Featured In
ALBUMRefugee - SingleK'naan
Albums by K'naan
ALBUMCountry, God or the Girl (Deluxe Version)K'naan
ALBUMTroubadourK'naan
ALBUMThe Dusty Foot PhilosopherK'naan
K'naan's Popular Music Videos
Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)
K'naan, Snow Tha Product, Riz MC & Residente
Wavin' Flag
K'naan, will.i.am & David Guetta
Wavin' Flag (The Making Of - iTunes Exclusive)
K'naan
Stop For A Minute
Keane & K'naan
Bang Bang (feat. Adam Levine)
K'naan
Strugglin'
K'naan
Soobax
K'naan
Is Anybody Out There? (feat. Nelly Furtado)
K'naan
ABC's
K'naan & Chubb Rock
Wavin' Flag
K'naan
Artist Playlists
K'naan Essentials
An international background gives him a musical skeleton key.
Artist Biography
Rapper and singer K’naan creates a unique blend of hip-hop, reggae, and Somalian music, detailing his experience as a refugee with his socially and politically conscious lyrics.
• As a teenager, K’naan moved with his family to Toronto from Somalia via New York City. It was in Canada that he learned English—partially by listening to Nas and Rakim records.
• He first earned notice when he performed a spoken-word piece at a United Nations event, criticizing the organization for failed peacekeeping missions in Somalia. This led to the start of his touring and recording career.
• K’naan’s 2005 debut album, The Dusty Foot Philosopher, earned the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year.
• His 2009 sophomore album, Troubadour, includes the hit single “Wavin’ Flag.” In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, an all-star team of Canadian musicians billed as Young Artists for Haiti released a remix that reached No. 1 on the Canadian charts.
• Throughout his career, he’s been a leading voice for the Somali refugee community in Toronto and the West. His music features lyrics in both English and Somalian.
Hometown
Mogadishu, Somalia
Genre
Hip-Hop/Rap