K'Naan: Mitt Romney Did Not Have Permission To Use 'Wavin' Flag'

NEW YORK -- Rapper K'Naan is upset that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney used his song "Wavin' Flag" during his Florida primary victory speech.

In a statement Wednesday, K'naan says Romney's campaign didn't seek approval to use the song and that he would not have granted permission if it had.

The Somali-born, Canadian-based rapper says he would happily grant President Barack Obama's campaign the use of the song.

K'Naan says he wants to make sure Romney does not use his song again and is seeking legal action.

Romney spokesman Rick Gorka says the song was used through the campaign's regular blanket license but, out of respect for K'Naan's statement, won't be used again.

"Wavin' Flag" was an international hit for K'Naan in 2010, co-written and co-produced by Bruno Mars' production team, The Smeezingtons.

Listen to "Wavin' Flag":

Comments

[hondian]

07:57 PM on 08/16/2012

If Romney campaign had a regular blanket license, they had permission. That's what the license covers isn't it?

[hondian]

07:55 PM on 08/16/2012

I have checked the internet and can not get an answer. Were the songs covered under the campaign’s regular blanket license? Can the artist override the blanket license? Does the artist have to refund the fee they recieved when they deny use? I checked and the song is covered under a license. Did Romney have one? Why has no one talked about this?

[Mohamed Musse]

02:26 PM on 03/18/2012

You heard the man saying simply do not use my song without a persion. Here, there is no room with insult, that is all he is asking and you all guys stop the speculations about things that you dont know for a fact. I am somalian and proud to be African. However, if either Obama or Mitt Romney uses my song without letting me know, I will ask them to Stop using my song and this has nothing to do with my support with either Obama or Mitt Romney. My personal opinion: if i was Mitt Romney, i would have used country music but obviously he does nether agree with helping poor people nor cares about their permision to use their ART.

[Life With HC]

10:09 AM on 02/04/2012

Is this rapper a racist, letting Obama use his song because Obama looks like him? Does K'Naan have a history of hating whites?

Did K'Naan say he wouldn't accept welfare from white taxpayers?

[Iain Banks]

07:03 AM on 02/05/2012

Speaking of racism, why do you think all tax payers are white?

[Life With HC]

07:44 PM on 02/05/2012

I didn't say that. Read the question again and report back with your reply would he or wouldn't he?

[BritishColumbian]

12:15 PM on 02/05/2012

No. he doesn't want Romney to use his song because he disagrees with his policies; he would support President because he agrees with his. I guess you think that white people supporting white people are racists too.

What does welfare have to do with his stance? K'Naan is a successful man who doesn't require welfare. Was it the color of his skin that made you try to tie welfare to him? you seem to be the racist here.

[Henry Rolligns]

01:15 PM on 02/05/2012

are we sure knaan agrees with the policies of obama or just likes him causes hes a son of africa?

[Life With HC]

07:46 PM on 02/05/2012

Where have you read he agrees with Obama's policies? Did you just assume it. Has K'Naan alwats been successful. Was he born with a spoon in his mouth when he came over from Somalia? Can you confirm he was never on welfare here or Canada.

[Its All About the Money]

08:08 PM on 02/03/2012

"through the campaign's regular blanket license"

Ha!

Hear that RIAA?

I didn't know it was bootlegged, I thought it was covered under my regular blanket license.

[Life With HC]

10:10 AM on 02/04/2012

Are you a intellectual property attorney. Pleae tell me the section of the law Romney broke.

[Its All About the Money]

07:40 PM on 02/04/2012

Personal opinions are free. Legal opinion must be paid.

[BritishColumbian]

12:16 PM on 02/05/2012

Anyone knowing the lyrics and background of the song realizes Romney made a fool of himself using the song.

[samlupowitz]

02:35 PM on 02/03/2012

Shut the F up! Rap isn't even music. You're making money off a genre based on "nothing" - lol.

[Its All About the Money]

08:10 PM on 02/03/2012

Actually it is. Some of it is very good. I just don't like most of it either. I think that is what you are trying to say.

[Nutrition Supervisor]

08:30 PM on 02/03/2012

wow....your jealousy is so obvious.

[samlupowitz]

02:47 PM on 02/04/2012

Jealous of the so-called music of a person who can't sing? LOL.

[Bolkonsky]

01:21 PM on 02/03/2012

Maybe Romney could use the sellout Coke version ?

