Category: Somalia
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The Traveler
Keinan Abdi Warsame, famously known as K’Naan (traveler in Somali) is a Somali-born Canadian hip-hop artist of the early 21st century. He grew up in Mogadishu, a city in Somalia where he was surrounded by an artistic family – his grandfather a poet and his aunt a popular singer. K’Naan grew up listening to the
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K’naan: Voice of the Diaspora
15 minutes away by K’naan is a song that many immigrants especially those from the African Diaspora can relate too. It talks about the struggles that people endure in foreign countries while trying to create a better life for themselves. The basis of this struggle is emphasized when K’naan dives into the stress of waiting
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Na, na, na, K’naan!
by Branford Bland – Song: Wavin’ Flag by K’naan Artist: Keinan Abdi Warsame, better known as K’naan, is Somali/Canadian artist and rapper. K’naan quickly rose to international prominence after his single, “Wavin’ Flag” was selected to be Coca-Cola’s promotional anthem for the 2010 World Cup. Lyrics: It makes sense why Coca-cola chose this song as
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K’naan the Prophet
In the diaspora, there are many parallels across the aspects of culture. Whether discussing experiences on the continent of Africa, in the United States, in Eurasia, or in Southern America, there are commonalities of reality amongst people of melanin. Carrying this idea into the world of music, it is not surprising that music emphasizes the
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Nothing to Lose x K’naan
For the purpose of today’s blog post I analyzed “Nothing to Lose” by K’naan ft. Nas. “Nothing to Lose” is basically of story of how both artist, K’naan and Nas, have overcame the adversaries of there childhood and, therefore, have nothing to lose because they came from nothing. Throughout the song K’naan constantly mentions the
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Put On For My City: How Lyricist K’naan Represents the Diaspora Through His Music
Somalian-born lyricist K’naan can never forget where he came from and he makes it known that he came from the struggle through his music. When he speaks about his country, you can see pride in his face, despite all the havoc and killing that’s going on, he makes it known that he is not ashamed.
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Preserving your Identity
Beginning in 1985, the number of African students coming to the U.S. began to increase substantially. The largest increase was seen between 2000 and 2010 with an African population in the U.S. being 1.6 million. Many African immigrants came from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ghana, and Kenya and came to destinations in the United States such
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Heritage: Home to Here
In K’naan’s song Nothing to Lose feat. Nas K’naan comes to terms with his Somali culture and heritage and how it influenced him when first immigrating to the United States. He recounts some embarrassing moments when he was unsure of the culture but then eventually becoming entrenched in American style and culture. He even goes into depth
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THIS IS AFRICA
Many MCs speak and boast about their brave natures and hard up bringing in their raps. They convey this by describing their longevity in the game and how they survived violent experiences, usually at a young age. Listeners will usually equate this violence to cities in America like Compton, Brooklyn, and even Detroit, but none compare to those
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K’Naan – Somalia
KNAAN is an artist who came to the United States as a refugee at the young age of 14. His homeland is the country of Somalia. He is an artist who does a great job of balancing both his African roots as well as his roots in America as an immigrant. The song that I