K'Naan Changed The Lyrics To "Waving Flag" For Coca-Cola

specifically, coke kills labor activists in colombia. k'naan is a colossal dong. it's hard to think of a more perfect example of an artist compromising their integrity than by agreeing to censor lyrics alluding to the struggles of impoverished people in exchange for higher commercial visibility from a transnational corporation that relentlessly exploits workers in the global south. even the black eyed peas would blush.

Am I the only person who has noticed that the woah-oh-oh-oooooooh bit of this song sounds like the jingle from the coke adverts. Was it a part of the original mix or was it added in the coke mix for subliminal advertising?

I would have done the same, for what it's worth. There's a time and place for everything. The original song is there for whoever wants to hear it. By the way, I notice that Google ads is showing ads for Coke Zero at the bottom of this page. So I'm not sure this is the best venue for debating this sort of thing!

Michael A:

You're right there is a time and place for everything, and what a better place and timing than World Cup to tell the world about the world of the African continent that they don't like talking about much , because it's uncomfortable...

For most of the world, it will be a catchy song with a good message that has a dance. For people who are willing to dig deeper, they'll actually listen to the rest of his music and maybe find the original version and learn something more.

Sure, he might have had to compromise himself and change the lyrics (for the Coke version) but that doesn't necessarily make him a puppet (for Coke).
He didn't only change the lyrics just for the Coke/"Celebration Mix". There are different versions for different parts of the world that include artists from different countries.

And honestly, who would have even knew about him before this?
We have an artist who sings about the oppression he's experienced and makes one compromise, to escape that poverty in exchange for a meteoric rise in people's consciousness, so that millions of people all over the world will find meaning in his words.

I credit his talent as an artist and a person to be able to articulate about struggle and oppression AND be able to talk about hope and freedom and celebration.

I'll wait for K'naan to bath in champagne from his hilltop mansion before I start calling him a sell-out.

It's not always the job of the oppressed to educate the oppressors.

^ you're right, it's also the job of the oppressed to entertain us.

the very omnipresence of transnational corporations in our lives means that it matters more to actively struggle against them. make no mistake: coke isn't doing k'naan a favor, k'naan is doing coke a favor. he's helping sell their beverage. he's validating coke as a company that people around the world should trust. it's funny how artists are able to convince themselves that they possess a special purity as a musician that can't be tarnished no matter how their music is being used, as long as they're receiving some "fair" compensation for it. k'naan proves it: recorded music is a just another corporate product, and when marketing tells you to tweak the product so you don't upset white people, you do what they say.

one artist from africa having a shot at "making it" doesn't validate a system that oppresses millions.

Guys,
K'naan makes great music. Don't forget he actually released his song "IN The Beginning" to the Harold and Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay Movie. Even if he means his lyrics or not, most of his songs raise awareness and have powerful messages. Even if he does get a mansion and champagne/Coca Cola coming out of fountains in his living room, his roots lie in Africa. I am not saying he is selling out but would Coca Cola have heard of Knaan without Harold and Kumar!? This is besides the point, I think the Celebration Mix is better than the original song, it has a much better beat. :) Also the Knaan "In The High beginning" [a Mash Up actually feat. the black Eyed peas lol] is good too. This is what music is for. enjoying yourself. If Knaan wants to send a message, he could do it as a professional politician. until then just treat him like you would any other artist that sings about stuff that inspires you: the listener. I just happen to like remixes. music should not be used to send truly deep messages (like poverty and death), music should be used to bring the world together. Using music to "hate" big transnationals is not right. Perhaps we could get Boris to a "Battle" with some other clown over Bendy Buses.

We would not have heard the song and the original lyrics had it not been for him changing them...

I've been a k'naan fan since 2006, with the dusty foot philosopher having a somewhat significant impact on my life.
I understand the reason for artists letting their work be attached to certain things, or going to a major label - it gets more exposure.
However if K'naan specifically changes his lyrics to support a multinational which continually f-cks over the poor (of whom K'naan claims to represent) then that to me is a major sell-out.
To quote from waving flag
"But look how they treat us, make us believers
We fight their battles, then they deceive us"
Further more, with my work with Somalian youth (who are refugees), they see him as a hero. One cat even spoke about how wonderful that song is etc. What sort of role model is he being for these troubled youth (who are drawn into crime etc), sell your integrity for someone else's profits?
If you ever read this K'naan, big love, but wave the true flag.
word is bond.

There is no problem in K'naan has changed his work, inclusive the lyric was modified in the campaign to Haiti, (and in this case is it all right?!!!). Ok! the artist, or any person, has the right to work and express himself like he wants. I understood that this is an unfounded critism, because is time of world cup,of rejoicing,a time to south Africa to show itself, and, the new lyric talks like a south african, inviting others nations to celebrating the freedom and equality - values so defended in the struggle against the apartheid. Oh, by the way, I like coca-cola so much!!!!

Why should we surprised that one of Hip Hop's most shining, brilliant geniuses would compromise to gain worldwide fame? At the end of the day, he is an artist who wants to make money; he is not a social activist or even on the same level as Chuck D. Still, I was surprised and disappointed that he would not use this chance to allow his message to shine. The World Cup taking place in South Africa should have a socio-political anthem. The musical movement in South Africa helped spur the end of apartheid (See Amandla). It is not like the trouble of poverty and war stop because of the beautiful game. In fact, as a person who has seen the horror of war in Somali and the effects of colonialism first-hand, I would want him to take a firmer stand. Coke is the same company that is trying to privatize water in the Global South. One of the things that disgusts me is the commodification and commercialization of the World Cup, which is strongly encouraged by FIFA. All I can hope is that K'naan hears our critiques and will continue to make socially conscious music. Don't forget the words you have used in the past to describe how you feel about music and helping to raise awareness.

Immortal Technique, dead prez, Chuck D, your talking about Revolutionary people, not just artists. Music is just a different story, K'Naan never claimed to be a guerrilla, or a rebel, he's a philosopher and a musician give him a break.

Cameron and Bugout x 2.

Tom Waits and The Doors have both famously resisted whoring out their songs for adverts, and i've always admired them for it. Songs die when they're 'used' that way. And K'naan, knowingly or not, just handed Coke (a truly wicked multinational behemoth) a gem of priceless global prestige. It was a mistake to do so. He seems to have had good intentions, but he got played. (pun intended)

The song is a positive, catchy, sing-a-long, no matter what the lyrics are. I've heard most of the international versions of the song, and the guest artists all bring new aspects of thier experiences to the song. K'naan is an amazing lyricist, and for him to be able to change the lyrics, for any reason, is a major accomplishment. I've hear alternate versions of Somalia and If Rap gets Jealous, and both versions of both songs are strong lyrically. Coke did not change the song for K'naan. K'naan changed the song to reach a wider audience. If you think that this is just a sell-out, then you should listen to Strugglin' again. If you think the International versions were too much, tyhen listen again. Each guest artist took the song and reshaped it. The songs are more like remixes than collaberations, but K'naan probabably got paid for each version. Live long K'naan.

I think K'naan explains it pretty well here...

http://www.hiiraan.com/news2/2010/feb/k_naan_s_song_goes_global.aspx