Akon - Freedom
SKU
STARCD 7393
"2009 is shaping up to be the biggest year of Akon's career. In addition to his own album, the Konvict CEO is prepping releases for T-Pain, Lady Gaga, Kardinal Offishall, Flipsyde Dolla and Colby O'Donis. His fashion line, Konvict and Aliaune Clothing, is set to launch in January. Finally, Konfidence Foundation, the charity Akon has personally funded for four years, has teamed up with songwriter/philanthropist Peter Buffett to launch IsThereSomethingICanDo.com, a Google of sorts for charitable foundations. (An elementary school in the singer's home country of Senegal has already been built, with a hospital being developed.)
It's easy to get complacent when you achieve the level of success Akon has. With worldwide sales of over 7 million albums, certified gold and platinum status in over 23 countries, hundreds of guest appearances (including a collaboration with Michael Jackson), and the record for the first artist to have the #1 and 2 songs simultaneously on the Billboard charts twice, you'd be forgiven for allowing Akon to lean back. But, to quote the singer himself, 'The more successful I get, the harder I work to keep it.'
This work ethic was ingrained in the singer at an early age by his father, famed percussionist Mor Thiam. While being raised in Senegal, Akon would take all the percussion lessons taught by his father while simultaneously studying the violin and keyboard. Upon moving back to the states and later settling in Atlanta, the producer opened up some recording studios as an investment, but quickly found an urge to create music of his own. After doing time, the singer used those experiences as the basis for Trouble, his 2004 debut album which would eventually sell over 2 million copies. 2006 saw the release of the follow-up Konvicted, which, with the help of now-ubiquitous songs 'Smack that,' 'I Wanna Love You,' and 'Don't Matter' sold over 3 million copies.
'In my heart, I'm the same exact person I was in 2004, the only difference is I've grown a lot, I'm just a more mature man,' admits the singer. 'I've learned from my mistakes. I've apologized and corrected them today. At this point, some would say the success is here, relax, but I realize I still need to make the best music possible to capture your attention. If I can accomplish 10% of what I want to do, I might be almost satisfied'.
1. Right Now (Na Na Na)
2. Beautiful 05:13
3. Keep You Much Longer
4. Troublemaker
5. We Don't Care
6. I'm So Paid
7. Holla Holla
8. Against The Grain
9. Be With You
10. Sunny Day
11. Birthmark
12. Over The Edge
13. Freedom "
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