http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.8858168&variant=artist-playlists&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rssUm, 50 Cent thinks he had it hard? Toronto's K'naan has news for American rappers: Africans have it harder. K'naan Warsame was born in Somalia in 1978, and as a kid he watched his country collapse into civil war around him. (Somalia is currently the only country in the world without a government.) Warsame's father had moved to New York City a few years before the war began; Warsame and his mother got some of the last visas the U.S. embassy issued and took the last commercial flight out of the country. The family relocated to Toronto, where there was a strong Somali community, and K'naan began to learn English and adopt rap -- as so many have -- as a third language. In 1999, K'naan was invited to perform before the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Refugees, where he recited a piece that criticized the U.N. for its failures in Somalia. He became an instant celebrity: Youssou N'Dour invited him to Senegal to tour and record, and Nelly Furtado's production team Track and Field helped produce his debut album. Flexing a high-pitched voice, a strong melodic sense and whiplash wit, K'naan's 2005 debut, <I>The Dusty Foot Philosopher</I>, won him a Juno Award in 2006. - Sarah BardeenInternational Hip-Hopen720Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:30:18 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.8858168&variant=artist-playlists&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss Um, 50 Cent thinks he had it hard? Toronto's K'naan has news for American rappers: Africans have it harder. K'naan Warsame was born in Somalia in 1978, and as a kid he watched his country collapse into civil war around him. (Somalia is currently the only country in the world without a government.) Warsame's father had moved to New York City a few years before the war began; Warsame and his mother got some of the last visas the U.S. embassy issued and took the last commercial flight out of the country. The family relocated to Toronto, where there was a strong Somali community, and K'naan began to learn English and adopt rap -- as so many have -- as a third language. In 1999, K'naan was invited to perform before the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Refugees, where he recited a piece that criticized the U.N. for its failures in Somalia. He became an instant celebrity: Youssou N'Dour invited him to Senegal to tour and record, and Nelly Furtado's production team Track and Field helped produce his debut album. Flexing a high-pitched voice, a strong melodic sense and whiplash wit, K'naan's 2005 debut, <I>The Dusty Foot Philosopher</I>, won him a Juno Award in 2006. - Sarah Bardeen http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.30969545&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss Rap/Hip-Hop Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:37:30 -0800 Playlists Featuring K'naan on Rhapsody Online 30969545 ply.30969545 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.30969545&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.30646817&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss Rap/Hip-Hop Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:12:48 -0800 Playlists Featuring K'naan on Rhapsody Online 30646817 ply.30646817 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.30646817&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.29988386&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:41:24 -0800 Playlists Featuring K'naan on Rhapsody Online 29988386 ply.29988386 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.29988386&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.29201214&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Sun, 4 Oct 2009 09:42:25 -0700 Playlists Featuring K'naan on Rhapsody Online 29201214 ply.29201214 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.29201214&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28470409&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:43:19 -0800 Playlists Featuring K'naan on Rhapsody Online 28470409 ply.28470409 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28470409&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.27435544&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:55:04 -0800 Playlists Featuring K'naan on Rhapsody Online 27435544 ply.27435544 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.27435544&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.27342260&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Tue, 3 Nov 2009 11:24:13 -0800 Playlists Featuring K'naan on Rhapsody Online 27342260 ply.27342260 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.27342260&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.26782765&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss Rap/Hip-Hop Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:59:29 -0700 Playlists Featuring K'naan on Rhapsody Online 26782765 ply.26782765 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.26782765&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.26782592&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss Rap/Hip-Hop Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:59:31 -0700 Playlists Featuring K'naan on Rhapsody Online 26782592 ply.26782592 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.26782592&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.26978712&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss Rap/Hip-Hop Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:44:39 -0700 Playlists Featuring K'naan on Rhapsody Online 26978712 ply.26978712 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.26978712&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.27039633&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Sat, 5 Sep 2009 11:18:55 -0700 Playlists Featuring K'naan on Rhapsody Online 27039633 ply.27039633 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.27039633&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.26134266&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Sun, 27 Sep 2009 09:55:48 -0700 Playlists Featuring K'naan on Rhapsody Online 26134266 ply.26134266 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.26134266&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.22662004&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss Rap/Hip-Hop Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:06:53 -0800 Playlists Featuring K'naan on Rhapsody Online 22662004 ply.22662004 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.22662004&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.22541328&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Sat, 5 Sep 2009 11:18:30 -0700 Playlists Featuring K'naan on Rhapsody Online 22541328 ply.22541328 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.22541328&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.22174898&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:26:00 -0700 Playlists Featuring K'naan on Rhapsody Online 22174898 ply.22174898 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.22174898&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.21490463&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss World/Reggae Mon, 7 Dec 2009 10:13:14 -0800 Playlists Featuring K'naan on Rhapsody Online 21490463 ply.21490463 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.21490463&variant=play&rws=%2Fknaan%2Fplaylists.rss