K’Naan – “What’s Hardcore” mp3

Was reminded of K’Naan (who, if ya don’t know already, is the new next) while watching World Cup – since his brilliant “Waving Flag” is the official song of the 2010 FIFA tournament. Last year when I first discovered K’Naan’s music I was properly stunned. He writes beautiful, brave, inspiring songs, which bring together elements of hip-hop, reggae, rock and the kitchen sink in novel ways, creating work that is original yet instantly accessible. This live recording is more on the hip-hop / poetry side, and it tells you more about the man’s background than a bio can, really. If a guy who took the last commercial flight out of Somalia with his mom as a young kid as his country descended into chaos asks “What’s Hardcore?” how do you answer?

K’Naan
“Whats Hardcore?” (mp3)
from “The Dusty Foot on the Road”
(Interdependent Media)

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