Supplemental Links

Part I

“Fam Jam”- Shad (Music Video)

“Archie Shepp: The Cries of My People” Interview, All about Jazz (Interview)

Tricia Rose’s The Style Wars (The Hip Hop Wars) (Essay)

Paul Watkins’ course, Hip Hop Forum and Live Music (Course)

Part II

Rascalz “JUNO Awards” profile (Website)

Part III

“Talking Back to the Empire” NOW Magazine (Archived News)

“Maybe in America” Captain Phillips (Video Clip)

“The Hour: K’naan” CBC (Interview)

“Revolutionary Avocado” story with K’naan (Video Clip)

“Wavin’ Flag” (50) Young Artists version (Music Video)

“Wavin’ Flag ft. will.i.am, David Guetta” K’NAAN (Music Video)

Wavin’ Flag, international popularity (Wikipedia)

K’naan “Censoring Myself for Success” [opinion] New York Times (News)

Additional Sources

BAMorg “Unbound: K’naan on being Somali” (Video Clip)

WE Day, Craig Kielburger “Shameless Idealists – Craig Kielburger Hosts K’naan” (Interview)

From the Field: Hip hop artist K’naan’s new track hails refugees (UN article)

Discussion Questions

1. What strategies used in hip hop, particularly in K’naan’s music, resonate with the tactics and pedagogies of other writers you’ve encountered in the book?

2. How does K’naan draw on his personal experiences of migration and displacement to construct a sense of “sonic citizenship” in his music? Consider his lyrics in The Dusty Foot Philosopher and Troubadour in your response.

3. “Wavin’ Flag” was transformed from a deeply personal narrative into a global anthem for the FIFA 2010 World Cup. How did this shift alter the song’s original meaning? Do you think this change strengthened or diluted its message, particularly in relation to the chapter’s discussion of “sonic” and “corporate” multiculturalism?

4. In “Somalia,” K’naan critiques institutional education and immigration policies, asserting that hip hop provided him with the tools to navigate language and identity. How does this challenge traditional ideas of education and assimilation?

5. K’naan blends Somali musical elements with hip hop structures. How does this fusion reflect broader themes of diasporic identity and cultural hybridity in his work?

6. The chapter discusses how hip hop operates as both a form of resistance and a highly commodified industry. How does K’naan’s career exemplify this tension? Can hip hop maintain its radical potential while also being a global commercial force?