what rap (and music) should be like, introducing the one and only knaan

In my opinion this is the best music artist (not just rapper) that I ever heard, his music actually makes you think, he dosent rhyme with things like and itch, he dosent degrade women or talk about living the high life what he sings about is so much better than the crap that is popular on the radio, I dont understand why you just dont hear him on the radio I guess because it makes people think about others and not themselves and maybe his songs are just too deep for people. Thats why people like those other songs that sing about getting high, the lets have sex songs, the lets have a party songs, you know songs that dont make you think, songs that praise selfishness, that downgrade society.

here are in my opinion 5 songs that should be radio hits of his, when I heard this guy it seemed so unreal I never heard a rapper rap about the things he raps(and sings) about. (4 of the 5 is what I considered good, the other hurt me tomorrow is what I consider a neutral song. (which means its not oustanding in the way that it can change your attitude but its still good.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APw9ES0JpZo
take a minute ( best song in my opinion)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amXeJrA-wDc
wavin flag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7DJvh86jzA
better

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nevOsRGqL2c
is anybody out there

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCRd0NUMg6I
hurt me tommorow

tell me what you think about knaan and his songs

K'naan was always awesome.

If you never heard a rapper mentioning these themes before you haven't looked very long. I'll give you a few albums you need to try.
I can't promise you'll like them but they address similar issues, though not always in a similar lyrical and musical fashion.

• The Roots - Undun / Things Fall Apart
• Mos Def - Black on Both Sides
• Kanye West - College Dropout / Late Registration
• Jazz Liberatorz - Clin d'Oeil
• Common - The Dreamer

I can understand your reluctance towards gangsta-rap. However you should keep in mind that music doesn't always need a deeper message. It can be about just chillin' and listening to a good beat and some funky lyrics.
Likewise 'deep' rap isn't always good. An example that springs to mind is Immortal Technique. The first time I heard his songs I thought he was deep and clever in his lyrics but the longer you listen the more it unravels. He often misses the correct pace and many of his lyrics are just downright nuts.


What it all comes down to is that good music is just what you need it to be. Keep listening, looking and most importantly, KEEP ENJOYING what you consider to be good music.

EDIT: And for good measure I'm throwing in this song too, because it's my favourite.

[QUOTE=Ratbag;11668389]If you never heard a rapper mentioning these themes before you haven't looked very long. I'll give you a few albums you need to try.
I can't promise you'll like them but they address similar issues, though not always in a similar lyrical and musical fashion.

• The Roots - Undun / Things Fall Apart
• Mos Def - Black on Both Sides
• Kanye West - College Dropout / Late Registration
• Jazz Liberatorz - Clin d'Oeil
• Common - The Dreamer

I can understand your reluctance towards gangsta-rap. However you should keep in mind that music doesn't always need a deeper message. It can be about just chillin' and listening to a good beat and some funky lyrics.
Likewise 'deep' rap isn't always good. An example that springs to mind is Immortal Technique. The first time I heard his songs I thought he was deep and clever in his lyrics but the longer you listen the more it unravels. He often misses the correct pace and many of his lyrics are just downright nuts.


What it all comes down to is that good music is just what you need it to be. Keep listening, looking and most importantly, KEEP ENJOYING what you consider to be good music.

EDIT: And for good measure I'm throwing in this song too, because it's my favourite.


some of those are good but I cant get into all of them, I dont know Knaan just has a magical way to combine beats and lyrics to make what it seems a perfect song, usually the only other rappers I occasionally like enimen and tu pak however knaan I always like.

He gets a lot of radio play in Canada, and of course everyone's heard Waving Flag. He's pretty good but others do the "conscious" rap better.

Basically what ratbag said.

Originally Posted by newromansc

Likewise 'deep' rap isn't always good. An example that springs to mind is Immortal Technique. The first time I heard his songs I thought he was deep and clever in his lyrics but the longer you listen the more it unravels. He often misses the correct pace and many of his lyrics are just downright nuts.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

My favorite groups are UGK and N.W.A!

This new rap sucks.

Originally Posted by Soothsayer

This new rap sucks.

