The buzz surrounding Friday’s Millennium Stage performance was palpable, with the line forming hours ahead of time for a free concert that was part of the Kennedy Center‘s outstanding Arabesque festival. The performer was K’Naan. Judging by the standing room crowd that filled the entire length of the Kennedy Center’s Grand Foyer, he stands on the cusp of being a “next big thing.” Judging by his energetic and thought provoking performance, his reputation is deserved.

K’Naan’s biography is a publicist’s dream. Born in strife-ridden Mogadishu, Somalia, the hip-hop artist and global citizen spent his early years dealing with the violence and lawlessness that regularly appears in newspaper headlines. His family left the country as refugees, first staying with relatives in Harlem and then eventually settling among Toronto’s growing Somali community. After becoming interested in hip-hop during high school, K’Naan’s big break came in 1999, when he performed in Geneva at a concert celebrating the United Nations’ 50th Anniversary. He eventually released his debut album, The Dusty Foot Philosopher, in 2005. His performance on Friday supported his latest recording, Troubadour, much of which was recorded in Jamaica at Bob Marley’s studio. K’Naan’s music is very much in the Marley tradition in that it synthesizes personal experience, political commentary, and social critique, all while maintaining a thoroughly danceable groove and positive tone.