“I’m sorry…I meant to go to jail!”: Akon makes a mean face
I’m not even an Akon fan. However, I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to write that headline before another blog did.
The Huffington Post got to The Smoking Gun earlier than the rest of us did, pointing out what rigorously fact-checked hip-hop magazines should have known a long time ago: When Senegal-born singer-songwriter-producer Akon
settled on “Konvicted” for the title of his second album, which sold nearly three million copies last year … “Kontrived” might have been a more accurate choice.
Akon’s ad nauseum claims about his criminal career and resulting prison time have been, to an overwhelming extent, exaggerated, embellished, or wholly fabricated, an investigation by The Smoking Gun has revealed.
Calling the exposé “Akon’s Con Job,” the article notes that
While the performer’s rap sheet does include a half-dozen arrests, Akon has only been convicted of one felony, for gun possession. That 1998 New Jersey case ended with a guilty plea, for which the singer was sentenced to three years probation. Another 1998 bust, this one in suburban Atlanta, has been seized upon by Akon and transformed into the big case that purportedly sent him to prison (thanks to his snitching cohorts) for three fight-filled years. In reality, Akon was arrested for possession of a single stolen BMW and held in the DeKalb County jail for several months before prosecutors dropped all charges against him.
So there was no conviction. There was no prison term between 1999 and 2002. And he was never “facing 75 years,” as the singer claimed in one videotaped interview.
Ha! Smack that! But maybe if things, no pun intended, go south with that 14-year-old he dry-humped in Trinidad, his fantasies will come true. No business like show business!
3 comments ↓
I’ve always been very vocal in my hate for Akon. I think he’s a clown. From darn near raping 14 year old girls to picking up and throwing people off the stage at his shows, hes just a douche bag. I took a little bit of time out and wrote about Akon today over at Highbrid Nation and I hope that the uncovering of his true past is a message to artists and labels that “keeping it real” doesn’t mean making up some stuff.
Mike used all of the adjectives I wanted to use. I’ve enjoyed Akon’s music in the past (I enjoy a lot of cheesy things) and I don’t think there is anything wrong with writing lyrics that don’t apply to your real life (ie writing a story or metaphor). However, lying in interviews about a criminal past is really Milli Vanilli style low and insulting to folks who actually have had that experience. Cheap marketing ploy. Oh yeah, and the sexual abuse of minors–if he’s konvicted I’ll say more…however, my only hope is the sick sexual fascination with young teens that permeates the music industry (and culture) will fade as more and more real life scenarios digust everyone….i’m allowed to dream, right?
hey now, shayna, need we really drag milli vanilli into the mud? far as i know, they never made up any elaborate stories about how it really was them singing. i still think they deserve that grammy (to be shared with the actual singers and savvy producers of course).
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