Knowing K'naan - Wavin' Flag

Knowing K'naan for Africa, do you now K'naan? I hope you do. His song Wavin Flag is a Theme for World Cup 2010 at South Africa.

K'naan (pronounced /ˈkeɪnɑːn/; born Keinan Abdi Warsame (Somali: Keynaan Cabdi Warsame, Arabic: كنعان وارسام‎) in 1978) is a Somali-Canadian poet, rapper and musician.

Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, K'naan spent his childhood in Mogadishu and lived there during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1991. His aunt, Magool, was one of Somalia's most famous singers. K'naan's grandfather, Haji Mohamed, was a poet. He is Muslim, and his name, Keinan, means "traveller" in the Somali language. He spent the early years of his life avoiding death and listening to the hip-hop records sent to him from America by his father, who had left Somalia earlier. When he was 13, K'naan, his mother, and his two siblings, older brother, Libann, and younger sister Sagal were able to leave their homeland and join relatives in Harlem, where they stayed briefly before moving to the Toronto, Ontario neighbourhood of Rexdale, where there was a large Somali Canadian community. His family still lives there. In his new country, K'naan began learning English, some through hip hop albums by artists like Nas and Rakim. Despite the fact that he could not speak English, the young K'naan taught himself hip hop and rap diction, copying the lyrics and style phonetically. He then also began rapping.

Albums

• 2004: My Life Is a Movie
• 2005: The Dusty Foot Philosopher
• 2009: Troubadour

Single

• 2005: "Soobax"
• 2005: "Strugglin"
• 2008: "ABCs" (featuring Chubb Rock)
• 2008: "I Come Prepared" (featuring Damian Marley)
• 2009: "Bang Bang" (featuring Adam Levine)
• 2009: "If Rap Gets Jealous” (featuring Kirk Hammett of Metallica)
• 2009: "Wavin' Flag"

Singles with K'naan as a featured guest

• 2006: "Til We Get There" (M-1 featuring K'naan)
• 2009: "L'Arme de Paix" (Oxmo Puccino featuring K'naan)
• 2009: "Think of All the Things" (KRS-One & Buckshot featuring K'naan)
• 2010: "In Jamaica" (Beatnick & K-Salaam featuring K'naan and Buckshot)
• 2010: "Wavin' Flag" with Young Artists for Haiti
• 2010: "Stop for a Minute" (Keane featuring K'naan)
• 2010: "Mask On My Face" (Chin Injeti featuring K'naan)
• 2010: "Each Tear" (Mary J Blige featuring K'naan)