Akon

Akon Signs Verse Simmonds To KonLive

24 Oct 2011 19:00:07 EDT

'Boo Thang' singer 'going to be the next biggest thing,' Akon says.
By Rob Markman

Verse Simmons and Akon
Photo: MTV News

When it comes to picking talent, Akon's ear is golden. Credited with discovering T-Pain as well as being an early cog in Lady Gaga's career, Akon looks to add to his executive résumé by signing singer/songwriter Verse Simmonds to his KonLive label. "I think he's going to be the next biggest thing under the brand that's going to take it to the next level," Akon said. "He has everything it takes, internationally and domestically."

Simmonds broke out in 2009 with his catchy alcohol ode "Buy You a Round." Though he was always close with Akon, Verse continued to grind on his own, making singles, doing shows, writing songs and producing. In August, Verse, along with his production partner Sak Pase, landed a few tracks on Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne. Simmonds' latest single, "Boo Thang," from his Sextape Chronicles 2 mixtape, features Kelly Rowland and has once again put him back in the spotlight. Perfect time to sign a new deal. "It definitely felt like the right thing to do, and it was time. I been working, I been grinding," Verse said. "Me and my team just been on the road grinding for the past two years since 'Buy You a Round,' and we just been building up our credits as far as the writing and production side as well as just making sure we stay active on the artist side." Akon has been impressed: For him, Verse's early success seems all too familiar. "Everything that I see in myself, I see in Verse — I might just be a little more handsome," he joked. "Honestly, he's a hard worker, a great songwriter, a great producer, great artist, a great performer. That's pretty much everything that's qualified to be a great superstar in this business." What do you think about Akon signing Verse Simmonds? Tell us in the comments!

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Lady Gaga 'Has Full Control,' Akon Says

13 Oct 2011 14:04:43 EDT

'Kon was 'fully involved' in her first two albums, but now 'creatively, 100 percent, it's all Gaga,' he tells MTV News.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Rob Markman

Lady Gaga
Photo: WireImage

Over the course of her ever-evolving career, Lady Gaga's longtime boss, Akon, has always been by Gaga's side as she reincarnated herself from disco-ball-wearing dance princess to couture-sporting pop demi-goddess. Now that Mother Monster is several years and millions of albums sold into her career, Akon has stepped back a bit and changed his role in the Haus of Gaga, giving the singer more control over what she does with her career.

"So the way it works is, Gaga's on Kon Live/Streamline, which is Vincent Herbert, and it's distributed through Interscope," he explained to MTV News. "And the first two albums, we were fully involved in everything creative when it comes to Gaga, and then, as she grows, she becomes more in tune with herself [and] what she wants to do. "Now she has full control over her project, period," he continued. "Everything you see of Gaga now is all from her brain ... and our job is just to make sure whatever she's thinking we can make into reality. So I guess more so with the approval processes and everything like that, we still do what we do, but creatively, 100 percent, it's all Gaga, and Vince does all the day-to-day stuff relating to Gaga." Then whatever's about to go down in Gaga's upcoming "Marry the Night" video certainly got the A-OK from Akon. The singer was spotted in New York City filming a clip for the fifth single from her chart-topping Born This Way. What are you expecting from the "Marry the Night" video? Let us know in the comments!

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Akon Calls Nick Cannon 'Famous' Collabo 'Overdue'

12 Apr 2011 18:45:14 EDT

'He does a lot of family-friendly stuff and I'm trying to go into that realm,' 'Kon tells MTV News.
By Alvin Blanco, with reporting by Kelly Marino

Akon
Photo: MTV News

Akon's year in music may seem like it's off to a slow start, but expect the Senegalese-American artist's name to be back to music-industry ubiquity shortly. MTV News recently caught up with the singer/producer/executive on the set of Nick Cannon's video for "Famous," where Akon told us linking up with the actor/rapper (who's expecting twins with wife Mariah Carey) was opportune.

