Akon

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Akon Now Owns His Own City, Named After Himself

And running on his own cryptocurrency

(Newser) - Rapper Akon is of Senegalese descent and spent much of his childhood in the West African country, and now he owns a city there. "Just finalized the agreement for AKON CITY in Senegal. Looking forward to hosting you there in the future," he posted last week on Twitter...

Stars Remake 'We Are the World'

(Newser) - One hundred stars of stage and screen converged on Henson Studios in Los Angeles yesterday to record a new version of iconic 1985 hit "We Are the World." The all-new recording is designed to raise money for earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Once again produced by Quincy Jones, the song features...

Chris Brown to Perform at Jackson Tribute

Mary J. Blige, Natalie Cole also confirmed

(Newser) - Chris Brown will take the stage at a Michael Jackson tribute concert in Vienna, the Mirror reports. Jackson's brother Jermaine says 25 performers are expected. So far, Mary J. Blige, Natalie Cole, Sister Sledge, Akon, and Angela Bassett are confirmed. More names will be announced this week. The artists will...

Was Jackson Healthy or On the Brink? Yes.

Drug-addled or ready to rock, his inner-circle tells it from all sides

(Newser) - Was Michael Jackson happy and healthy, or drug-addled and depressed in his final days? Depends who you ask. The AP compiles a list of contradictory reports from the star’s inner circle:
  • Concert promoter Randy Phillips initially told reporters Jackson was "a healthy, vibrant human being,” but later
...

Whitney's Comeback Album Out Sept. 1

Akon, will.i.am are helping out

(Newser) - Whitney Houston is releasing an album Sept. 1, and she's getting a little comeback help from today's R&B/hip-hop kings. The untitled Arista record is rumored to include collaborations with will.i.am, Sean Garett, and Akon, Billboard reports. During the run-up to the big release—her last effort was...

Hudson Returns to Idol, Barker to Price Is Right

Plus, celeb feuds heat up and simmer down

(Newser) - Celebrities are returning to their roots today. Jennifer Hudson is taping a performance after tonight’s American Idol that will air on an upcoming episode, the AP reports, and Bob Barker is taping an appearance on The Price is Right to air April 16, according to Variety. Elsewhere:
  • In more
...

Akon Pleads Guilty, Fined for Tossing Fan

Singer avoids trial for throwing teen off stage in 2007

(Newser) - Singer Akon pleaded guilty today to charges stemming from a 2007 fan-tossing incident, TMZ reports. At a concert last year, the crooner grabbed a teenager and threw him from the stage; his guilty plea for harassment nets him a $350 fine and 65 hours of community service. Akon apologized, and...

Thriller Revives 'Prettiest Star'
Thriller Revives 'Prettiest Star'
NEW RELEASE
Feb 12, 2008 4:32 PM CST

Thriller Revives 'Prettiest Star'

25th anniversary reissue both 'lame' and 'legendary,' critics say

(Newser) - Thriller's 25th anniversary reissue shows why Michael Jackson was once "the coolest, slinkiest, prettiest pop star alive,” Rob Sheffield writes in Rolling Stone. Six “lame” remixes by stars like Fergie, Akon, and Kanye West apparently indicate the best-selling album of all time "cowed" the cover artists,...

Most-Traded Music, Movies and TV Shows of 2007

Shop Boyz, Heroes , Resident Evil excite most P2P users

(Newser) - Forget box office numbers and Billboard charts: Wired reveals what people were really into last year by probing the action on peer-to-peer file-sharing networks. The year's most-traded files: Songs:
  1. Shop Boyz, "Party Like A Rock Star"
  2. Akon, "I Wanna Luv U"
  3. Sean Kingston, "Beautiful Girls"
Movies:
  1. Resident
...

Billboard Names 'Daughtry' the Year's #1 Album

'American Idol' alum's debut beats out Akon, Fergie

(Newser) - Billboard has declared "American Idol" alum Chris Daughtry the year's most popular artist, thanks to "Daughtry," his band's debut album, which has sold 3.2 million copies. Akon took second place with "Konvicted," which sold 2.7 million. Beyonce had the No. 1 single, "...

YouTubers Call Takedown Notices Abusive

Corporations misusing copyright laws with demands, citizens say

(Newser) - YouTube has long been on the forefront of citizen filmmaking, but now it’s hitting the vanguard of citizen litigation. Many are crying foul at the frequency of takedown notices—warnings of infringement by copyright holders. Said one user who sued Universal after video of her baby performing over a...

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