The Dusty Foot Philosopher by K'naan

The Dusty Foot Philosopher was K'naan's first full studio album, put out by BMG in Canada on June 7, 2005, with the American release following later that month. The Somali-Canadian rapper built it out of his own history: a childhood in Mogadishu torn up by war, told straight but never without a joke somewhere nearby.

What set it apart from the hip-hop around it was the sound. The production leans hard on African rhythm and texture, and the opener, "Wash It Down", rides a melody made from splashing water that Robert Christgau compared to Mbuti water drumming. Reviewers kept singling out the choruses, too, deft and catchy enough to carry the heavy subject matter, though at least one critic found all that focus on Somalia a little samey. "If Rap Gets Jealous" is the cut that later turned up on a countdown. The album took the Juno for Rap Recording of the Year in 2006 and made the Polaris Music Prize shortlist that same year.

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