"I listened to ['Famous'] and I actually liked it," Akon said. "He does a lot of family-friendly stuff and I'm trying to go into that realm right now. I want to do a lot more family-friendly stuff, and Nick is the best at that. I feel like this was a collaboration way overdue." On the set, Akon was friendly as always but didn't divulge any new details about his upcoming album, Stadium, which he hopes to release in September. Last year, the "Sexy Chick" singer revealed to MTV News that producer David Guetta had contributed to the project. For now, Akon plans to go on mini-tours and release new music just to whet the appetites of his fans. But he still isn't sure which song he'll drop first. "I don't know what to release first," he said. "I'm so excited about the project itself, I'm like, 'OK, which record do I want to put out first?' I haven't quite decided but by the end of April I'll know exactly what I'mma do with the record." 'Kon was more assured in his reverence for Dr. Dre. Last year's "Kush," the official lead single from Dre's long-awaited Detox album, featured a vocal from Akon. "Dre is one of those guys ... he's a perfectionist in his own [right]," Akon said. "You feel confident working with him because he's not going to let nothing go undone. In a way, that's great. But sometimes you're anxious too, like, 'Man I can't wait to let everybody hear this.' Ultimately, working with Dre was just amazing. Dre is very picky about who he decides to work with too. For him to call me and do [multiple] tracks on the record and be involved in more than one record on that album, it said a lot. It shows how much he really appreciated what I'm doing." Are you excited to hear new tracks from Akon? Tell us in the comments!

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Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' Shows 'Depth Of Gaga As A Songwriter,' Akon Says

11 Feb 2011 09:38:29 EST

'Unfortunately, people pay more attention to what she is wearing,' adds Gaga's label boss.
By Jocelyn Vena

Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

It's here, little monsters. On Friday morning (February 11), Lady Gaga debuted her highly anticipated new single, "Born This Way," a funky, fun dance tune about loving yourself for who you are. Akon, who signed Gaga to his Kon Live Distribution label in 2008, opened up about the pop star's latest dance opus, admitting that he thinks it will finally show off Gaga's full capacities as a musician and songwriter, and not just a pop ingenue. "I think 'Born This Way' is the kind of record that if you are really paying attention you will get the full depth of Gaga as a songwriter. Sometimes the creative image hides the element of her lyrical content," he told PopEater.com. "That's why she wanted to give people a better idea of what she was saying outside of her image when she dropped those lyrics." The track has a clear message: Everyone should be treated equally no matter who they are or what they believe in. "Gaga says a lot of stuff in her records," Akon added. "But I know these parents and critics are not really listening to her lyrics. I know that for a fact. She's singing about a lot of adult subject matter. She's not just making dance records. Unfortunately, people pay more attention to what she is wearing." The song is the lead single off the album of the same name, which will drop in May. Akon revealed that there are a few more touches that need to be added before they reach their deadline. "We are finishing up the album now," he said. "She's about to go back on tour later this year. There's a lot going on."

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Akon, Jason Derulo Make 2010 The Year Of The Self-Referential Song

20 Dec 2010 14:42:04 EST

Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, Eminem also among the artists who have shouted out their own names in their tunes this year.
By Jocelyn Vena

Akon
Photo: Matt Jelonek/ Getty Images

This past weekend on "Saturday Night Live," Akon joined the Lonely Island guys in a hilarious video for a new song called "I Just Had Sex," in which the singer proudly sings his own name, as well as the group's.

Chelsea Handler, meanwhile also got self-referential at the VMAs, when she Auto-Tuned her way through a pre-taped bit with Best New Artist nominee Jason Derülo. And, to be fair, we here at MTV News have been obsessed with pop stars singing their own names in songs for the bulk of 2010, prompted by Derülo's epic use of the device in several of his hits. Folks like Derülo, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj ("Right Thru Me"), Kanye West ("Dark Fantasy") and, obviously, Akon join a list of two decades' worth of pop artists who have taken it upon themselves to brand their tracks with their own names. In the '80s, stars like Janet Jackson, Beastie Boys and New Kids on the Block proudly proclaimed who they were in their songs. Moving into the '90s, "TRL" staples such as the Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Lopez, Kid Rock and Eminem all blasted their monikers on their tracks, letting fans know just who was singing or rapping through hits like Rock's "Bawitdaba" and BSB's "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)." As the new millennium approached and the musical landscape became more and more flooded with pop stars, it became a regular practice, with everyone from Ciara to M.I.A. to Fergie to Beyoncé to Shakira giving shout-outs to themselves in their songs. With this practice more common than ever in 2010, MTV News has approved the following rules for self-referential shout-outs. One, you get famous. Two, you brand yourself in song. Three, you put your name in the chorus, or in many cases at the very beginning of the tune. And, four, you name-drop like it's hot. Repeat offenders observing the final rule include Lady Gaga ("Just Dance," "Bad Romance"), Derülo ("Whatcha Say," "In My Head") and Akon, who most recently called out his own name and Michael Jackson's on "Hold My Hand." What do you think of pop stars singing their own names? Who pulls it off and who doesn't? Tell us in the comments!

