Akon

Cause you just got. You gotta constantly be alert.

Andrew Schultz

Yeah.

Akon

You know, especially if you live in the life. Like, if you living that life. Yeah, bruh. If you're not focused, you gonna get outsmarted by every bitch you meet.

Comedian Guest

Oh, get you.

Akon

They smart, bro.

Comedian Guest

What do you mean? They're smart.

Akon

You gotta play chess. You gotta play chess, bro. That's his chess. When they say, yo, the game is crazy, that's what they really mean. Like, it's really a game about. It's a mental game on who can outsmart and outdo who.

Comedian Guest

Wait, explain.

Akon

It's hard to explain, like. Cause they're coming to catch you.

Comedian Guest

You're saying the.

Akon

And you gotta not get caught suitors. Huh?

Comedian Guest

The suitors are coming to catch you.

Akon

Yeah. They're coming to get you. It's a game. It's about who can bag you. Yeah. And you gotta not get bagged.

Comedian Guest

And then what is.

Akon

It's like hide and seek.

Comedian Guest

What is?

Akon

You know what I'm saying?

Comedian Guest

Okay.

Akon

You know what I'm saying Now what

Comedian Guest

is getting you though? It's not just fucking, right? It's like.

Akon

No, no, no, no, it's not. I mean, to me that's like the last part. That's like the part that's like self explanatory in the end, right. It's either gonna be the reward or the weapon. Fucking is either the reward or the weapon. It depends on how you approach yourself.

Comedian Guest

What do you mean by weapon?

Akon

You don't know? I just wanna clarify. I just wanna clarify. Like, think about all the horror stories that you see online about a guy getting snagged. And next, you know, he's paying like $100,000 a month on a chick he just met. Don't even know who she is.

Comedian Guest

Got it. Okay.

Akon

Okay.

Comedian Guest

She's weaponizing the sex.

Akon

100%.

Comedian Guest

Got it. Okay.

Akon

Or they just meet and get a divorce. And next, you know, he's going to court giving her half and he only known her for six months.

Comedian Guest

Yeah. That's gotta be illegal.

Akon

What are the rules? It should be, but it's not.

Comedian Guest

What are the rules on that? In Akon City. What are the rules gonna be?

Akon

Oh, there won't be no rules in AK.

Comedian Guest

There's no.

Akon

There will be no rules. There's gonna be guidelines.

Comedian Guest

That's it.

Akon

Okay.

Andrew Schultz

How do I get dual citizenship?

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Andrew Schultz

When we sign up.

Akon

Yeah. You guys are naturally be citizens. Because I'm trying to make it to where it's a partnership within the United States. So if you're a U.S. citizen, you're automatically a citizen. Oh, fuck. Like, I wanted to make it a territory in Senegal.

Comedian Guest

Of the United States. Yeah.

Akon

Depending on how legislation is passed here, though. Cause some of the things that's going on here from a law perspective is not really fake.

Comedian Guest

Especially with immigration right now.

Akon

You know what I mean? So I need to make sure that some of that stuff actually works for visitors to be able to come in and out. But for the most part, I want it to be an open. Like, I want it to be a unity city. Like an entertainment unity city where everybody.

Comedian Guest

We're gonna get.

Andrew Schultz

Just donate him a plane.

Akon

Yo.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Akon

Just donate him a gift.

Andrew Schultz

You make anything happen.

Comedian Guest

Okay.

Akon

So I'm just, you know. Yeah, we'll all chip in and get him a plane that he can use when he comes.

Comedian Guest

Exactly. I didn't. We were on a very interesting subject, which is, like, women hunting you and.

Akon

No, hunting us.

Comedian Guest

Us?

Akon

Yeah. We're just together, guys.

Comedian Guest

No, no, listen.

Akon

We're happily married. Me, too. Yeah.

Comedian Guest

That's what I'm telling you. You got a unique marriage. No, no, it's not a biblical one.

Akon

It's not unique. It's just. It's just. It's just culture.

Comedian Guest

Explain this culture. Well, you know, look how excited he got. I'm thinking about.

Akon

I'm watching how excited you are. Ladies. You can have ladies.

Comedian Guest

Now you gotta explain it. Tell me why. No, no, tell me why is it. It is. Cuz. Cuz obviously you think about, like, having multiple wives, right? And you're just like, all right, multiple women, that's fire. But multiple wives, multiple responsibilities.

Akon

Yeah. That's life.

Comedian Guest

That's a very different thing than multiple women.

Akon

100%.

