Somali-Canadian rapper K’naan, whose megahit “Wavin’ Flag” became the anthem for the 2010 soccer World Cup, was charged Thursday with sexual assault, according to local media.
The 47-year-old rapper, whose real name is Keinan Abdi Warsame, is accused of having sexually assaulted a woman in her 20s in July 2010 when he was in the Canadian city for a music festival.
His lawyers in court Thursday entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf. He was reportedly not present.
A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for April 2025.
Born in 1978 in Mogadishu, the rapper who fled the war-wracked Horn of Africa country at the age of 13 grew up in Toronto, turning to rap to learn English, but now 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 contribute to an album, effectively launching his musical career.
His soccer anthem is a stomping rendition packed with resounding percussions and rhymed with a reggae riff.
K’naan took an extended break after his album “Troubadour,” but returned in 2023 with new music that earned him a special merit 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 gave K’naan an award for the lasting cultural impact of “Wavin’ Flag” around the world.
