andPOP » Akon

David Guetta – Super Cool Dude Behind Sexy Chick

Robert Ostfield — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:00:56 +0000

The mastermind behind Sexy Chick and countless other hits, David Guetta is DJ royalty. And you would think with all his success he would have an ego. Truth is – not really! A very approachable guy and we are grateful to have been able to sit down with him.

Twista’s Category: F5, A Vicious Vision

Jeremy Singer — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:49:01 +0000

In life (and in the hip-hop industry especially), there’s an unwritten code: as you approach the veteran years of your career, you’re expected to lose a step in your game.

Twista did not get that memo.

In fact, with 18 years of experience in the business so far, the Chicago hip-hop legend doesn’t see a career decline anytime soon. Nope, on the contrary. He says that some of his best work is yet to come.

Think about that for a moment.

This is coming from the guy who’s had two of his past six studio albums go platinum and crack the top ten list on the U.S. Billboard top 200, collaborations with some of the music industry’s finest talent including Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey, T-Pain, Lil Wayne, T.I, and Akon, and not to mention, this is also the former Guinness World Record holder for the fastest rapper in the world.

But despite all of his accomplishments, the 35-year-old is still confident that there’s room to improve, and has thus named his seventh studio album Category F5, the term for the most severe and dangerous Tornado level known to mankind on the Fujita scale.

“When all is said and done,” Twista tells andPOP, “I want everyone to see Twista as a timeless artist.

“I really want people to see that ‘this n***a came into the game a while back and was blowing away people with his lyrics from the beginning all the way until the end, and still at 35, he’s still competing with some of the hottest n***as in the game now.”

With stakes so high and something planned to be so colossal, the rapper thought it was necessary to be more involved in the production of this record.

“There were a lot of things hands-on this time,” recalls Twista. “I used to have some people do some stuff for me, but this time I really dove into the mixing and listening to the first cuts.

“But this hands-on thing really challenged me, so it was like I was sitting somewhere in the basement going crazy like mad scientist, hard at work, trying to get the album the way I wanted it to sound.”

But hard work isn’t foreign to Twista. Born and bred on Chicago’s West Side, Twista- real name Carl Mitchell -is quite familiar with the feeling of grinding through the ranks, networking, and continuing to push forward. In fact, it’s safe to say that Twista is one of the best networking artists in the entire industry.

Case in show, at the time he released his third album Adrenaline Rush in 1997, Twista’s services as a rapid-tongued lyrical speed-demon were constantly desired by the majority of the biz. Kind of like the way someone requests a special hot sauce to give their food that extra spike, Twista was indeed that secret sauce, and the industry couldn’t get enough of him.

Timbaland, Ludacris, P. Diddy, Kanye West. The list goes on and on.

“Everyone knows I’m happy to help them out anytime,” explains Twista. “I put my heart and soul into everything, and the tracks that they ask me to jump on. So it feels good to know they have my back and can return the favor.”

And the original favor returned was well worth it. His 2004 album Kamikaze attracted, upon many, the likes of longtime Chi-town friend Kanye West and actor/singer Jamie Foxx, who all together created the album’s Grammy nominated star pupil Slow Jamz. The album’s popularity was so hot that it not only reached platinum status, but also earned the No. 1 spot on the U.S. Billboard top 200.

Ever since Kamikaze, however, Twista has yet to generate as much success.

The following two projects, The Day After (2005), and Adrenaline 2007 (2007) did do fairly well- the first going platinum and the second going gold – but somehow their growth was stunted.

It’s one of Twista’s main hopes that F5 will break that trend, and help reclaim his spotlight.

“When people hear this album,” says Twista, “I just want them to see me, and how I’m still a part of what’s going on.”

Helping him hopefully meet that goal are the A-listing cast that he attracted once again- no surprise there. Throwing out big names such as Kanye, Akon, Busta Rhymes, R. Kelly, and longtime friend on the production side, The Legendary Traxster, the cast can only be assessed as simply more fire power for this already machine gun rapper.

“I’m still so phased by it now,” says Twista. “It’s a great group to have in the studio, such top artists all working together to achieve excellence- nothing better than that.”

Dig deeper, and you’ll find that his allegiances with some of the guys go further than just past one-time gigs. Take him and Trax for example. Like peanut butter and jelly, they both go all the way back to when Twista first began spitting out beats on records. Or R. Kelly, who was a guest at Twista’s original release party in 1991. Or even Kanye, who Twista recalls spending tons of time with, at his house, while they were younger.

“Man, I was chilling with him when he was still getting into trouble with his mother,” Twista says laughing. “But overall, I guess I’m just lucky to have a great relationship with everybody.”

F5 also gives Twista a chance to put his career on a path towards “longevity”- a dream and word that he cannot repeat enough throughout the interview. Almost like a four syllable mantra.

“Hip-hop artists’ careers end way too quickly,” says Twista. “It’s sad, and it would be great if they can last as long as the way R&B artists do. Just like James Brown.”