An eloquent and refreshing viewpoint you have bestowed on us today. I must admit that I do not like most of the songs mainstream media try to sell as rap. It's nothing more than pop music, as it has existed trough modern times, made to be catchy rather than innovating and meaningful. This does not mean you get to write off a whole genre of music nor that you must berate people for enjoying it. There are many talented artist who create beautiful rap music to this day and will continue to do so in the future.

This is a song created in 2012, it is rap and let me tell you that be no means this could (or rather should) be considered bad music by anyone.



To be honest, I'm getting rather tired of having too defend rap music as if it's a genre not worthy of consideration by people who know nothing about it. Try to look at something before writing it of as a lesser form of self expression and art.

EDIT: But to retract a bit of the but-hurt, here are some more good songs for your enjoyment.

Spoiler for De La Soul: 

Spoiler for The Pharcyde: 

Spoiler for A Tribe Called Quest: 

rat bag (de la soul was my favorite out of that group,) and rap will always get a bad name because the mainstream rappers have excessive cussing, if you listen to some songs by people like little wayne if you actually look at the lyrics the song dosent make sense, its extremely stupid and has no meaning the only quality thing that comes out of it is a beat. then theres people like knaan who writes wavin flag, (just listen to the lyrics just imagine if we can all have that positive attitude, and the things that knaan talk about in that song apply to more countries than just the ones in Africa) then my favorite Take A Minute which talks about giving, martin luther Gandhi, praising his birthplace and his mom and what I consider deep "Any man who knows a thing knows he knows not a damn damn thing at all and every time I felt the hurtin I felt the giving get me up off the wall" could you Imagine someone like little wayne singing something like this, I dont think so. PEOPLE LIKE KNAAN ACTUALLY MAKE RAP A QUALITY GENRE.

I still hate most of modern rap, its beats are unoriginal. Rappers now use autotune and these stupid electronic robotic sounds like they do in pop, I serious have trouble telling the difference between the two. Back in the 90's each song had it's own sound. Plus, you get these untalented like Nicki Minaj who dresses up like a birthday cake and shows her ass off for 70% of the video.

Originally Posted by Soothsayer

I still hate most of modern rap, its beats are unoriginal. Rappers now use autotune and these stupid electronic robotic sounds like they do in pop, I serious have trouble telling the difference between the two. Back in the 90's each song had it's own sound. Plus, you get these untalented like Nicki Minaj who dresses up like a birthday cake and shows her ass off for 70% of the video.

Did you even read what I posted? If you want music that isn't fabricated to appeal to large audiences just look around a bit and you will find loads of talented artists. Hip-Hop/Rap isn't dead.

Originally Posted by Ratbag

Did you even read what I posted? If you want music that isn't fabricated to appeal to large audiences just look around a bit and you will find loads of talented artists. Hip-Hop/Rap isn't dead.

I some how got your post as "You're a dumbass, and this is why". How about some rep as reparation.

Originally Posted by Soothsayer

I some how got your post as "You're a dumbass, and this is why". How about some rep as reparation.

I'm sorry if that is how you interpreted my message. It was certainly not my intention to belittle you. All I'm asking is to give this kind of music a chance and not to write it of on the notion that what the radio plays is the best rap has to offer.

Immortal Technique is better.

I've always liked the classics.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

You should try Grieves.

Originally Posted by Godfrey I of Leuven

You should try Grieves.

Originally Posted by Godfrey I of Leuven

You should try Grieves.

Dude, Grieves recomendation. +rep.

Also, as has been stated there are plenty of good to great underground rap artists with thay sort of lyrical style and flow.

A guy I'v always wished could hit it bigger was WA's Can-U.



There are a ton of guys that share this style. It's personnally my favorite. This should also just be merged with the TWC hip-hop thread as well.

Just listened to Wave Your Flag and 2 other songs and I regret it.
He uses electro, mainstream beats. Collaborates with David Guetta and other pop artists.
He didn't even rap in Wave Your Flag.
Sorry, but he's as whack as other new rappers.

So Soothsayer your option was right even without reading or listening to him.