SOMALI-AMERICAN RAPPER/POET
KNAAN ABDI WARSAME BORN APRIL 16th, 1978 IN MOGADISHU,SOMALIA. I FIRST LISTENED TO K'NAAN WHEN I WAS WATCHING NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC WORLD MUSIC VIDEOS. I HEARD THE SOMALI CHORUS OF THE SONG "SOOBAX" AND DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE AS TO WHAT HE WAS SAYING. BUT I KNOW THAT IT WAS POWERFUL AND I WANTED TO HEAR MORE OF THAT. MORE OF THAT RAW,ORGANIC,HONEST HIP-HOP. MUSIC IS TRULY UNIVERSAL. SO I WENT DIRECTLY ONLINE AND STARTED SEARCHING FOR ANY OF HIS MUSIC I COULD FIND. HONESTLY I THOUGHT THAT I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO, AS I THOUGHT THAT HE WAS STRICTLY AN LOCAL EAST AFRICAN RAPPER. I WAS PLEASED TO FIND THAT HE IN FACT HAD MUSIC OUT ALREADY AND THAT HE ALSO RAPPED IN ENGLISH. WHEN I MENTION THE MUSIC OF K'NAAN TO MOST, THEY DON'T KNOW WHO HE IS. I CAN SAY THAT I'M ACTUALLY HAPPY ABOUT THAT, I'LL ADMIT THAT I'M SELFISH AT TIMES,LOL. I WISH TO KEEP HIS MUSICAL GENIUS TO MYSELF!! BUT SERIOUSLY I KNOW MOST AMERICAN PEOPLE DON'T KNOW OF HIS MUSIC BECAUSE HE IS SO REAL. K'NAAN IS ONE OF THE DEEPEST BROTHERS THAT I'VE EVER HEARD. HE HASN'T BEEN GLOSSED AND POLISHED TO APPEAL TO THE MASSES, THE SUPERFICIAL MASSES. IN AMERICA WHERE SUBSTANCE IS OVER LOOKED AND THE LISTENERS ONLY CONCERN IS HOW MANY CARS, BITCHES, GOLD CHAINS THE ENTERTAINER HAS AND WE CAN'T FORGET HOW MUCH "LOUD" THE ENTERTAINER SMOKES. HOW DOES THAT IGNORANCE ELEVATE YOU? IN MY OPINION, K'NAAN'S MUSIC CHALLENGES YOU TO BUILD YOUR MIND. WHEN I LISTEN TO K'NAAN I FEEL AND KNOW THAT I'M GETTING POETRY THAT IS THOUGHT OUT AND MEANINGFUL. I KNOW THAT HE'S NOT CALLING ME STUPID FOR BUYING HIS CD, LIKE I DO WITH OTHER RAP ARTIST OF TODAY. I FEEL AS IF K'NAAN IS SHARING SOME OF HIS KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCES, TROUBLES, AND CULTURE. WITH THE SONG ENTITLED "MY OLD HOME" ON THE DUSTY FOOT PHILOSOPHER ALBUM, K'NAAN TAKES ONE TO HIS HOMELAND THROUGH ARTICULATION THAT FORCES THE LISTENER TO VISUALIZE AND LINGER ON EACH WORD ,THEREFORE CREATING MENTAL GRAPHICS THAT COULD RIVAL ANY HOLLYWOOD MOVIE. THE SONG "FIRE IN FREETOWN" FROM THE TROUBADOUR ALBUM RESONATES PERSONALLY WITH ME. WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT, I MYSELF WAS GOING THROUGH TROUBLES. "AHA HA SIDII HOGASHA ROOBKA" THIS SMALL SOMALI VERSE I WOULD SING IN HOPES OF BRIGHTER DAYS, NEVER GIVING UP FAITH. I RESPECT AND ADMIRE K'NAAN'S WORK ETHIC, INTEGRITY, AND PROVERBIAL MUSICAL WHOLESOMENESS. " I GREW FREE, I GREW MY ROOTS AND BECAME A TREE" THANK YOU K'NAAN FOR YOUR INSPIRATION !!! I INVITE MY FRIENDS TO PARTAKE IN THE MUSIC OF THIS MODERN DAY BEETHOVEN OF RHYTHM AND POETRY. I'VE POSTED A VIDEO BELOW, ENJOY.
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