Or for a million bucks or so, maybe Knaan would change the lyrics for a special 'Mitt Mix' ?

[shroomie12]

01:46 AM on 02/03/2012

Pray tell, what is a "campaign's regular blanket license"?

[Life With HC]

10:05 AM on 02/04/2012

All songs registered with a given performers' union may be purchased for consideration of use if one purchases a license from the union.

[African667788]

01:36 AM on 02/03/2012

K'Naan needs to wake up and learn that Obama is currently drone bombing his poor brothers and sisters in Somalia. He's also arming his puppet leaders in Ethiopia and Kenya to invade Somalia.

[Iain Banks]

07:04 AM on 02/05/2012

So Obama supports the elected government and is helping them defeat the rebels? Sounds like good policy to me. Why did Bush allow a rebel group to maintain a hegemony on the entire region?

[SayBlade]

09:39 AM on 02/05/2012

I am sure the Obama campaign would be polite enough to ask. The Romney campaign did not and that is what is in dispute here.

[Mar14]

11:51 PM on 02/02/2012

It's called integrity ... and K'Naan's got it! He's one poet/rapper who is not for sale.

[Bolkonsky]

01:17 PM on 02/03/2012

But for the right price, he's willing to change his own lyrics to please Coca-Cola.

Never mind Coke's terrible health, environmental and labor practices around the world.

Sure, paragon of integrity and awareness.

http://tinyurl.com/7m5zchr

[Ugonna]

09:18 PM on 02/03/2012

well, he was promoting the world cup with it, and that is a message that he and many Africans relate to!

I will also say that not everyone has heard of the practises you speak of.

[Life With HC]

10:06 AM on 02/04/2012

Was he ever on welfare? Did Mitt Romney ever support K'Naan through taxes?

[Iain Banks]

07:06 AM on 02/05/2012

Knaan is Canadian dumbdumb, Mitt's pitiful taxes didn't help him .. or anyone else.

[SayBlade]

09:41 AM on 02/05/2012

Mitt Romney makes his money from tax cuts. He is a "welfare queen", himself.

[uyismile]

07:56 PM on 02/02/2012

Just because I have a low tolerance for ignorance, even though I am not a Romney fan, I would like to report to everyone that Romney doesn't need his permission to use a song one time in an event (Check the Copyright Laws). I'm sure that K'naan knows this and is just making a really smart move complaining about it to make it the conversation piece of the day and probably increased his sales/views even more. When it is all said and done when someone who believes in America, as I do believe the President and the Republican candidates do (including Romney), an artist should be honored if they choose to use their song.

[All Seeing Guy]

08:15 PM on 02/02/2012

I'd say he owes somebody some 'performance royalties'.

[Frederick Bolageer]

04:40 PM on 02/02/2012

Mitt Romney using a Somali rapper who talks mostly about his impoverished and war torn people in Somalia and raps about the downtrodden in society to promote his "i don't care about poor people campaign". Can't make this up

[viewfromuphere]

03:08 AM on 02/03/2012

I can guarentee yah....nobody in Romney's campaign got further than the "wave the flag" line and never twigged that this song, performed by a Somali Canadian about his poverty stricken homeland was a stupid song choice for the campaign of multimillionaire white guy running for president of a very rich nation.

[Life With HC]

10:08 AM on 02/04/2012

Does he rap about how Somali refugees in America are trahing neighborhoods and turning former middle class neighborhoods they are relocated to into slums.

[SayBlade]

09:44 AM on 02/05/2012

I seriously doubt that Somali refugees are doing anything of the kind.

[hypyrwyf]

04:04 PM on 02/02/2012

Ahahaha! You all need to go look at the lyrics. Very un-Romney-like sentiments. Who picks these thing?

[hypyrwyf]

04:00 PM on 02/02/2012

See the term "blanket license" defined here, since the article writer didn't bother:
http://www.ascap.com/licensing/termsdefined.aspx

[dleebaltimore]

02:27 PM on 02/02/2012

Who cares? He should be thankful that somebody is playing that crap. The song sucks, just like all songs nowadays. The only part Romney really wanted was the : "Way your flag" part!

[Frederick Bolageer]

04:41 PM on 02/02/2012

Sucks, but yet he used it...

[Theryn Kigvamasudvashti]

07:16 PM on 02/02/2012

booooooo