Steve Madden and Giant Step present an intimate performance by Somali rapper K'NAAN plus DJ Kamala. This is the first in a series of events to be held at Steven by Steve Madden in 2009.


Growing up in war-torn Somalia, K'NAAN has seen more gun violence and tougher streets than your average gangster rapper could ever imagine, yet he chooses to use his experience to spread peace with his eloquent and thought-provoking lyrics. This juxtaposition offers a refreshing body of work to the contemporary hip-hop world. In 2006, K'NAAN took home the Juno Award (Canada's Grammy) for Best Rap Recording and most recently received "Newcomer of the Year" honors at the BBC's Radio 3 Awards, a showcase assembled to honor the very best in "world music."

On his debut album Troubadour, events like these don't need to be glorified or exaggerated for the sake of art. For anyone who's said that hip-hop has nothing left to say, Troubadour proves that it all depends on where you look.

Event is 21+ and you can RSVP here. These parties are always a good time as seen here, and here, and here.

mp3: K'NAAN - Somalia

K'NAAN's Troubador will be released on February 24, 2009. Preorder it here.