Photo: David Shankbone / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
K’naan is listed as a poet, writer and singer. K’naan was born in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia on May 30, 1978. That works out to 48 years old in 2026. Schooling on record includes York University.
My Take
K'naan moves me more than most artists I write about. Born in Mogadishu and shaped by Somalia's civil war before finding refuge in Canada, he turned displacement into language. When Wavin' Flag became the anthem of the 2010 World Cup, the voice of a survivor filled stadiums worldwide, which feels almost poetic. He is a poet and author as much as a rapper, and that literary depth gives his work weight. I value artists who transform pain into something universal without flattening it into sentiment. His resilience, channeled through melody, is exactly the kind of story I find worth telling.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- K’naan
- Name (Japanese)
- K'Naan
- Born
- May 30, 1978 (age 48)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Horse
- Origin
- Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia
- Occupation
- poet / writer / singer / rapper / songwriter
2. Background
- University
- York University
3. Links
- Official sitehttp://www.knaanmusic.com/
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/knaanstagram/
- Xhttps://x.com/knaan
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K'naan
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/K'Naan
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q297693
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was K’naan born?
Born May 30, 1978 (age 48).
Where is K’naan from?
K’naan is from Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia.
What does K’naan do?
K’naan works as poet, writer, singer, rapper, songwriter.
Poet — see all → · Writer — see all → · More people from Somalia →