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Much of K'Naan's lyrical ire is directed at the establishment, whether it's the horrendous conditions of his native and war-torn Somalia or the US-led war on terror, about which he asks in "Hoobaale," "how can they go to war to terror when it's war that's terrorizing?" K'Naan caused a stir in 2001 when he used his performance at the 50th anniversary of the UN Commission for Refugees to rail against the UN's failure to bring relief to his homeland, which has seen the violence between warlords and the military escalate in recent weeks.
After early support from tastemakers in Kenya such as DJ John (Homeboyz) and DJ Pinye, the tune is now on heavy rotation all over Kenya and has started to create a buzz here as well. Guaranteed to rock any party, 'Mjanja' has an addictive hook and shows of Wawesh's tight flow.
Well I first started off as a rapper that looked up to the States and whatever they had to say. I soon after decided to put it to rest cuz it felt wrong writing lyrics that I couldn't relate to. After focusing on production and hundreds of artists a voice grew within me, it gave me ideas on how I could create something original and yet meaningful. This was the birth of Wawesh, the project which is meant to inspire and help push things forward in the name of African Urban music.
His highly rotated late-2005 debut single, "Mjanja" was heard on street corners, dancefloors, and internet connections worldwide and remains a major anthem in Kenya. The follow up single, "Wawero" and its high-spec video exceeded that success thus cementing his status in pan-Africa as an artist with serious intent. Any remaining doubts on that were fully eradicated upon release of his superb and highly acclaimed album.
But most French rap songs show a deep urge to articulate what would otherwise go unexpressed in words, and - whatever your feelings about the genre - many do so with invention. The French language, with its repeated end of word inflections, is widely recognised as lending itself to rap, and even masters of the form in the US have been complimentary. Today many French rappers are saying that if only their words had been listened to, the suburban violence might never have occurred.
One fast-rising star performing here is Abd Al Malik, a French rapper of Congolese origin whose background and music embodies the spirit of the festival. His latest album Gibraltar has already won four awards, including the prestigious Victoire de la Musique. It's an original mix of hip-hop, slam poetry and French philosophy.
“I’m taking into consideration the western viewpoint of poverty and the Somali view of it. We know struggle; the west sees ‘suffering’. I talk about the creation of beautiful things out of the dirt. That’s what a philosopher is. I can’t stand it when people like [US chat-show host] Barbara Walters want you to expose yourself to the point of tears.” A sudden flash of acid mockery enters his voice. “‘How does it feel to be Somalian?’ You’re not saviours and we don’t think of you in that way. Africa isn’t waiting for you. We are not owed guilt. We are owed respect.”
Around the same time I was doing all this I was still messing with DJing in a serious way, I was always serious about it, but this time in a way and in essence, DJing really did save my life because if I wasn't DJing I probably would have been fucking around and getting in trouble and would have probably gotten shot. So I went back to school, taking accelerated classes and all and ended up graduating earlier than my contemporaries. When the kids my age were starting 12th grade I started freshman year at CCP (AKA 13th grade!) and was going to do that for a couple semesters and then transfer to Temple.
I like to watch white comedians and stars imitate us, because it reflects just how they see us. It lets me know what level we’re on. What we’ve accomplished and what we need to work on. They dress in gold chains and baggy pants. Hop around on stage pretending to dance. Saying “Yo yo yo this is how blacks talk. Look at my gait, this is how blacks walk.” Last time I checked we had more style, class, and finesse without all of the platinum, diamonds, cars and mess. But with all of the money and fame, we still appear lame. Sometimes I’m ashamed.
HIP-HOP 
