Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan is accused of sexual assault

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Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan, whose megahit “Wavin' Flag” became the anthem of the 2010 World Cup, was charged with sexual assault on Thursday, according to local media.

The 47-year-old rapper, whose real name is Keinan Abdi Warsame, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s in July 2010 while in the Canadian city for a music festival.

His lawyers in court entered a not guilty plea on his behalf on Thursday. He was reportedly not present.

A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for April 2025.

Born in Mogadishu in 1978 and fleeing the war-ravaged Horn of Africa country at the age of 13, the rapper grew up in Toronto and turned to rap to learn English. Today he lives in the US city of New York.

His criticism of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in 1999 brought him to the attention of Senegalese star Youssou N'Dour, who invited him to participate in an album, thus launching his musical career.

His football anthem is a pounding rendition full of ringing percussion and rhymed reggae riffs.

K'naan took an extended break after his album Troubadour, but returned in 2023 with new music that earned him a special award for best song for social change from the Recording Academy.

He also made his directorial debut with “Mother Mother” at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month.

This week, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada presented K'naan with an award for the lasting cultural impact of “Wavin' Flag” around the world.

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