Kat DeLuna

Kat DeLuna Sinks Her Claws Into Akon For 9 Lives Re-Release, Which Features More Of 'Hip-Hop Kat'

28 Feb 2008 15:55:00 EST

Busta Rhymes pops up on spring LP's first single, 'Run the Show.'
By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Lisa Gonzalez

If at first you don't succeed, just add Akon.

It worked for Gwen Stefani when the No Doubt frontwoman's sophomore set slumped out of the gate, critically and commercially. Her Akon-assisted second single, "The Sweet Escape," propelled the album, and the title track eventually reached the top spot on Billboard's Pop 100 chart.

Now it's Latin pop singer Kat DeLuna who is turning to the Senegalese star for a boost. 'Kon just signed on to executive-produce her debut album, 9 Lives, which is set to be re-released later this spring.

DeLuna recently filmed videos for the first single, "Run the Show." The Latin version is set to feature reggaetón star Don Omar; meanwhile, the English version will feature Busta Rhymes, who spilled the news about Akon's role in the project. DeLuna's management also confirmed Akon's involvement as executive producer to MTV News.

"He gave me the call," Busta told MTV News recently from the "Run the Show" video set. "I saw the video she did for ['Whine Up'] with Elephant Man, and I like the joint she did with him, and I'm also a fan of Elephant. So at the end of the day, once they sent me the song, it really doesn't take too much for me, I just got to like the record genuinely at this stage in my career. It ain't about nothing more than me just genuinely liking what I'm a part of at this point. I liked the record and I liked her energy. She just seemed like she really enjoys what she's doing. I like to get behind things that look like it has that real star quality. She seems like she's gonna be around for a while."

For the re-release, DeLuna will be mixing her Latin sound with more collaborations and a touch of hip-hop, she said.

"I introduce a bit more of the hip-hop Kat," she explained. "It's still keeping it Latin, but the hip-hop Kat with ... a little bit of singing."

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