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• K’naan is a poet and hip-hop artist from Mogadishu, Somalia. His major label debut entitled Troubadour was released in 2009 on A&M/Octone Records.

• Fast Facts

  1. Genre: Hip-hop
  2. Birth name: Kaynaan Warsame
  3. Origin: Mogadishu, Somalia
  4. Born: 1978
  5. Resides in Canada
  6. K'naan means "traveller" in SomaliCBC.ca: Canadian musician K'naan captures BBC prize (March 31, 2007)
  7. Warsame means "one who carries the words of peace"CBC.ca: Canadian musician K'naan captures BBC prize (March 31, 2007)
  8. Years active: 2001 - present
  9. Label: A&M/Octone Records
  10. Studio albums: 2
  11. Left Somalia in 1991CBC.ca: Canadian musician K'naan captures BBC prize (March 31, 2007)
  12. Performed at the United Nations' 50th anniversary concert in 1999
  13. Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett guests on his Troubadour album

• Discography

  • 2005: The Dusty Foot Philosopher
  • 2007: The Dusty Foot on the Road (live album)
  • 2009: Troubadour

• Background

  K’naan, along with his mother Marian Mohamed and older brother Liban, left Somalia in 1991 while the country was going through a civil war. They moved to Harlem, New York City, eventually settling in Toronto, Canada.CBC.ca: Canadian musician K'naan captures BBC prize (March 31, 2007) His debut album, The Dusty Foot Philosopher, was released in Canada in 2005 followed by a live album, The Dusty Foot on the Road, in 2007.

  Following an appearance at the Live 8 concert and a tour with American rappers Mos Def and Talib Kweli, K'naan's debut album was re-released in American in 2008. His latest album, Troubadour, was released on A&M/Octone Records in 2009.

  Troubadour was recorded in Bob Marley's Tuff Gong Studio. K'naan also spent several months living in Marley's house in Kingston, Jamaica during the recording of the album.London Free Press: Marley home inspiration for K'Naan (February 25, 2009)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Bob Marley | Mos Def | Talib Kweli | Eminem | Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

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