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Dr. Dre's 'Kush' Premieres: The Party Can Finally Begin

10 Dec 2010 13:58:11 EST

Video featuring Snoop Dogg and Akon shows revelers frozen in time until the Doctor arrives.
By Jayson Rodriguez

Dr. Dre
Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage

Detox is on the way. And as the latest proof that Dr. Dre's long-awaited album will see the light of day soon, he premiered the video to the first single, "Kush," co-starring Snoop Dogg and Akon, on Friday (December 10). The video, directed by Joseph Kahn (Eminem, Britney Spears), begins as Dre is seated in a sleek, black Lamborghini, attempting to flick a lighter. Once the Left Coast maestro ignites it, the beat drops, and he exits the car. Dre approaches the club in a setting similar to "The Next Episode," one of his past hits. But the festivities around him are ice cold; the club patrons are statue-like, frozen in the parking lot and inside, in mid groove. The good doctor's last project was 1999's 2001, and perhaps things haven't been quite the same without him, the video suggests. Snoop Dogg kicks things off on the second verse, and the lanky L.A. rhyme spitter is surrounded by a bevy of beautiful, frozen women. They're smiling, drinks are pouring, but they're also statues compared to the rapper. As Dre makes his way into the club and to the bar, however, the party livens up. Dre pulls out his lighter, engraved with the song's title, and holds it to the sprinklers overhead, setting them off. As water rains down on the partygoers, they come back to life, gyrating to the thumping track's production. Later, Dre and Snoop leave the club, and Dre drives off into the night on an empty highway, surrounded by the streaking lights of cars that are no longer there. Recently, Eminem told his satellite radio station, Shade 45, that he and Dre have been in the studio wrapping up Detox. "Kush" and "I Need A Doctor," featuring Eminem, leaked back to back in November.

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Akon Recalls Meeting Michael Jackson For The First Time

09 Dec 2010 16:02:00 EST

Before recording 'Hold My Hand,' the two spent quality time together.
By James Montgomery

Michael Jackson in the video for "Hold My Hand"
Photo: Sony Music Entertainment

In 2007, long before Michael Jackson's death and everything that proceeded it (including the just-released "Hold My Hand" video and the upcoming Michael album), Akon met with the King of Pop in Las Vegas to work on a batch of songs, then intended for MJ's comeback album.

To date, only two of those songs have ever been released: a remix of Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " that appeared on the 25th-anniversary edition of the Thriller album, and, of course, "Hold My Hand." And with the Thursday (December 9) premiere of that song's video — and the pending release of Michael — MTV News went back to our August 2009 interview with Akon, to get the inside story of what it was like to work with MJ. And though the two men recorded "days" of music, what Akon remembers most about those sessions was getting to know Michael Jackson, the man. "My favorite moment was the day we actually met, because I didn't expect him to be that cool," Akon said. "I expected him to be this diva — just hard to deal with, rarely speaks, got to send his message through someone else, you know? Because these are the stories you hear." But, as Akon quickly learned, Jackson wasn't a diva — quite the opposite, in fact. "So I'm going upstairs [to meet him], I knock on the door, his bodyguard opens and says, 'OK, he's waiting to meet you.' I walk in, and [Michael's] in this spinning chair, but it's facing backwards," he said. "So I walk in the room, but his back is turned, and the guard says, 'Hey, Mike, Akon's here.' So he spins around, like it was all choreographed — so, off the top, I'm like, 'Oh boy.' "But as soon as he turns around, gets up, 'Yo, what up, man?!' and I was like, 'What up, Mike?' and he gave me a pound, we hugged each other," he continued. "He's like, 'Yo, I've been waiting to meet you for so long, this is a great honor, thanks for showing up, thanks for making the time.' And in my mind I'm like, 'You know, I should be thanking you for making the time.' " And though "Hold My Hand" was born out of the sessions that would soon follow, Akon's greatest memory from meeting MJ was that initial meeting, when all his preconceived notions melted away and he got to spend real time with the legend. "It was the craziest thing, because we sat down, we talked about Africa, we talked about my foundation, we talked about the music, we talked about girls. We had a great, incredible time that day," he said. "He was extremely funny, he told jokes, and he liked to have fun." What do you think of MJ and Akon's collabo, "Hold My Hand"? Share your reviews in the comments.

