K'Naan

Canadian MC and singer K'Naan learned to rap in English before he knew how to speak it. “None of the kids in my neighborhood understood English, but we knew what hip hop was," recalls the Somali-born Kanaan Warsame.

Nearly 20 years after he and his family fled the war-torn city of Mogadishu, K'Naan's blend of rap, rock, reggae and other world rhythms is earning him comparisons to Bob Marley, Eminem, Q-Tip and Wyclef Jean. Like Marley, the 30-year-old blends social commentary with head-nodding beats, but like like Wyclef, K'Naan walks a fine line between teaching and overreaching.

In 2005, the wiry rapper released his debut, The Dusty Foot Philosopher, which won him critical acclaim, including a Juno Award (Canada's version of a Grammy) for Rap Recording of The Year. His lead single, Soobax (Come Out), has the third-world hipster vibe that propelled Britian's M.I.A to fame and fortune. Since then, K'Naan has collaborated with the likes of Nelly Furtado, Mos Def, The Roots, Dead Prez and Pharaohe Monch.

Earlier this year, K'Naan dropped his second album, Troubadour. Recorded in Bob Marley's studio in Jamaica, the album features collaborations with artists as diverse as the album's track list: old-school rapper Chubb Rock, reggae superstar Damian Marley, pop-rocker Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and Kirk Hammett of Metallica. The album, including the breakthrough single Wavin' Flag, is currently streaming on his MySpace.

See: myspace.com/knaanmusic