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K'naan
artist

K'naan

K'naan is a hip-hop artist from Canada formed in 1978. 36 releases are catalogued on Riffiter.

Hip-Hop · Canada · Best hip-hop albums

36
Releases
2004–2023
Active years
1978
Formed

Discography

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Troubadour cover

Most popular

Troubadour

2009 · 14 tracks

Singles & EPs

19

Live & compilations

2

Credits

1

Records K'naan worked on for other artists — the roles are as credited on each release.

Appears on

1

Releases by other artists featuring K'naan.

Featured tracks

1

Videos

3

Collaborators

4

Community

More about K'naan

K'naan at a glance

Born in
Mogadishu
From
Canada, Somalia
Active since
2000
Instruments
guitar, voice
Labels
A&M Records, A&M Octone Records
Educated at
York University

Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Children listed are those with their own public record, so the list may be incomplete.

About

K’naan (Keinaan, meaning traveller in Somali, born 1978) is a Somali-Canadian poet and hip-hop artist. The Coming To America Songfacts states that born in Mogadishu, Somalia, he spent his childhood there during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1991. K’naan’s grandfather, Haji Mohammad, was a poet and his aunt, Magool, one of Somalia’s most famous singers. The young Somalian acquired an early interest in hip-hop from the records that were sent to him from America by his father. K’naan describes growing up in Somalia amidst the ongoing warfare on his song “Coming To America”. At age 13 he left for New York City with his mother and brother and finally settled in the Rexdale neighbourhood of Toronto. In 2001 K’naan performed in Geneva at the 50th anniversary of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In 2005, he performed with Dobacaracol during the Live 8 concert in Barrie, Ontario. His full-length debut album, The Dusty Foot Philosopher, was released in 2005. His song “Soobax” (pronounced “So-Bah”) is now featured in the best selling video game FIFA Football 2006, made by Electronic Arts and he has toured the world with the cup.

Read more

K’naan participated in the Breedlove Odyssey Tour with Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch and Jean Grae. He also participated in the “Welcome To Jamrock” tour along with Damian Marley. The Dusty Foot Philosopher received a 2006 Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year, and was nominated for the inaugural Polaris Music Prize. He also featured in a song by M1, titled “Till We Get There”. The song “In the Beginning” from the album The Dusty Foot Philosopher was featured in the 2008 Comedy “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay”

K'naan in brief

How many K'naan releases are on Riffiter?
36 releases are catalogued, spanning 2004 to 2023.
When was K'naan formed?
K'naan formed in 1978, in Canada.
What genre is K'naan?
K'naan is catalogued under Hip-Hop.
What is the most recent K'naan release on Riffiter?
Refugee, released in 2023.

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