Audio Akon
Konvicted

MP3: How you doing, man? Akon: I’m good, man. How you doing? Not too bad, not too bad. That’s good. So first of all I wanted to say congrats on the new single, “Smack That” is doing real well right now. You got it. How did you link up with Eminem? Actually, linking up with Eminem was fairly easy. It was really through Obie Trice, when I did his record for Obie. I did a record for Obie called “Snitches”. And between the conversation me and Obie had, I was like, “Dude, I need get at Em for this record.” And he was like, “Yo, it’s cool because Em loves you anyway. You know, I think if he do a record with anybody, it’s going to be you because you the only person that he feels like is compatable enough to ride with him.” And I mean, I put that together. So when I flew out to Detroit, I went to the studio to go be with Em. It was crazy because he already had the records for his album that was finished that he wanted to add me on, you know what I’m saying. Nice. So it was crazy. He was a fan of me and I was a fan of him. So once we got in the studio, we just clicked instantly, man. It was like automatic. So I gave him a record, he gave me a record, and we just move on. I’m going to do more records for Shady and everybody else over there, too. Oh that's cool. So let’s talk about the new album, Konvicted. What can we expect on that? How does it differ from Trouble? This is album is definitely a step up from Trouble. Trouble was definitely one of the them records that—it was more dark. You know what I’m saying? Sure. Because I was just coming out of a lot of those dark experiences. This record is not that much lighter, but it’s definitely lighter than the first one. It’s definitely way more upscale than the first one because I’m way more experienced now as a producer than I used to be, way more experienced as a writer than I used to be. You know what I’m saying? Yeah, absolutely. And I kind of know now, from being out from the first album, exactly the kind of record that my audience will love to hear from me. So at the same time, I never changed the format as far as my experiences. I just know what kind of experience records would definitely work today. So it’s a little more refined sort of, taking that experience. Yeah, and it’s definitely more international than the first one was. Cool, excellent. And who else do you have on there in? I mean, I know you’re doing most of the production yourself. Who do you have on there in terms of guests and collaborations? As far as guests and collaboration, you know, I have Snoop Dogg, I have Eminem, and I brought Styles P back, too. I think he’s like my good luck charm. (laughs) It worked before. Yeah, it worked before, man. I always believe in that if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, you know what I’m saying? So he was there for me when nobody else was, so I always felt like I got to definitely look out for him when I get to a certain level. Do do you have a second single picked out for it yet? Right now the second single is “I Wanna Love You,” featuring Snoop Dogg. Nice. So we put them pretty much both out simultaneously, you know what I’m saying. But it’s great, though, because they’re both my records, you know. Right on, man. And then once the album drops, are you going to be touring? Yeah, once the album drops we’re going to be touring. You know, we’re going to do an House of Blues tour. That’s the warm up to everything, do our little spot dates here and there and then we’re going to cross over to Europe after New Year’s and do a world tour. Excellent, man. Yeah. Now, yeah, I wanted to talk about that. I mean that your album was a huge hit in the States but, also, it was really really big overseas. When you were in the studio making it, did you expect it to catch on so fast and to be as large as it was? For this album, not at all because you got to think we was working the first single for almost a year before it ever even got played on the radio. So it was like a lot of people just thought it just happened overnight, when, in actuality, we’d been grinding on that album forever because it had been released since 2003. Right, okay. It’s almost three years old, but a lot people just think it just dropped last year. You know what I’m saying? In a way it all works out because I think all that hard work that we put in definitely worked out for us. Now you do a lot of production yourself, almost a whole album, which is kind of rare these days, in R&B especially. When you first got into music did you start with singing and then get into the producing or was it the other way around or simultaneously or how did that come about? When I first started, I started off as a producer first. You know, I was producing for other artists, helping artists get their demos going. I was with the Fugees at the time. We was doing work over there with them at the Refugee Camp. There was a lot of little things I was doing behind closed doors, learning the business at the same time, staying behind the scenes. You know what I’m saying? Sure, sure. And then later, after I got incarcerated, I was like, “Okay, I need to take this very, very seriously because I can’t get a regular job like everyone else. I need to find something that can maintain the same lifestyle I was used to already. And music is the next best thing that can keep me out of trouble, get me rich and, at the end of day, I’ll be able to feed the family with it, you know.” Sounds like a plan. So, having your first record be so successful, does that put more pressure on you this time around to surpass that? No, actually, my first record being successful makes it easier for my second record. You know what I’m saying? Because now I’m— You got a built-in fan base. Yeah, I got a built-in fan base, you know what I’m saying. I’ve been there. I’m experienced with the grind and what I got to do to make a successful record, you know. I feel like, man, the sophomore jinx to me is just bulls***. Like, honestly, if you fail the second time around, you just being plain lazy because it’s way easier. You know, literally, there's no reason on how you’d be successful the first time around and you take all those elements at apply it again. I guess this is