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Troubadour [Champion Edition] [PA]

K'NAAN
1 disc

1. T.I.A.
2. Abcs
3. Dreamer
4. I Come Prepared
5. Bang Bang
6. If Rap Gets Jealous
7. Wavin' Flag
8. Somalia
9. America - (featuring Chali 2na)
10. Fatima
11. Fire In Freetown
12. Take a Minute
13. 15 Minutes Away
14. People Like Me
15. Does It Really Matter
16. Wavin' Flag [Coca-Cola Celebration Mix] - (remix)
17. Wavin' Flag - (featuring David Guetta/will.i.am)
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Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 15543
Credits

Producer K'naan; Manny Marroquin; Ben Berkman; Sol Guy; James Diener
Engineer
Recording information: Capitol Studios; Encore Studios; Gum Productions Studios; Gymnasium Studios, Los Angeles; Hope Road Studios, Jamaica; Lovecon Studios, Los Angeles; New West Studios, Los Angels; NRG Studios, Los Angeles; Paramount Studios, Los Angeles; Quad Studios, NYC; Record Plant; Sony Studios, NYC; Soulpower Productions Studio, Los Angeles; The Studio, Philadelphia; Tuff Gong.
Photographers: Amir Aziz; Alzo Slade; James Minchin.
On the follow-up to his acclaimed 2006 debut, THE DUSTY FOOT PHILOSOPHER, the Somali-born, Toronto-based hip-hop artist presents another solid collection of thought-provoking tracks. Often juxtaposing the realities of his former home with the concerns and struggle of North American ghetto communities, K'Naan successfully composes compelling narratives without surrendering any of the joyous, party-oriented spirit. (As he puts it succinctly on "Dreamer," "We got problems but we love to fun.") Stylistically, TROUBADOUR reflects K'Naan's panorama of musical influences--he rhymes over samples of Ethiopian jazz, rocks with Damian Marley on the Dancehall-flavored "I Come Prepared," kicks it old-school alongside Chubb Rock on "ABC's," and ventures into rock-rap crossover territory with Metallica's Kirk Hammet on "If Rap Gets Jealous." Still, it's K'Naan's powerful storytelling that carries the most weight as he flashes back to his childhood on "Somalia" and relates stories of his favorite cousin on "People Like Me." Mos Def, Chali 2na, and Adam Levine of Maroon 5 are also featured.
Critic Reviews

Rolling Stone (p.68) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Over the timely upbeat funk of 'Dreamer,' he sees the utopia of John Lennon's 'Imagine' through a hip-hop lens: TROUBADOUR is K'naan's unique vision made real."
Entertainment Weekly (p.59) - "[K'naan is] a rising-star rapper from Somalia (by way of Toronto)....His richly detailed rhymes are part of a more pop-centric stew..."