advertisement
Legal News

K'naan Charged with Sexual Assault

The Somali-Canadian rapper, born Keinan Abdi Warsame, has been charged for an alleged assault in Quebec City in 2010 while he was there for Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ).

K'naan

K'naan

Facebook

Canadian musician K'naan has been charged with sexual assault.

A charge sheet was filed this morning (Sept. 26) in Quebec City for the musician and director, born Keinan Abdi Warsame, for a count of sexual assault dating back to 2010, The Canadian Press reports.


The arrest warrant alleges that the assault took place between July 16 and 17 in Quebec City, which coincides with a show he played at Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ) in 2010. The musician was not present at court.

CBC reports that the complaint was first filed in May of 2022 with the Montreal police, but was later transferred to Quebec City. The assault allegedly took place in a hotel room on territory covered by the Quebec City police force.

advertisement

K'naan, who's known for his 2009 hit "Wavin' Flag" (later rerecorded as the global anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup), took an extended break after his 2012 album Troubadour but had recently returned to prominence.

The Somali-Canadian musician returned with "Refugee" in 2023, a song that he said was intended to feel "like a home for those of us made homeless by conflict." K'naan won the Best Song for Social Change Award by the Recording Academy at this year's Grammy Awards.

Just over two weeks ago, K'naan made his debut as a director, premiering his feature film Mother Motherat this year's Toronto International Film Festival. This week, on Sept. 24, K'naan attended the SOCAN Awards at History in Toronto and accepted the SOCAN Cultural Impact Award for the lasting global impact of his anthem, "Wavin' Flag."

Warsame was not in attendance for the proceedings in Quebec this morning. The case has been set for April 2025. According to Radio-Canada, Warsame's lawyer has requested he be tried in English in front of a jury.

advertisement
LU KALA
Courtesy Photo

LU KALA

Music

Fresh Sounds Canada: LU KALA, Smiley, Dorothea Paas and More

This week's must-hear songs also include an acoustic rendition from indie pop band Good Kid and an ear-catching taste of rising Montreal electronic artist Antoniya.

In Fresh Sounds Canada, Billboard Canada puts you on to the must-hear songs of the week by artists on the rise and those about to break. Here's what's out this week.

LU KALA, “Criminal”

keep readingShow less
advertisement