www.audibletreats.com/download/Knaan/Knaan-Strugglin.asx
"Soobax"
http://www.audibletreats.com/download/Knaan/Knaan-Soobax.mp3
http://www.audibletreats.com/download/Knaan/Knaan-Soobax.asx
Photo Montage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rkdoZLtTso
Bio, pictures, and streams available here:
http://www.audibletreats.com/download/Knaan
K'naan MySpace page:
http://www.myspace.com/knaanmusic
K'naan official site:
http://www.thedustyfoot.com/
Label site:
http://www.imculture.com/
Please contact Michelle if interested in talking with K'naan.