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The MC Music Man takes on: Akon

By: Dustin Looney
Features Editor

Although Aliaune Thiam, better known as Akon, is now associated with all other mainstream hip-hop artists, he had a unique upbringing compared to most artists. Akon spent the first seven years of his life in Senegal, a country with a very different culture from the United States.

When Akon moved with his family to New Jersey, he was exposed to hip-hop music for the first time. He was very familiar with music in general, as his father, Mor Thiam, was a well-known Senegalese drummer. In addition to new music exposure, Akon was also exposed to crime in the big city.

After getting into trouble with the law, he was eventually put in jail. He used the time to work on his musical passion, and after being released from jail, he began writing and recording his music in a home studio.

His first CD, titled “Trouble,” was released in 2004 and achieved much success with singles such as “Lonely” and “Locked Up.”

His music combines hip-hop beats with unique reggae/West African-style vocals.

Akon released his second album, titled “Konvicted” in 2006. The CD contains 12 tracks, and although many contain lyrics with no significant meaning, I think it is better than most mainstream rap albums. The following tracks are my personal favorites on “Konvicted.”

The second track on the CD is titled “Blown Away,” and it features Styles P. This song has a very catchy beat and Akon sings about some rough times he experienced while growing up. In the song, he exposes the scary truth about how dangerous the rough parts in America can be.

Immediately following “Blown Away” is the club hit, “Smack That.” This song has achieved immense success and has been played on radios across the country. Eminem is featured in this song, and I consider it the song which truly puts Akon on the map. Eminem sings in the song: “Ooh...Looks like another club banger/ They better hang on when they throw this thing on/ Get a lil’ drink on/ They gonna flip for this Akon s---/ You can bank on it.”

The fourth track on “Konvicted” is another fan-favorite, titled “I Wanna Love You,” featuring Snoop Dog. This song is about a recent infatuation among mainstream rappers: picking up strippers at a club. Akon sings in this song: “Girl I spend money like it don’t mean nothing and besides I got a thing for you.”

Track five on the album is a slower emotional song titled “The Rain.” In this tune, Akon sings about the pressure placed on him after his first album and how the spotlight is beginning to wear on him.

The seventh track on the CD is the deepest and most meaningful song on the CD. Titled “Mama Africa,” this tune has a reggae-style beat and solid lyrics, with Akon trying to inform the listener on the unexposed beauty of Africa. In the chorus of the song, he sings that Africa has “so much love to share.”

The final track on the album is Akon’s most recent hit single, and it is called “Don’t Matter.” This up-tempo song has a smooth beat and passionate lyrics, as he sings about being together with a loved one: “Believe we gonna fight/ We gonna fight/ Fight for our right to love yeah/ Nobody wanna see us together/ But it don’t matter no/ Cause I got you.”

Although a lot of his lyrics are as trivial as most mainstream lyrics, Akon does have some deeper songs, and I like his unique-sounding vocals.

The fact that he spent his youth in a different culture shines through on this CD, and it is clear that his lyrics are more meaningful than most rap played on the radio.

Overall, I was impressed with “Konvicted” and I think Akon has potential to write music much better than most mainstream rap.