Welcome to “Sell Out Or Not?” the first edition of a running series of posts that will decide who’s a sell-out and who isn’t. Today we focus on Akon.
Akon and his buddy T-Pain
Let’s be real. In the Summer of 2004, “Locked Up” was tha shyt. With a grimey-ass beat, grimey-ass Styles P, and substantial lyrics, it was the R&B song that no one was afraid to bump. It officially introduced to hip-hop its’ new favorite R&B cat. Then when Green Lantern’s version of “Ghetto” with the Biggie and ‘Pac verses started circulating on radios everywhere, it was a wrap. This cat was hip hop’s new favorite R&B singer. Funny thing was, “Locked Up” was actually his second single. The first, “Belly Dancer (Bonanza)” was a failed club attempt. I can remember picking up Trouble (2004 Universal Records) and thinking, “Man, this kid is dope. If he could ever cut out these wack club songs, he’d be set.” This guy was supposed to be in the Lyfe Jennings/Jaheim mold. The best at it since Donell Jones got too familiar with the nose candy. Yeah, he had some love songs, but “Lonely” was actually kinda hot. But he also sang about real shit. Other than the three mentioned above, no one else was doin that. Plus he was jumpin’ on tracks with everyone from Young Jeezy to the Beatnuts, giving them hit singles.
But then a funny thing happened…..
Instead of tuning up his more substantial songs, he tuned up his club joints. And those club joints made him a superstar.
Akon just wanted to love yall, yall loved Akon
He leaked a joint towards the summer of 2006 called “I Wanna Fuck You” featuring a then-unknown Plies. Little did he know, Plies was quite a trouble-maker himself. In July of 2006, he had a concert he was co-headlining with Lil’ Boosie. Two of his homies, supposedly, let off two rounds into the crowd, striking 5 with non-lifethreatening injuries. Plies also, more recently, has been rumored to have provided Dade County Legend (Plies’ hometown) Trick Daddy quite the beat-down. However due to the first incident, Plies was removed from Akon’s single. He was eventually replaced by Snoop Dogg, they made a radio version, and the rest is history.
A second single is released with Eminem, “Smack That,” just as big as the first. A third single, “Don’t Matter,” a “Lonely”-rehash, another smash. Four point seven million worldwide sales later, Akon is a superstar. And just to keep thangs poppin, his first artist (whose debut album was saved by a strip club/snapping anthem “I’m In Luv Wit A Stripper”) fills Akon’s niche following. There was barely any rappers or R&B singers that had a hit single without Akon or T-Pain last year. T-Pain had the most spun song on radio, “Buy You A Drank,” and featured Akon on the smash follow up “Bartender.”
So the question is: Akon went from “Ghetto” to “Smack That.” Did he sell out n the process? His first joint some really dope shit; “Ghetto,” “Locked Up,” “Trouble Nobody,” “Pot Of Gold,” and a couple of others. They had dramatic production, razor sharp lyrics, and substantial meanings. The second album had one song of the sort: “The Rain.”
