Khaled Singer

It's easy to get an opinion from Khaled, the Algerian singer-songwriter known as the "King of Rai." Ask a question and the words pour out, a tumble of ideas interspersed with his hearty laughter. All of which makes sense, since rai -- in addition to being the name of a hugely popular style of North African music -- is an Arabic word for "opinion." And Khaled, as one of the genre's pioneer practitioners, is a master at expressing his opinion.

It's easy to get an opinion from Khaled, the Algerian singer-songwriter known as the "King of Rai." Ask a question and the words pour out, a tumble of ideas interspersed with his hearty laughter. All of which makes sense, since rai -- in addition to being the name of a hugely popular style of North African music -- is an Arabic word for "opinion." And Khaled, as one of the genre's pioneer practitioners, is a master at expressing his opinion.