Akon Gagged By Label After Polygamy Comments
http://www.musicsnews.com/articles/1269/1/
"His father had four wives, all of whom he considers "Mom". It also turns out that Akon has taken up a Senegalese lifestyle here, because after a little hesitation, the singer-producer admitted that he has his own multi-monogamous household going down in the ATL!" From Vibe
Eminem collaborator Akon has admitted his record company have put a gagging order on him after he admitted to having three wives.
The rapper, originally from Senegal, told radio interviewer Angie Martinez he was “a polygamist†who could “afford to have as many wives as I can afford to haveâ€.However, the unconventional comments didn’t go down well with Universal, who have now banned him from talking about it further – which Akon claims exposes the Land of the Free’s inherent hypocrisy.He tells AllHipHop.com, “After me and Angie had that conversation, situations started getting heated. It started affecting other people that had nothing to do with us.
“Because of that, (the label) said they don't want me to promote that aspect, and I can't talk about that too much because it's destroying other people's families and other things. I said, 'Ok, no problem.'"I gave them the word to where I won't promote it too much, to where it won't be a topic to where it starts getting tainted into those situations. Unfortunately, this is the world we live in, people do judge you by your beliefs and how you think. It's a free country, but it's really not free."
Written by gigwise.com
Akon Nixes Polygamy Rumour
Akon nixes polygamy rumour
By JANE STEVENSON -- Sun Media
Akon is the ultimate multi-hyphenate: Rapper-singer- songwriter-producer-clothing designer-father-reality show star-convicted felon-polygamist.
Wait a minute, scratch that last one.
The Senegal-born, Atlanta-based artist -- whose real name is Allaune Thiam -- admits the recent rumour that he has three wives got out of hand, and it was largely of his own doing.
Turns out he only has one wife and three sons -- aged five, nine and 10.
"There was a big rumour about me having many wives," said Akon, in Toronto this week to promote his sophomore album, Konvicted. "It started off as a joke and it got serious. And then I was just running with it to see how far it'd go. In a way, I was causing controversy, 'cause I knew certain people that wouldn't normally attend to me, that will make them go, 'What?' So, in a way, it was a publicity stunt."
Actually, it's Akon's father, jazz percussionist Mor Thiam, who has three wives back in Senegal, where it's an accepted practice for Muslims.
Akon visits Senegal as much as he can in his capacity as an ambassador for youth. Through a foundation, the music star is helping build schools, hospitals and recreation centres for the children of this homeland.
"Anything in the development of the young generation, I'm pretty much involved in," said Akon, dripping in bling, including an oversized diamond-encrusted watch.
The onetime felon, who moved to New Jersey from Senegal with his family when he was around eight years old, has clearly come full circle after serving three years in prison for being, as he put it, "the ringleader of a notorious car-theft operation."
But it was hardly what you would call hard time.
"I wasn't scared at all," Akon said. "Because you've got to think a lot of those people in there are just no different from everyday people, just caught up in the situation. I just think the whole aura of just being locked up, you think of killers, murderers, rapists, but it depends on the size of the crime, that will determine what facility you're at. If you're a murderer and you're in with other murderers then you got something to worry about. I was with people that were in there for fraud, white-collar crimes, cheque-cashing, minor stuff. "
Still, he credits the experience for turning him around.
"That's what saved my life," Akon said. "Because that's where I pretty much organized my life. Sitting in there, I just knew that wasn't really the life I wanted to lead. I knew that wasn't it. So it gave me the time that I needed to focus on all that's happening right now. There was nowhere else left to go (but music). As a felon, you can't work. You can't do anything, really, so it was like, the only thing that you really can do and be profitable doing is music, really. This is the only avenue that allows you to make a mistake and still become a millionaire."
In fact, Akon is currently negotiating with Viacom for a new reality show that would see him "going to all the jail facilities to find the next me. It's almost like the flip-side of American Idol. You find the troubled kids."
Working with diva Houston on new album no problem
Akon says he had no trepidation about working on Whitney Houston's next album, despite the singer's troubled reputation the past few years.
"Actually, to me those make the best records," Akon told Sun Media. "Whatever the situation she went through, I felt like with the reputation and the media blasts and all that, it's going to make the biggest record. That's what I want to capture in these songs. I felt like all that she went through, nobody ever really heard her side. My songs will definitely express the sort of stuff she's gone through."
The rapper-singer-songwriter-and-producer got the call to write some new songs for Houston from legendary Sony-BMG North American chairman Clive Davis.
Working with pop stars is nothing knew for Akon, whose latest album, Konvicted, includes appearances by heavyweights Eminem and Snoop Dogg.
Akon also has collaborated with Gwen Stefani -- on the title track from her second solo album, The Sweet Escape and is part of her upcoming tour -- and Elton John for a future hip-hop album.
"I don't have boundaries when it comes to the music thing," he said. "And I think that's a mistake a lot of artists make -- they contain themselves in this box where they can't do anything outside of the genre they're known for and it limits you, period, from growing."
Rapper defends having Three Wives
http://www.contactmusic.com/
Rapper AKON has defended having three wives, insisting it's no different to dating multiple women. The Senegalese star recently revealed he practices polygamy at his home in Atlanta, Georgia. The confession exposed the 25-year-old to a barrage of criticism and his record label Universal banned him from promoting his behaviour. But he insists he isn't unusual, telling AllHipHop.com, "A lot of men do it. You ain't gotta be married to them. "You know how many dudes I know that got like three or four girls? All of them… I'm not gonna say all of them but most. That's what they do, they're dating all of these chicks. It's the same thing, only difference is on that side you got a title."
24/11/2006 23:42