Hip-hop poet, musician, and rapper, K’Naan is tries to give political commentary on the controversy surrounding Somali pirates through his art. In this video K’Naan takes time to explain the real issues concerning piracy in his country. He explains that most of his peers at home would not condemn piracy because it started as an act against western corporations dumping toxic waste in on the coast of Somalia. He admits that while piracy started as fisherman protecting their waters, greed eventually became the driving forces behind piracy which lead to pirates becoming what he essentially calls “gangsters of the sea.” I thought that it was wise of him to point out the irony behind the mass media coverage of piracy. He notes that the EU and the UN want to attack Somali pirates, while ignoring the fact that the cause for their existence was originally to fight against mistreatment by the west. I think that K’Naan could be a powerful spokesperson when it comes to informing people about piracy because of his relevance in pop culture as well as his heritage.
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