K'naan

Toronto's "dusty foot assassin,” the immigrant Somalian poet/MC K'naan set the tiny Drake stage ablaze with a solid dose of perspective, mixing revelations about his own storied past with a poignant critique of the current state of hip-hop. Backed by a conga player and guitarist, and with jembe in hand, the animated lyricist ran through a stripped down selection of tracks that challenged both the supposed lyrical realness that North American hip-hop fights endlessly to maintain and the musical restrictions evident within the culture. It was music with a message that had everyone in the packed room moving to the beat of K'naan's drum.