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Quote by K'naan

“Hip-hop in Africa has been very often a duplication of an American experience, but in a context that's totally alien to it.”

Quote by K'naan

Author

K'naan, whose real name is Afreppa K'naan, is a renowned poet, singer, and songwriter. Born on February 1, 1978, in Somalia, he later moved to Canada due to the civil war. K'naan is known for his infectious poetry and music, which often express a desire for peace, justice, and humanity. more

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“I enjoy mediation. I think the artist's position is often to mend the things we feel are broken. Whether that's between two cultures or two thoughts. We're always trying to reach, trying to expand something.”

Thinking Feels Trying Two Artist Culture Enjoy Position Broken Always Trying Mediation Two Cultures

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“I'm not about trying to get and get and get. I feel good when I get, but I kind of feel better when I give.”

Giving Feels Trying Kind Feel Good Feel Better I Feel Good

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“You have to let the world speak to you and then you speak, you know, so I'm in that moment now where I'm finding the world's voice.”

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“I'm writing from a place of - a center of authenticity, somewhere that only I know how to write from.”

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“It was not my dream to be an artist. How could it have been? I thought, artist, much like a leader, was something you either were or weren't. Never something you set out to be.”

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“It was interesting to find how dominating American vision is all over the world. I think there's something to be said about the world's mindset and its economics and all of that, and I think it affects the way we see ourselves and it affects music.”

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“Somalis really are very musically sophisticated, and they're about their own thing.”

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“I think it's a mistake to work on success in career. I've worked on my passions obsessively. How can I say what I want to say more precisely than the last time I said it? Success is such an elusive concept. When you work for it, I think you get it in a way you might regret it.”

Thinking Way Want Said Might Lasts Passion Mistake Careers Regret Concepts Last Time My Passion Elusive Career Success

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“I wasn't making music consciously when I was younger. I was a musician, but that has its own stigmas. Anywhere on the planet, it's one of the more undervalued positions.”

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“You're never too old to take baby steps”

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