K’Naan | Biography, Songs, & Facts

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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="http://www.billboard.com/artist/276619/knaan/biography" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Billboard.com - Biography of K'Naan</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/knaan-mn0000630909" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">AllMusic - Biography of K'Naan</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: Keinan Abdi Warsame</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/John-M-Cunningham/3520691" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">John M. Cunningham</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">John M. Cunningham graduated from Kalamazoo College in 2000 with a B.A. in English. He worked at Britannica from 2004 to 2018. A student of pop culture and the arts, he wrote about popular (and semipopular)...</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> John M. Cunningham</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/KNaan/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Byname of: </dt> <dd>Keinan Abdi Warsame</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Born: </dt> <dd>1978, <a href="/place/Mogadishu">Mogadishu</a>, <a href="/place/Somalia">Somalia</a> (age 46)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Also Known As: </dt> <dd>Keinan Abdi Warsame</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/KNaan"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref1078903"></span>K’Naan</strong> (born 1978, Mogadishu, Somalia) is a Somali-born Canadian <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/hip-hop" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">hip-hop</a> musician of the early 21st century whose brightly melodic songs and clever socially <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="conscious" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/conscious" data-type="EB">conscious</a> lyrics demonstrated international appeal and made him an ambassador for the plight of his homeland.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">K’Naan grew up in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mogadishu" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mogadishu</a> in an artistic family—his grandfather was a celebrated poet and his aunt a popular singer—and, as a child, he too displayed a gift for reciting verse. He became drawn to American hip-hop after his father, who was living in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-City" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">New York City</a>, sent him records, and he later taught himself <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/English-language" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">English</a> in part by phonetically imitating the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/rap" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">rap</a> songs he admired. When civil war broke out in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Somalia" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Somalia</a> in 1991, he fled with his mother and two siblings, settling first in New York City, where he reconnected with his father, and then in a <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="community" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/community" data-type="MW">community</a> of Somali immigrants in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Toronto" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Toronto</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">As a teenager, K’Naan began to write songs to help him process the turmoil he experienced in Mogadishu. After dropping out of school in 10th grade, he honed his performance skills at open-mic nights in Toronto and contributed poems to Somali Web sites. Eventually, he attracted a manager, who secured him an opportunity to participate in an event in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Geneva-Switzerland" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Geneva</a> in 2000 marking the 50th anniversary of the creation of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Office-of-the-United-Nations-High-Commissioner-for-Refugees" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees</a>. K’Naan’s impassioned spoken-word performance, which openly criticized the UN’s involvement in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Somalia/Civil-war#ref37757" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Somali civil war</a>, received a standing ovation. It also captured the attention of Senegalese singer <span id="ref1278576"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Youssou-NDour" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Youssou N’Dour</a>, who invited him to appear on the album <em>Building Bridges</em> (2001), a <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="compilation" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compilation" data-type="MW">compilation</a> of songs by musicians living in exile.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/pop-culture-quiz" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/65/129465-131-8F637272/USA-Annual-Academy-Awards-Closeup-entrance-statue-2009.jpg" alt="USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, film movie hollywood" class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Pop Culture Quiz</div> </div> </a><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">In 2005 K’Naan released <em><span id="ref1079825"></span>The Dusty Foot Philosopher</em>, a rap album that fused traditional African instrumentation to the familiar structures of American hip-hop. Among its standout tracks, “Soobax” (Somali: “Come Out”) was a direct challenge to the warlords of his native land, rapped and sung in a mix of English and Somali, and “What’s Hardcore?” was a withering commentary on the macho pretenses of some <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/gangsta-rap" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">gangsta rappers</a>. Critics lauded K’Naan’s lyrical playfulness and political engagement, and the album won a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Juno-Award" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Juno Award</a> in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Canada" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Canada</a> for best rap recording.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">After putting out a live recording, <em>The Dusty Foot on the Road</em> (2007), K’Naan expanded his audience with <em><span id="ref1079827"></span>Troubadour</em> (2009). The album, recorded in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Jamaica" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jamaica</a> at studios that once belonged to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bob-Marley" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Bob Marley</a>, was another globally inspired concoction, featuring elements of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/reggae" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">reggae</a> and Ethiopian <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/jazz" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">jazz</a> beneath K’Naan’s <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="ebullient" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/ebullient" data-type="EB">ebullient</a> rhymes. Though some critics felt that the record was unfocused because of a surfeit of prominent guest stars, many saw it as K’Naan’s most accessible work. In 2010 the determinedly optimistic track “<span id="ref1079826"></span>Wavin’ Flag,” already a hit in Canada, was remade as a celebrity-studded charity single to benefit victims of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/2010-Haiti-earthquake" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">January earthquake in Haiti</a>. Another version of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/song" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">song</a>, a remix by K’Naan, became the official anthem of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/The-Coca-Cola-Company" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Coca-Cola</a>’s 2010 <a href="https://www.britannica.com/sports/World-Cup-football" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">World Cup</a> campaign. Amid such popularity, it was little surprise when in April he won two more Juno Awards, for artist of the year and songwriter of the year.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">K’Naan returned in 2012 with the five-track <em>More Beautiful Than Silence</em> and his fourth studio album, <em>Country, God or the Girl</em>. Also that year he made his film <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="debut" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/debut" data-type="EB">debut</a>, as a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sufism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sufi</a> rap star in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/David-Cronenberg" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">David Cronenberg</a>’s thriller <em><span id="ref1302676"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cosmopolis-film-by-Cronenberg" class="md-crosslink ">Cosmopolis</a></em>. After 2012 K’Naan focused on collaborations. He contributed to <em>The Hamilton Mixtape</em> (2016), a collection of new versions of songs from the blockbuster musical <em><span id="ref1278577"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hamilton-musical" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hamilton</a></em>, and remained active in the Somali community in Canada.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/contributor/John-M-Cunningham/3520691">John M. 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K’Naan | Biography, Songs, & Facts | Britannica