Name |
K Naan |
Height |
|
Naionality |
|
Date of Birth |
30 May 1978 |
Place of Birth |
Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Famous for |
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Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, K'naan spent his childhood in the district of Wardhiigleey ("The River of Blood") 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. K'naan is also a Muslim. His name, K'naan, means "traveller" in the Somali language.
K'naan's father, Abdi, left the country, along with many other intellectuals to settle in New York City and work as a cab driver. He mailed money home to his family (As mentioned in "If Rap Gets Jealous). As the civil war continued and the situation in Somalia continued to deteriorate, K'naan's mother, Marian Mohamed, petitioned the United States embassy for an exit visa. In 1991, on the last day the US embassy remained open as the government of Mohamed Siad Barre collapsed their visa was approved, and they boarded the last commercial flight out of the country.