K'naan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids K'naan
K'naan in 2024
Background information
Birth name	Keinan Abdi Warsame
Also known as	K'naan Warsame, Keinaan
Born	(1978-02-01) 1 February 1978 (age 47) Mogadishu, Somalia
Origin	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Alternative hip hop world reggae fusion spoken word
Occupation(s)	Rapper singer songwriter record producer poet film director
Instruments	Vocals piano guitar percussion bass
Years active	2000–present
Labels	A&M Octone

K'naan, whose real name is Keinan Abdi Warsame, is a Somali-Canadian rapper, singer, and filmmaker. He was born on April 16, 1978. He became famous for his song "Wavin' Flag". This song was even chosen by Coca-Cola as the official anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. K'naan's music mixes hip hop with sounds from Somalia and other parts of the world. He has won a Grammy Award for his music and a special award at the Toronto International Film Festival for his directing. K'naan also helps with many good causes.

Early Life and Moving to Canada

K'naan was born on April 16, 1978, in Mogadishu, Somalia. His family had a strong artistic background. His grandfather was a well-known poet. His aunt, Magool, was a famous singer. K'naan's name, Keynaan, means "traveller" in the Somali language.

K'naan spent his early childhood in Mogadishu. His father, Abdi, had moved to New York City to work as a taxi driver. K'naan's early years were peaceful, filled with poetry and songs from his aunt. This changed when the civil war began. When he was 12, three of his friends were shot. K'naan himself almost died when he mistook a grenade for a potato and threw it away just before it exploded.

Because of the growing violence, his mother decided to move the family. When K'naan was 13, he, his mother, and his two siblings moved to the United States. They lived in New York City for six months. Then, they moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where his family still lives.

In Canada, K'naan started learning English. He learned a lot by listening to hip hop albums from artists like Nas and Rakim. Even though he couldn't speak English well, he taught himself to rap by copying the sounds of the lyrics. He then started rapping himself. Growing up in Toronto's Rexdale area, K'naan saw many friends get into trouble.

In 2006, K'naan moved back to New York City, where his father still lived.

Personal Life

K'naan was married to Deka, who worked as a pharmacy technician. They have two sons, born in 2005 and 2007. The couple divorced before K'naan started touring for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Music Career and Success

K'naan performing in 2007

K'naan became friends with Canadian promoter Sol Guy. Sol Guy helped him speak at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1999. There, K'naan performed a spoken word piece. He criticized the UN for not helping enough in Somalia.

A famous Senegalese singer, Youssou N'Dour, was very impressed. He invited K'naan to work on his 2001 album, Building Bridges. This project allowed K'naan to travel the world. He performed at other UN events, the Montreal Jazz Festival, and the Halifax Pop Explosion.

In 2002, K'naan met Canadian producers Brian West and Jarvis Church. They helped produce his first album, The Dusty Foot Philosopher, released in 2005. The album was highly praised. In 2006, it won the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year. It also won the BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music in 2007.

K'naan toured and worked with many artists. These included Nelly Furtado, Mos Def, will.i.am, and The Roots. He also worked with Damian Marley. K'naan later released The Dusty Foot on the Road, which was a collection of live recordings from his world tour.

K'naan became very popular after performing in the 2008 BET Awards Cypher. This was his first time on American television. His second album, Troubadour, came out on February 24, 2009. The album's first song, "ABC's", was released in late 2008. K'naan's music has also been in video games like Madden NFL 09 and FIFA 06.

In 2012, K'naan released a 5-song EP called More Beautiful Than Silence. It included songs like "Nothing to Lose" and "Is Anybody Out There?". These songs also featured collaborations with Nas and Nelly Furtado.

K'naan's 2012 album, Country, God or the Girl, did not get as much praise as Troubadour. K'naan later wrote an article in New York Times explaining why his sound changed. He said he tried to make music that would be more popular on the radio. He felt he had lost some of his original style in the process.

In 2012, K'naan also published a children's book. It was called When I Get Older: The Story Behind Wavin' Flag.

In February 2024, K'naan won his first Grammy Award. He won for his song "Refugee" in the Best Song for Social Change category.

Mother Mother, K'naan's first movie as a director, was shown at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

Speaking Out for Somalia

K'naan cares deeply about his Somali background. He often speaks about the politics of his home country. Many see him as a voice for the Somali community in Toronto. In 2007, he spoke about changes in Somalia's courts. He supported the Islamic Courts Union, disagreeing with Western views on Muslim governments. He has also spoken against the clan system used in Somalia.

K'naan's connection to Somalia is clear in his music. His first hit, "Soobax," means "come out" in Somali. The song criticizes the warlords who held power in Mogadishu. This song became popular in Somalia, Canada, and the United States. K'naan often raps in both English and Somali, which makes his music unique.

K'naan's music and appearances have helped people understand what it means to be Black in Canada. He shares his personal experiences as a Somali-Canadian. He continues to be an important voice for the Toronto Somali communities.

K'naan's cover of the Bob Dylan song "With God on Our Side" was the closing song in Michael Moore's movie Fahrenheit 11/9.

Music Style and Influences

K'naan performing in 2009

K'naan's music has been described as a mix of Bob Marley, thoughtful American hip-hop, and powerful protest poetry. His voice and style are sometimes compared to Eminem. However, K'naan's songs are very different. He says he makes "urgent music with a message." He talks about the situation in Somalia and calls for peace.

K'naan tries to avoid common rap stereotypes. He explains that people from Somalia know that violence is not something to brag about. He says his music is a "mix of tradition and an explanation of my own life and past experiences."