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Michael Jackson 'Hold My Hand' Video Tugs At Heartstrings

09 Dec 2010 11:42:40 EST

Posthumous clip mixes classic footage of Jackson with newly shot film of fans.
By Gil Kaufman

Michael Jackson in the video for "Hold My Hand"
Photo: Sony Music Entertainment

In addition to his flawless vocals and mind-bending footwork, one of the things Michael Jackson was best known for was his drive to create the most elaborate and cinematic music videos the world had ever seen. "Billie Jean," "Thriller," "Black or White," "Remember the Time" and "Bad" are just a few of the landmark clips the late King of Pop gave the world during his 1980s and early-'90s hit-making peak. Which is why fans and critics alike were eager to get a glimpse Thursday morning (December 9) at the first music video in the singer's career that was created without his firm guiding hand and vision. After teasing the clip earlier in the week, the official MJ site debuted on Thursday the full video for the stirring ballad "Hold My Hand," the first single from the upcoming album, Michael. The clip for MJ's duet with Akon is not unlike the first posthumous vids from the likes of other contemporary fallen stars such as Tupac Shakur or the Notorious B.I.G., in that it mixes classic footage of the artist performing with newly shot images of fans young and old paying homage to their hero.

It opens with a crowd of people standing in front of a large airplane hangar and unleashing a flood of white balloons as they say "Thank you, Michael" and "We love you, Michael," while a gigantic image of the singer in silhouette appears on the side of the structure. If nothing else, the "Hold My Hand" video is a kind of MJ greatest-hits montage, intercutting images of the singer in his prime in some of his most beloved stage outfits with glimpses of children wearing the same garb, a young boy holding a red plastic heart in his hands and Akon dancing on a pure white background as MJ hoofs beside him. As Michael begins to sing the first verse, we see a variety of different hands — old, young, holding babies, reaching up to the sky, down into a bathtub, etc. — as well as a series of women crying, the infamous glittering glove and a woman in a hospital bed seemingly dying of cancer, all intended to pull heartstrings and stir emotion. It continues on like that, with most of the video consisting of shots of hands (some trailing a kind of glittery pixie-dust vapor) doing various things, children breakdancing and popping, and various images of angels, as the edits of stock-like footage of sunny skies, forests and adorable babies pile on so quickly it's almost hard to keep up. Jackson, frankly, is hardly in the video, making sporadic appearances courtesy of some iconic footage of him in concert, a curious choice given the reported dozens of hours of HD footage shot of the singer while he was preparing for what was slated to be his big comeback tour in England last year. The duet with Akon was recorded in 2007 and, as a message on MJ's site points out, "a handwritten note from Michael belonging to his estate indicated his desire that 'Hold My Hand' be the first single on his next project." After an unfinished version leaked in 2008, Akon recently went back into the studio to complete production on the track. Instead of the eye-popping special effects and intricate choreography of the past, the "Hold My Hand" video goes for a simpler, more predictable sentimentality. Without Jackson around anymore to call the shots and push the video envelope, it also signals a quiet, uneventful end to a career of constant reinvention and visual ambition via music video. In a statement to MTV News, director Mark Pellington explained what he was aiming for with the posthumous clip. "We shot the video in a variety of locations in Los Angeles, including a blimp hangar in Tustin. The attempt was to create a celebratory, positive, healing music video honoring Michael's legacy," he said. "And for me personally, if his fans like it, that's all I really care about." What do you think of the "Hold My Hand" video?