what happens to a lot of artists, once they make it, they feel like they don’t have to work as hard as they did the first time. So naturally, they don’t work as hard the second time and the second album don’t be as successful as the first one. But the first time is where all the hunger comes in, you’re willing to do whatever it takes to make it. But then once they make it, they feel like they don’t have to work as hard no more and I think that’s where the mistake comes in at. Sure, that makes sense. Now, obviously, you’ve got a strong ear for talent. You signed T-Pain and he blew up earlier this year. What can you tell us about the new label Kon Live? I got KLD, Kon Live Distribrution, and it’s over at Interscope, Geffen. It’s like one of the biggest deals signed this year. That’s huge. And I’m very happy. Yes, it was a huge deal, great deal with Jimmy Iovine. He really believed in me as a producer and as a record exec. You know what I’m saying? So I definitely always commend him for that. I got Chilli that just signed from TLC. She’s going to be doing a solo record? Yeah, she’s going to be doing a solo record that I’ll be producing. And then, of course, I’ve got other producer friends that’s going to get involved with it, like Missy Elliott, Polo, Timbaland, you know what I’m saying. It’s for real. And we’re going to make it like the craziest album for that girl. And I got T-Pain's new album dropping in 2007, you know what I’m saying. So definitely look out for that because that’s going to be huge. We’ve got some incredible records already done. And then I’ve got Earl Ray, who’s like the next R&B sensation. He’s so incredible, it don’t make any sense. He’s going to dropping off the KLD situation as well. Cool. Cool, man, I’m looking forward to that. Now being that you’re a singer, producer, songwriter, yourself, what are you listening to these days besides your own stuff and your artists? Is there any new records out that are really impressing you? You know what’s crazy? Because for the last six months I haven’t listened to anything outside of me because I’ve been creating this album and getting it right and normally when I’m in the process of doing an album I don’t listen to anything else because I don’t want it to influence me and my music. So I shut off the radios. I don’t watch videos, you know what I’m saying. And I think that’s so important nowadays because what happens is when you get so used to what’s out there you get influenced by what’s out there. Sometimes you don’t even do it on purpose, it's just... Subliminally. That stuff’s out there—subliminally. You know what I’m saying? So I kind of shut myself off from outside music while I was creating this album. But before that I was listening to The Best of R.E.M, I was listening to Creed. I was listening to Bob Marley, Black Uhuru, Steel Pulse. You know what I’m saying? The older Seal album I love. A lot of like Phil Collins records, like I love that kind of—that’s me right there. You know? Yep, nice. Cool, man, I just got a couple more questions for you. I know you’re busy. Okay, outside of the music you’ve got a bunch of other projects going on. And you’ve got, like, a diamond company, right? Yeah, we got a diamond line. I got a mining company in Africa. And right now we’re doing a lot of wholesale diamonds—just wholesaling to dealers. Right now we’re supplying half of the diamond district with our diamonds. So it’s been very good. That’s like really my first day job, so if music or anything else fails, I can also turn my back—you know what I’m saying? Yeah, totally. It sounds like it. That will also keep me cool. (laughs) That’s a good backup. Right on. Yeah, man, that’s the Plan A, really. (laughs) And then you also got a clothing line coming out as well? What’s the deal with that? Yep. Yep, we got a clothing line that’s about to come out that’s dropping February. What’s that called? That will come out first thing February. It’s called Konvict Clothing. And that’s like the straight streetwear, like denims, hoodies, t-shirts, caps. You know what I’m saying? And then Aliaune is like the upscale version of that line, which will be servicing all the females and all the upscale men with the blazers and the real expensive denim jeans, real expensive, you know what I’m saying. It’s more upper and just high-end line stuff. Cool, man. That sounds good. Yep. Now you’ve gone—I mean, obviously you’ve been in the game for a while now, but in terms of solo artists, name recognitions, mainstream success, in the past few years you’ve become like a multiplatinum superstar. Seeing as so many kids today are trying to get into the industry, what advice would you give to them? I would pretty much tell them to just try to do what they do the best way they can do it. And because a lot of times you may have a particular style that’s just so different from everybody else but it’s hard for people to grasp to it because it’s never been heard before. And I think what happens is a lot of times people will alter their sound just to make it sound like what’s hot right now to get a deal quicker. But in actuality it only makes it harder because there’s so many people doing the same thing to where labels can’t have a significant view of who’s dope, who’s not, who’s different, who is not, because the people that have their own sound, sound like the people that have a sound already. You know what I’m saying? Right, right. You know, just be yourself. I mean you got to have enough confidence in yourself to know if nobody else is going to believe in me, I can believe in myself. And even if you can and you’ve got financial backup, someone that believes in you, work the record yourself, get the hype going and let them come chase you. You know what I’m saying? No doubt. That’s good advice, man. Cool. So the album drops November 21, is the date, right? Well actually we pushed it up a week. So the 14th? So now it’s—yep, the 14th. And that’s a great thing because I think these records are doing its numbers right now. Oh, definitely, man. I think you’re going to have another hit on your hands, for sure. Definitely, man, definitely. Well listen, man, thank you for taking the time to talk to me, I appreciate it. You got it, buddy.