Akon’s bogus rap sheet

What happened

Hip-hop star Akon fabricated details of his criminal past, according to the website The Smoking Gun. Among other claims, the platinum-selling artist—whose second album was titled Konvicted—never served 4 ½ years in jail or led a car theft ring.

What the commentators said

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

“Akon has overdubbed his biography with the kind of grit and menace that he apparently believes music consumers desire from their hip-hop stars,” said The Smoking Gun. Among the many discrepancies of his back-story: He never served a “prison term between 1999 and 2002,” and “he was never ‘facing 75 years.’” But “why chance having your work judged solely on its merits when a little artistic license can make you so much more distinctive and marketable?”

He isn’t exactly a saint, though, said FoxNews.com. “Last year, Akon did run into criminal problems when he allegedly tossed a fan off a stage during a concert.” That “incident was captured on videotape and Akon appeared in court.” And he was also criticized in April of last year for having simulated sex with a 14-year-old girl on stage at a concert in Trinidad.”

Either way, it doesn’t matter much, said Allen Starbury in the blog Baller Status. “It’s well-known that many artists in the hip-hop world embellish and exaggerate their pasts in hopes of gaining street credibility. 50 Cent, The Game and even Jay-Z have been questioned about” their stories. At this point, Akon has “already amassed platinum sales”—he’ll probably be just fine.