K’naan, rapper behind Wavin’ Flag megahit, charged with sexual assault in Quebec City

K’naan, one of Canada’s most successful rappers, who is best known for his 2009 megahit Wavin’ Flag, has been charged with sexual assault in Quebec City.

K’naan, whose real name is Keinan Abdi Warsame, is alleged to have sexually assaulted someone between July 16 and July 17 in 2010, according to his charge sheet. 

On those dates, the 47-year-old artist was in Quebec City to perform during the Festival d’été de Québec, a major summer festival in the provincial capital. The alleged victim is a woman who was in her late 20s at the time, according to Louis-Philippe Desjardins, the Crown prosecutor in the case.

The alleged victim filed a complaint with Montreal police in May 2022. The file was eventually transferred to Quebec City police given that the crime was allegedly committed in a hotel room on that police force’s territory, according to Radio-Canada. 

The case was in court on Thursday morning, though the artist was not present for the proceedings.

The preliminary inquiry in this case has been set for April 2025, according to Radio-Canada. Radio-Canada is also reporting that his lawyer announced that the artist wants to be tried in English in front of a jury.

In a statement to Radio-Canada, BLEUFEU, which is the company that runs the Festival d’été de Québec, said it was contacted by Quebec City police a few months ago.

The company says authorities were looking to confirm that K’naan performed at the festival on July 16, 2010. 

BLEUFEU added that since the alleged incident did not take place at the site of the festival, “our role in this investigation remained limited.”

On Tuesday, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) gave K’naan its Cultural Impact Award in recognition of the “global and lasting impact” of his 2009 hit.

K’naan, who grew up in Toronto, now lives in New York City.