K'naan is influenced by Somali music and traditional Somali instruments. His 2009 album, Troubadour, also uses sounds from Ethio-Jazz. His song "Fatima" is about a childhood friend who was killed in the Somali Civil War.

Concerts and Tours

K'naan used to perform with a small acoustic band. This style made him different from other hip-hop artists. It showed that he valued meaningful lyrics more than flashy shows.

After his album Troubadour, K'naan started touring with a larger electric band. His shows now include drums, bass, electric guitar, and keyboards, along with special lighting. This change helped K'naan reach a wider audience.

2010 FIFA World Cup Tour

K'naan at the 2010 FIFA World Cup

A remixed version of K'naan's song, "Wavin' Flag", was chosen as Coca-Cola's anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It was also used in commercials for the event in South Africa. The song is also in the official EA Sports 2010 FIFA World Cup video game.

In December 2009, K'naan performed the song live during Coca-Cola's FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour. This tour took him to 86 countries. "Wavin' Flag" became a top 10 hit in 11 countries. It reached number one in Mexico, Austria, China, Germany, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. To connect with different cultures, K'naan recorded the song with local artists. These included David Bisbal, Jacky Cheung, Jane Zhang, Nancy Ajram, and Tattoo Colour.

Other Notable Performances

• Coke's 125th Anniversary: On May 8, 2011, K'naan performed in Atlanta for Coca-Cola's 125th anniversary.
• "Decade of Difference" Clinton Concert: On October 15, 2011, K'naan performed at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. This concert celebrated former US President Bill Clinton's 65th birthday. It also marked 10 years of the Clinton Foundation. K'naan performed three songs. He also brought Bono from U2 on stage for a duet. K'naan spoke about his childhood in Somalia and how President Clinton's work helped him.

Working with Other Artists

K'naan performing in 2010

K'naan has worked with many other musicians:

• In 2006, he worked with M-1 from Dead Prez on the song "'Till We Get There."
• In 2008, he collaborated with the Malian duo Amadou & Mariam on the song "Africa."
• In 2009, he worked with British rock band Keane on two songs, "Stop for a Minute" and "Looking Back."
• Also in 2009, he collaborated with American rapper Wale on "Um'Ricka" and "TV in the Radio."
• In September 2009, K'naan teamed up with DJ/producer J.Period. They released The Messengers, a remix project honoring Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, and Bob Dylan.
• K'naan toured with Jason Mraz and Lenny Kravitz in 2009.
• In 2010, 50 Canadian musicians joined K'naan as Young Artists for Haiti. They created a charity version of his song "Wavin' Flag" to help Haiti.
• In 2010, K'naan was featured on the song "Mask on My Face" by Chin Injeti.
• He recorded "Wavin' Flag" with different artists for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. These included David Bisbal (Spanish), Banky W. and M.I (Nigerian), Nancy Ajram (Arabic), féfé (French), Skank (Brazilian), will.i.am and David Guetta (English), Ai (singer) (Japanese), and Jacky Cheung and Jane Zhang (Chinese).
• In 2010, he worked with Damian Marley and Nas on their album Distant Relatives.
• In 2011, K'naan was a guest singer on Simple Plan's album Get Your Heart On! for the song "Summer Paradise."
• In 2012, K'naan released "Nothing to Lose" featuring Nas.
• He also worked with Howard Shore and Don DeLillo on the Cosmopolis movie soundtrack.
• K'naan released "Bang, Bang" featuring Adam Levine from Maroon 5 on his album Troubadour.
• In 2017, K'naan appeared in the music video "Immigrants (We Get The Job Done)" with Residente, Riz MC, and Snow Tha Product. This song is from Lin-Manuel Miranda's The Hamilton Mixtape.
• On September 19, 2021, K'naan was featured on Sharma Boy's song "Waayo Waayo."
• On December 20, 2021, K'naan was featured on Sharma Boy's song "Somalia Somali Baa Leh."

Helping Others

Besides his music career, K'naan has been involved in many charity efforts. In 2011, he worked with Bono to raise awareness about the drought in Eastern Africa. K'naan performed concerts to help this cause.

K'naan also helped promote the Canadian Bill C-393. This bill aimed to increase medical help to countries in Africa. He worked with Stephen Lewis and others, but the bill did not pass.

Awards and Recognitions

K'naan has received many awards for his music and film work:

• 2006 Juno Awards
  • Rap Recording of the Year for The Dusty Foot Philosopher' (Won)
• 2010 Juno Awards
  • Rap Recording of the Year for Troubadour (Nominated)
  • Artist of the Year (Won)
  • Songwriter of the Year (Won)
• 2010 Mobo Awards
  • African Artist of the Year (Won)
• 2011 Juno Awards
  • Single of the Year (Won)
• 2011 SOCAN International Achievement Award
• 2012 MTV Video Music Awards
  • Best Video with a Message for "Is Anybody Out There?" (Nominated)
• 2012 Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award Winner
• 2014 African Muzik Magazine Awards
  • Best Male Diaspora (Nominated)
• 2017 MTV Video Music Awards
  • Best Fight Against the System for "Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)" (Won)
• 2024 Grammy Awards
  • Best Song for Social Change for "Refugee" (Won)
• 2024 Toronto International Film Festival
  • FIPRESCI Prize for Mother Mother (Won)
• 2024 SOCAN Cultural Impact Award for "Wavin' Flag" (Won)

Music Albums

Studio albums

• What Next? (2000) (as Keinaan)
• My Life Is a Movie (2004)
• The Dusty Foot Philosopher (2005)
• Troubadour (2009)
• Country, God or the Girl (2012)

Film and TV Work

See also

In Spanish: K'naan para niños

• Canadian hip hop
• Music of Canada
• Music of Somalia