Then he pauses.

“You know what, I wanna be like the Jason Voorhees of rap,” he adds, chuckling, referring to the machete-wielding hockey-masked fictional character in Friday the 13th who just never dies.

And for someone who has seen it all over the years- from the CD to the MP3 era -Twista points out the evolution of his playground, and the current “impure” state of the industry.

“Right now,” he explains, “everyone’s trying to make money off of it. It’s more impure than it has been in a long time.”

“But I think that everything has the potential to do a 360. Like there’s a lot of negatives that have come from the whole technology aspect in the music industry, but there’s also a lot of positives. You’ll hear a lot of raw talent from the internet.”

Adds the rapper, “I guess it’s that I like being a true artist, so I like when a person can really play an instrument, or is really talented to put together a release, or someone who can really rap their ass off. I would like to hear more of that. I’m not against the fans view, because that’s what they love. But I wanna even it out a little bit.”

Akon Pleads Guilty In Tossing Case

Ilan Mester — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:05:09 +0000

Last year, Akon threw a fan off the stage during a performance in New York. The singer appeared in court on Wednesday (December 17) in Fishkill, New York and pleaded guilty for the incident according to E! Online.

Akon had originally pleaded not guilty to the charges filed after he tossed a 15 year-old off the stage in June of 2007. The incident was caught on tape by fans.

The singer reached a deal to plead guilty to second-degree harassment. He was fined $350 and ordered to serve 65 hours of community service. Akon will have to reappear in the Fishkill court if he is arrested during the next 12 moths.

“We are pleased that the case has been resolved,” said a statement released by Akon’s attorney, Andrea Zellan, “and Akon looks forward to putting this unfortunate incident behind him”.

Nelly To Form Superband

Ilan Mester — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:52:59 +0000

Nelly is trying to form a supergroup with Akon T-Pain and Pharell. The rapper told MTV News, “Me, Akon, T-Pain and Pharrell are talking about doing a project,” he said this past Friday. “We got a host of things we’re trying to do — possibly put together this new 2009 [Bell Biv DeVoe] type of thing.”

And Nelly isn’t worried about their busy schedules getting in the way of collaborating, “I don’t think you try to put things together with people you don’t think you can accomplish [them] with,” said Nely. “With ‘Kon, with Pain and Pharrell, I know it’s more about the music than anything. It’s about leaving something. I think we’re all OK as far as the money thing goes. I don’t think anybody is hurting. You wanna do things you can be remembered by. Make a mark. I think that’s something that’s foremost on all our minds.”

Akon Ordered to Stand Trial

andPOP Staff — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:12:09 +0000

Akon has been ordered to stand trial on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and second-degree harassment stemming from his actions at a June 2007 concert in New York state, reports E!

The rapper allegedly pushed a teenage fan offstage which resulted in a separate fan suffering a concussion.

Akon has been ordered to return to Fishkill Justice Court by Fishkill Town Justice Harold Epstein on Dec. 1 for the start of the jury trial.

He faces a maximum of one year and 15 days behind bars if convicted. However, the Dutchess Country District Attorney’s office and Akon’s attorney may settle outside of court before the jury trial, according to a statement released by Akon’s lawyer, Andrea Zellan.

“”We are pleased that Judge Epstein adjourned the case to a date certain for either a trial or a negotiated resolution,” the statement read. “Akon looks forward to putting this incident behind him, and in the meantime, he will continue to meet every requirement set forth by the court.”

Racy, Shocking and Provocative: Lady GaGa Dances Her Way into the Music World

andPOP Staff — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:23:38 +0000

Lady GaGa, an up-and-coming pop artist hailing from New York’s East Side, is a woman who is not afraid to use forceful language when defending her favourite artists.

“Gwen is fucking brilliant. Anyone who says Gwen isn’t brilliant is a dumbass,” said the 22-year-old pop culture enthusiast, referring, of course, to onetime No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani.

Lady GaGa (who got her name from the Queen song “Radio GaGa”) has been involved in the music scene and pop culture since her early teen days. She was playing New York night clubs at 14 and penning songs for the likes of the Pussycat Dolls and New Kids on the Block by her early 20s.

Through relentless self-promotion, Lady GaGa was eventually signed as an artist to Interscope Records. She landed on the top 40 charts this summer with her song “Just Dance” and collaborated with Akon for her upcoming album “The Fame,” due in stores on Sept. 16.

Lady GaGa said that working her way up though the music industry helped her to grow as an artist, and she believes that hard is the key to making music a profession.

“I don’t really feel like reality TV gives you a career,” Lady GaGa told andPOP, referring to shows like American Idol that set out to launch the career of unknowns. “I did it the way I believe you have to.”