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Teaser For Michael Jackson's 'Hold My Hand' Video Released

06 Dec 2010 10:26:28 EST

A 30-second preview of MJ's duet with Akon promises epic images.
By Gil Kaufman

Photo: Ebet Roberts/ Redferns

It's hard enough to finish a song by a noted perfectionist such as Michael Jackson after the singer's death, but the challenge of filming a video for the first posthumous single from the most celebrated video maker in music history has got to be even more daunting. So MJ fans must have been eager to check out a 30-second teaser of the clip for the Akon collaboration "Hold My Hand," that was posted on Jackson's website over the weekend, just over a week before the King of Pop's first posthumous studio album, Michael, is slated to hit stores. The quick-cut preview opens with Jackson, bathed in a spotlight on stage and dressed in a black leather jacket, black pants and a gold lame unitard, blowing a kiss to unseen fans and spreading his arms wide. With the song's swelling, cinematic strings and Jackson and Akon's vibrant vocals on the chorus pumping behind, we then see a succession of images, including a mother holding a smiling baby, MJ on stage during his prime, a lit-up Ferris wheel, a grade-school girl stretching her arms toward the sun, a baby in a diaper learning how to walk and the track's title graffitied on a cement wall. The action then moves inside to a dark venue, as a blinding light emerges in the distance from the point of view of an ecstatic, clapping crowd. It quickly becomes clear that the audience is awaiting Jackson's arrival on stage, as his unmistakable profile appears in shadow on the curtain. More quick cuts reveal a b-girl in a gold lame top busting a few moves while swinging chains and a child MJ impersonator shuffling his feet amid classic images of Jackson on stage at various points in his career. Those clips are then interspersed with shots of a huge chorus singing the song's refrain while waving their arms in the air on a set that looks like a reservoir or a dam. The teaser ends with a montage of children's hands and a close-up of a grand piano cued to the tune's haunting keyboard break. The duet with Akon was recorded in 2007 and, as a message on MJ's site points out, "a handwritten note from Michael belonging to his estate indicated his desire that 'Hold My Hand' be the first single on his next project." After an unfinished version leaked in 2008, Akon recently went back into the studio to complete production on the track. What do you think of the "Hold My Hand" teaser clip? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Akon Won't Release Unfinished Michael Jackson Tracks

18 Nov 2010 15:50:42 EST

'Hold My Hand' was done, but the rest are 'just ideas, concepts, harmonies,' Akon tells MTV News.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Kelly Marino

Akon
Photo: MTV News

Akon's inspirational track with Michael Jackson, "Hold My Hand," was released as the official first single from Jackson's posthumous album, Michael. It is a track that was completely finished before Jackson's death. However, many of the tracks on the album are pieced-together parts of songs Jackson was working on before his death. Akon told MTV News he has no plans to release any unfinished business he and Jackson worked on.

"I'm definitely excited about our single, because that was finished, complete, and I'm happy with the outcome," Akon explained. "And I know [Jackson] was [happy] 'cause we were there finishing the song together, so I'm really happy about what we accomplished on that record 'Hold My Hand.' " So, what was the concept Akon and Jackson tried to deliver on the song? "We was trying to find the unity, like what can we possibly translate that can bring the world together?" he remembered. "It was a song I was previously working on that I eventually let [Jackson] hear, and when he heard it, he fell in love with it. ... We clicked instantly when it came to it. That was the main concept: Let's figure out something we can leave behind, in 20,000 years later it can still be relevant." It's an idea Akon and Jackson thought a lot about and can be found on many of their unfinished songs, not that anyone will ever get the chance to hear them. "Me and Mike worked on a lot of concepts before he passed. 'Hold My Hand' was one of the records that was actually fully complete; the rest of the records are incomplete. They're just ideas, concepts, harmonies and stuff like that which the world will probably never see 'cause I wouldn't want to put it out unfinished," he explained. "I know at the end of the day if it wasn't fully complete, I don't think he would see it released that way. "Majority of the concepts we worked on, they were all international, worldwide," he added. "It was always the point of which everyone has to find some kind of relativity in it. That was always a challenge, and we found concepts that would do it. We just never got the chance to finish the songs, but 'Hold My Hand' was a prime example." Do you think Akon should release the other music he worked on with Michael Jackson? Sound off in the comments below!

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