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<p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif""><img width="178" height="70" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CCD697.C2C41D60"></span></b><b><u><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center">
<b><u><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center">
<b><u><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">K’NAAN to Debut New EP ‘More Beautiful Than Silence’
<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center">
<b><u><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">on January 24<sup>th</sup>
<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center">
<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center">
<b><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">EP to Feature Single “Is Anybody Out There” Featuring Nelly Furtado<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center">
<b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center">
<b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">‘Nothing to Lose’ Featuring Nas to Premiere TODAY on Complex.com
<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center">
<b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center">
<b><i><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">K’NAAN’s New Album Set for Release on A&M/Octone Spring 2012<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center">
<b><i><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center">
<b><i><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">“K’NAAN sees the utopia of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ through a hip-hop lens…”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center">
<b><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">ROLLING STONE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Critically acclaimed Hip Hop MC and singer/songwriter
<b>K’NAAN</b> is set to debut his new <b>EP</b> <b><u>More Beautiful Than Silence</u></b> on
<b>January 24<sup>th</sup></b> through <b>A&M/Octone Records</b>. The collection includes five new tracks including the single ‘<b>Is Anybody Out There</b>’
<b>featuring Nelly Furtado</b> which is set to impact radio on <b>February 7<sup>th</sup></b>, as well as ‘<b>Nothing to Lose’</b> with
<b>Nas </b>and “<b>Better</b>” produced by <b>Ryan Tedder</b>. ‘Nothing to Lose’ is set to premiere
<b>TODAY</b>, <b>January 19<sup>th</sup></b> on <b><u>Complex.com</u></b>, click <b>
<u><a href="http://www.complex.com/music/2012/01/premiere-knaan-f-nas-nothing-to-lose">here</a></u></b> to listen. In addition to his EP, K’NAAN’s new album is set to be released in Spring 2012. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><u><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><u><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><u><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpLast" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><u><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">More Beautiful Than Silence Track Listing:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">1.)<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></b><![endif]><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Is Anybody Out There featuring Nelly Furtado<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">2.)<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></b><![endif]><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Nothing to Lose featuring Nas<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">3.)<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></b><![endif]><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">More Beautiful Than Silence<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">4.)<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></b><![endif]><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Better<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">5.)<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></b><![endif]><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Coming to America
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Wrapping his world tour for his acclaimed sophomore album
<b><u>Troubadour</u></b> in the fall of 2010, K’NAAN has since been hard at work in the studio. The dynamic 5 tracks featured on his EP
<u>More Beautiful Than Silence</u> will give fans a taste of the diverse sound that they have come to know the artist for, while highlighting the expansive sonic direction K’NAAN has explored writing and recording over the last year.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Globally celebrated hip-hop MC
<b>K’NAAN</b> </span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">made a powerful mark on the music world with his series of album releases including his acclaimed debut release
<u>Dusty Foot Philosopher</u> and sophomore album,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><u>Troubadour</u>. With his eloquent and thought-provoking lyrics,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>in the tradition of great folk singers and protest songs,
K’NAAN carved a new path that widened the traditional hip-hop music perspective. With his sophomore album, K’NAAN was declared an “Artist to Watch” by<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Rolling Stone, NPR, The Los Angeles Times</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>MTV</i>.
The album included </span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">his multiplatinum single
<b>“Wavin’ Flag,” </b>which saw worldwide success after being selected by <b>Coca-Cola
</b>as their theme song for their<b> FIFA 2010 FIFA World Cup™ </b>campaign. Declared the “People’s Anthem” with its message of hope and solidarity, the single reached
<b>#1</b> in over <b>18 countries</b> and also topped <b>Billboard’s European Hot 100 Singles</b> chart.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">In addition, K’NAAN has won a variety of awards including two
<b>Junos</b> for <u>Artist of the Year</u> and <u>Songwriter of the Year</u> and was also nominated for a
<b>Polaris Music Prize</b>. The artist has guested on multiple notable projects including Nas and Damian Marley’s
<u>Distant Relatives</u>, Keane and Mos Def. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">For more information, please go to
</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><a href="http://www.knaanmusic.com">www.knaanmusic.com</a></span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Press Here<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Carleen Donovan/ Natalie Sawyer
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">212-246-2640<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a href="mailto:carleen@pressherepublicity.com">carleen@pressherepublicity.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a href="mailto:natalie@pressherepublicity.com">natalie@pressherepublicity.com</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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