I'm a big fan/connoisseur of the global reach of hip-hop, a fandom that can be difficult to maintain as, well, most international rap is not in English (damn you other countries!) It can be a very beat-oriented appreciation, is what I'm saying.

That said, I dig the hell out of this guy K'naan, from Somalia. His story's pretty incredible--last plane out of the country, growing up in Canada, etc--but his music is also solid and I love the way he reps East Africa. My computer's in the shop, so no song sharing for now, but check out these videos. "Soobax" is his signature track, and rails against the gunmen of Somalia; "Struggling" makes use of East African drums and rhythms and also K'naan's ability to genre-bust and "Kicked, Pushed" bites Lupe's beat and makes a hell of a social commentary song. Check it.