K'Naan Track

[Brad]

It seems that hip hop release dates are never set in stone.

Whatever happened to that Swizz Beatz track, anyway? I followed that dude on Twitter for months, but all of his posts were pimping Reebok and Lotus.

[Aaron]

The K'Naan album should be out today at least here in Canada  - its being advertised for today at WalMart and Bono is discussed as a contributor on K'Naans website. I'm going out at lunch in a few minutes to pick up a copy. Will let you know his involvement soon! :-)

[Aaron]

Well Brad you appear to be right.

Went to walmart.  No K'Naan CD.  Asked employee about it.  She said they didn't get one in.  I pointed out sign above new releases that said "K'Naan July 5" and she said they don't have it listed so it must have been error.

Went to HMV.  They don't even have a listing for the CD yet.  Not in their system at all.  No Canadian release today, and unlikely an international release.

Went to K'Naan's website.  Found press release that confirms Bono on "Bulletproof Pride".  But no release date.

Find info on exclaim.ca - album originally planned for May 1 release, then pushed back to June 5, and now expected in mid July.

[Brad]

There would be a mass uprising if U2 ever pushed back an official release date twice.

[Aaron]

Well...

Songs of Ascent...

1st planned as part of a double CD version of NLOTH, planned for release in Fall 2008.
Pushed back to spring 2009 and the Songs of Ascent was stripped away.
Told it would be released in the fall of 2009.
Fall came and went.
Rumours that it would be out in the spring of 2011 before the tour.
Went so far as to release a song to Transformers, hoping to use it as a springboard for the new single they'd be promoting...
Pushed back again...and may never get released although there's still occasional mention that it's in the works...

Nothing has been ever officially scheduled...I guess that makes it different.  But damn it's been four years now, and we have all kinds of evidence it was ready to go...live songs in the 2010 show, statements by the band and McGuinness, even "Soon" getting a release with the 360 Box Set...and "Winter" being on the DVD.

Sigh.

Oh yes.  If they decide to go another route can I ask now for "Songs of Ascent" ala 2008 as a fan club gift for next year. 

[God, Part II]

Not sure how dependable the source is but this site says September 1st:

http://www.2kmusic.com/en/album/country-god-or-the-girl/16037

[Aaron]

Not sure how dependable the source is but this site says September 1st:

http://www.2kmusic.com/en/album/country-god-or-the-girl/16037

September 1 is a Saturday, so I'm thinking it's not an exact date and that's there way of saying "we expect it sometime in September" as releases are still Monday / Tuesday depending on what part of the world you are in...

A&M is his label and were listing July on a recent posting, so I'll go looking around shops at that point...

Frustrating...

I gave up on the Swizz Beatz album for this very reason...if anyone does see it give me a nudge lol.

[Brad]

As I said, I followed Swizz Beatz on Twitter for awhile, but his shameless self promotion was eventually too much to bear.

[Aaron]

News article for today...appears K'Naan got side tracked with a children's picture book about his life which is coming September 25. Article mentions "Country God or the Girl" as now coming this fall - no firm date...so I'm guessing it no longer has a firm schedule...

A

TORONTO - Toronto rapper K'naan plans to publish a children's picture book about his life.

Tundra Books says it will release "When I Get Older: The Story Behind 'Wavin' Flag'" in Canada and the U.S., in hardcover and as an ebook, on Sept. 25.

K'naan — who is also a poet, MC, singer and songwriter — writes in the book about how his family fled their native Somalia to escape the outbreak of the 1991 civil war there.

The three-time Juno Award winner also explains how music helped him adjust to life in a new country.

Artist Rudy Gutierrez did the illustrations for the 32-page, full-colour book, which also has a brief history of the Somalian conflict.

Also included are the lyrics and sheet music of K'naan's hit "Wavin' Flag."

K'naan's third album, "Country, God or the Girl," is also due out this fall.

"I think of empathy as a muscle in the soul, which develops through the nutrition we provide for it. The stories we hear as children can be that nutrition," K'naan, who was born Keinan Abdi Warsame, said in a statement.

"I wanted to write a children's story that reflects the new immigrant's sense of family and identity, which can sometimes be lost in translation. In this book, the main character is 'Wavin' Flag,' a song whose ownership has been long claimed by children all over the world."

[Brad]

If U2 ever set a specific release date, missed it, and then came back with "sometime this fall," the online community would spontaneously combust.

[miryclay]

K'naan is playing a street party in my neighborhoud in mid-Sept. If I get a chance what question would you like me to ask him?

[God, Part II]

K'naan is playing a street party in my neighborhoud in mid-Sept. If I get a chance what question would you like me to ask him?

Yeah--when the hell is his damn duet with Bono gonna finally be officially released?!  I'm tired of searching for info!

[Brad]

It appears this album now has a cover at least, if not a firm release date. Allegedly scheduled for October sometime.



http://www.complex.com/music/2012/09/artwork-knaan-country-god-or-the-girl

[miryclay]

sadly I didn't get near the artist or any of his people last night to ask about any details....

the mystery continues

[Aaron]

http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/k-naan-to-release-country-god-or-the-girl-on-october-16/10254098

Critically acclaimed hip-hop MC/singer/songwriter and activist, K'NAAN, has announced his highly anticipated third album, Country, God or The Girl will debut October 16, 2012 through A&M/Octone.

While fans can expect the diverse sound that they have come to know K’Naan on Country, God or The Girl, the artist also ventures deeper musically into pop, soul and reggae. He continues his tradition of evocative, thought-provoking lyrics on this album, tapping themes of independence, positivity and fighting loneliness and social pressure. The upcoming album proves to be dynamic, highlighting the expansive sonic direction K'Naan has explored writing and recording over the last year.

He also an impressive guest list, including Bono, Keith Richards and Nelly Furtado.

Also lending to his many influences, while making the upcoming record, are the social activist campaigns he has taken part in. This includes his efforts for the Clinton Foundation and participation in the "Decade to Difference" concert last October to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the foundation.

Track Listing:

1. The Seed
 2. Gold In Timbuktu
3. Waiting Is A Drug
4. Better
5. Simple
6. Is Anybody Out There? featuring Nelly Furtado
 7. Hurt Me Tomorrow
8. The Sound Of My Breaking Heart
9. Nothing To Lose featuring Nas
10. 70 Excuses
11. Bulletproof Pride featuring Bono
12. The Wall

Bonus Tracks for Deluxe Version:
1. Sleep When We Die featuring Keith Richards
2. More Beautiful Than Silence
3. Alone featuring will.i.am
4. On The Other Side featuring Mark Foster