K'naan, 'Troubadour'

The buzz: Already buoyed by the bouncy, roaring hit “If Rap Gets Jealous” (a rap-rock hybrid with guitar licks by Metallica's Kirk Hammett), K'naan is being positioned with this, his second record, as an artist who'll be able to accomplish what many others have tried and failed to do: gain indie cred while appealing to the mainstream on all sides of the contemporary music spectrum.

The verdict: Funny thing is, he might just do it. Likably energetic, with a commanding backstory (he escaped his war-torn home country of Somalia on its last commercial flight), K'naan's post-M.I.A. timing is exactly right for a party rapper with musical global roots. He's not one to let the opportunity pass him by: K'naan uses everything from Femi Kuti horns (the Damian Marley-abetted “I Come Prepared”) to Timbaland bounce (“T.I.A.”) to Wyclef-y acoustic riffage (“Fire in Freetown”) to spread his politically aware message without resorting to strict politicking—bold moves for a young artist, but ones taken with the confidence of someone who knows he's just getting started.

Did you know? K'naan must love counting with one hand: other guests on the record include members of both Maroon and Jurassic 5.

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