K'naan
K'naan was born in 1978 in Somalia during the civil war. Belonging to a leading artistic family, in 1991 they escaped on the last plane out to the US from where he later moved to Toronto. Despite speaking no English, the young K'naan taught himself hip hop and rap diction, copying the lyrics and style phonetically and early on got involved in full time music in Toronto.
His debut album Dusty Foot Philosopher won him the Juno Award in 2006 and other laurels. His second album Troubadour was released in 2009 to wide acclaim. He has been described as having "a sound that fuses Bob Marley, conscious American hip hop, and brilliant protest poetry." K'naan says he is greatly moved by Somali music and traditions as well as his immediate experience as a black immigrant cultural activist in the western world.
Website: http://www.knaanmusic.com/