Aside from her electro-pop, dance-pop, and rock infused music, Lady GaGa is also known for her racy live shows, which have been described as a form of shock art. Here’s an example: during performances, Lady GaGa will strip down to a pair of her personally-designed and manufactured hot pants and bikini top, light cans of hairspray on fire, and strike a pose below a disco ball to the orchestral sounds of “A Clockwork Orange” – bearing no resemblance to a typical pop-tart concert.

“I’ve always done my shows this way, I never changed it,” said Lady GaGa. “I like to be provocative. I want my live shows to be important because it’s different.”

Her energetic live show caught the attention of celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, who invited Lady GaGa to perform at his Four of July Spectacular party in Las Vegas. The artist agreed to play the show after a dinner with Perez.

“I am such a celebrity-obsessed person, so in some ways Perez and I are very similar,” said Lady GaGa.

Not only is Lady GaGa obsessed with pop culture, she defends pop music and major labels in a way that many other artists avoid.

“I think for whatever reason, society views the big label as evil, or a big factory. People don’t learn about how the label is nothing except for artist that work for it. Artists like Timberland – they are totally brilliant, crazy, and artistic. The whole myth that pop albums do no make good albums is totally neglected by the impact that they have on the world.”

“The Fame” will feature the electric music and theatrics that Lady GaGa is known for, but she also hopes show others what they can do with music.

“I hope to inspire some kind of change in music and to bring back pop. I want it to be important; I want people to be inspired,” she said. “If not, then I did a shitty job.”

Akon Faces Charges

andPOP Staff — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:33:47 +0000

According to the Poughkeepsie Journal, rapper Akon is facing misdemeanour charges for endangering the welfare of a minor and second-degree harassment connected to a summer performance in Fishkill, NY, on June 3.

During his performance, the rapper allegedly shoved a 15 year old boy off of the stage, and into the crowd.

It began as an unidentified object was thrown at the rapper, reportedly just missing his shoulder. The rapper then demanded that the other audience members point out the person who threw the item. Once the boy had been pointed out, Akon instructed security to bring the boy up to the stage, where the rapper proceeded to pick the boy up over his shoulder and propel him into the crowd. He then continued with the concert.

The boy, whose name has not yet been released, reportedly did not seek medical attention for any injuries sustained from the event.

In response to the allegations made by the boy and his mother, a legal representative, Benjamin Brafman, made this statement:
“Given the information that we have reviewed to date, it does not appear to us that Akon was involved in any criminal conduct whatsoever,” Brafman said in the statement. “We are prepared to fully cooperate with any law enforcement agency that may be investigating this incident. We are confident that after a thorough investigation it will be apparent that no criminal prosecution of Akon is warranted.”

Akon Apologizes To Stefani In Song

andPOP Staff — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:53:37 +0000

R&B star AKON has apologized in song to GWEN STEFANI for his raunchy dance with an underage girl at a Trinidad concert in April.

The Smack That singer hit controversy when he dirty danced with a 14-year-old Danah Alleyne at the gig, prompting the Caribbean country’s Prime Minister to order a formal investigation into the incident.

Akon and Stefani were touring together at the time, and the dance cost the tour the sponsorship of communications firm Verizon.

In a new song, which has leaked online although its title is unknown, Akon asks for “the blame to be put on me” and says about Stefani, “Sorry for the hand she was dealt/For the embarrassment she felt.”

In the track, Akon also says about Alleyne, “Daddy should have never let her out that young/How was I supposed to know she was underage in a 21-and-over club?.”

Akon Apologizes For Teen Dance Scandal

andPOP Staff — Thu, 17 May 2007 12:40:28 +0000

R&B singer AKON has apologized to teenage fan Danah Alleyne following their raunchy dance at a Trinidad concert last month, insisting he had no idea how young she was.

The Smack That singer hit controversy when he performed a sexy sequence with 14-year-old Alleyne at a gig on April, prompting the Caribbean country’s Prime Minister to order a formal investigation into the incident.

Earlier this week communications firm Verizon dropped their sponsorship of his tour with Gwen Stefani following the furore.

In a statement released last night, Akon says, “I want to sincerely apologize for the embarrassment and any pain I’ve caused to the young woman who joined me onstage, her family and the Trinidad community for the events at my concert.

“It was never my intention to embarrass or take advantage of my fans in any way, especially those under the age of 18. That is why we tried to make sure that the club did not admit anyone under 18 in the audience. Somehow, that standard was not met.”

Investigation Into Akon Dirty Dancing

andPOP Staff — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:51:54 +0000

The Prime Minister of Trinidad, PATRICK MANNING, has demanded a formal investigation into a raunchy dance routine between R&B singer AKON and a 14-year-old girl.

The Lonely star sparked controversy after getting steamy on the dancefloor with the teenager at Trinidad’s Club Zen on April 12.

The Caribbean nation’s Prime Minister Manning is demanding an investigation into the matter, reports AllHipHop.com.

He says, “I have taken very careful notice of this matter and the owner of Zen owes it to the public to take responsibility. I will be interfacing with Zen because that kind of thing should never be allowed to happen in this country.”