ACL Taping Review: Mos Def and K’Naan Keep ‘Strictly Loyal’ to an Austin Institution

Long before Mos Def referred to Somalian-born K’Naan as his brother, inviting him back onstage for an extended duet rendition of “My God,” it was clear how organically their sounds fit together. Even as their stellar hip-hop acts broke ground as a new sound for ACL, K’Naan and Mos Def kept true to cherished intimacy of an ACL taping while infusing the crowd with more energy than we’d ever seen there before.

Highlights of the K’Naan set—which captivated the audience every bit as the iconic Mos Def’s—included “Take A Minute,” the tipping point after which no one was left sitting. During that single song, there was the tangible feeling of the simultaneous and joyful conversion of hundreds of new fans who probably walked through the doors having no idea who K’Naan was.

As much as we love his albums, some of the most arresting aspect’s of K’Naan’s work aren’t fully displayed there. Befitting his image as a roaming philosopher/troubadour, there is a fluidity and intimacy to his music that create a participatory, almost ritualistic space. This comes a bit unexpectedly to ears familiar with the solidity and swagger of K’Naan’s album sound. His a capella version of “Somalia” and pizzicato performance of “Fatima” felt like a poetry reading from the pulpit.

Live, he seems freed to weave his intricate lyrics in and out of the rhythms he’s constantly toying with. Fully displaying the gorgeous immediacy and surprising fragility of K’Naan’s voice as well as his ability to emotionally move a crowd, it’s natural to point to the encore of “Wavin’ Flag” as a high water mark for ACL 2009- and we look forward with confidence to seeing this song on many critics’ best of lists toward the close of the year.

Like “Life in Marvelous Times,” the epic track on his latest release, The Ecstatic, Mos Def’s performance was sweeping, cinematic, and perfectly tuned to the current cultural climate of hopeful but anxiety-laden globalism. The Ecstatic more than lives up to both its title and its expectations as comeback for the rapper-turned actor. It’s as if Mos Def had brought the silver screen back to the stage with him, right down to the golden-age EV 731 microphone into which he sang.

In a chic suit and baseball cap lined with Kente-cloth, Mos Def painted the portrait of America embattled in the wake of Roman-style imperialist folly but rising to the occasion with vintage 40s-style glamour and conviction. Cameramen were busy trying to contain the dance floor as track after track from The Ecstatic resonated, including the gorgeous Spanish “No Hay Nada Mas,” and the—how else to put it—ecstatic “Quiet Dog.” The audience was even treated to a cover of “Billie Jean.” Mark your calendars now; PBS will run this absolutely not-to-be-missed episode of Austin City Limits on January 16th.