In this essay, “Between the Highs and the Lows, Life Happens”, by Canadian rapper K'naan, provides a narrative look into the development of his musical career and the inspiration behind his music. K’naan begins the essay by revealing his original desire to be an optometrist as a young boy in Somalia before moving to Canada. However, he expresses the difficulty he had leaving Somalia and entering Canadian culture. Transitioning from a worn-torn country into Canadian culture led to the development of K’naan’s mental health issues which includes insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Simultaneously, K’naan reveals that his interest in music began to develop alongside his mental health issues. K’naan mentions that he would have rap competitions with