Comedian Guest

So tell me why you want multiple wives, not just one wife, and then multiple women?

Akon

I mean, because it's the responsibilities as well, too. Your life a lot easier. Like, so much easier. Because you gotta think, like, wives are, like, your best friends. They always got your back. Yeah. Like, no matter what, they gonna hold you down. They're gonna support, they're gonna protect. So your perimeter is already, like, you know, occupied by your soldiers. Cause they're not gonna let nothing come in there that's gonna define effect or in any kind of way, you know, create a bad environment for you. You follow what I'm saying?

Comedian Guest

Of course.

Akon

Yeah. Now, one wife, some shit could get in, it can slide in. She's one line of defense. That's all you got. You only got one line of defense, bro. That's crazy. You only got one line of defense. You gotta have one bodyguard and think about how many are coming at you. She can't stop them all. That's why there's always problems in the household. You know what I'm saying?

Comedian Guest

So how many?

Akon

She can't defend everybody. Like, she. Like this. Yeah. She gotta please start using her feet.

Mark Agnon

Place

Akon

somebody slip in. Oh, divorce. God.

Comedian Guest

So how many lines of defense you think are. Are really necessary for security of a man?

Akon

It depends on the man, right? Like, I'm a very. I'm a very, like, successful.

Comedian Guest

What about Alex? How many lines? Trying to get me in trouble, bro. You need lies in defense, bro.

Akon

See, Alex, Yeah, chill out, bro.

Comedian Guest

You about to get wifed.

Akon

Look at him calming you down. See, Alex, He's fragile. You're right, you're right, you're right. I'm a lover. I'm a lover. And with Alex, we kind of all have to chip in and donate some courage over here to me. Because what happens is this, as a man, right, Khan, you don't know what

Andrew Schultz

you're doing right now.

Akon

No, no, no. I'm trying to help you, Alex, and you gotta let me. You cannot stop me and allow me to.

Comedian Guest

Yes.

Akon

I gotta empower you.

Comedian Guest

Yes.

Akon

Because right now she holds the power.

Comedian Guest

Yes.

Andrew Schultz

All right.

Akon

And it's obvious. It's very obvious. But it's okay.

Andrew Schultz

You chess man.

Comedian Guest

It's so obvious.

Akon

You gotta understand the kind of person I am, Alex. Right. I'm in a position where I'm the king of my household. And it's very clear, like, the fist is so heavy that no one can lift it but me. It's like that hammer with that Thor and one person. That's how your house has to be. If your wife can lift that hammer, she's knocking you over the head with it. Period. One thing about women, the more you give them, the more they take. There has to be a line where she know that you're the dominant rule maker, the dominant voice, the dominant everything. And what you say is what goes. Period.

Andrew Schultz

Yeah, it's more of a.

Akon

It's very clear.

Andrew Schultz

Like, more of a democracy, 100%.

Akon

But that's the joke. A household is a minarchy.

Comedian Guest

It's a monarchy.

Akon

The household is a monarchy.

Comedian Guest

A minarchy.

Akon

Democracy doesn't work in a household because now your kids feel like they can make decisions too. No, you can't. There's a king and there's a queen.

Comedian Guest

Yes.

Akon

Period. And then there's a princess, whatever. The workers, whoever. But there has to be a top position and maker, like he says, what it is and everybody follows suit.

Comedian Guest

And what is Alex in his house? Which position would you say he is?

Akon

I have to hear more.

Comedian Guest

So far, what do you think? Is this democratic?

Akon

So far, it seems like the queen runs the house.

Mark Agnon

Whoa.

Akon

So far.

Comedian Guest

Damn.

Akon

From what I'm. Wow.

Comedian Guest

Damn.

Andrew Schultz

Happy wife, happy life.

Akon

That's the wrong. That's the problem. That's the problem right there. That's the problem.

Comedian Guest

Tell us. Tell us, Tell us. Tell us.

Akon

Cause women are never happy. You would never have a happy life because she's never gonna be happy. Women have to be. Listen, think about it.

Comedian Guest

I could just imagine Akon's wife going, listen, if you get another wife, I'm not gonna be happy. And then he's just like, when have you been happy?

Akon

I got nothing to lose. That's the thing. I create happy environments because women have to be in a happy environment. It's not about necessarily making them happy, specifically because women are very, like. They're very. How do you say? Indecisive? What you think makes them happy is not quite what makes them happy.

Comedian Guest

What do you think makes them happy?

Akon

Or what do we think? What makes women happy is the happy environment. That's what makes them happy. Like, if you create a happy environment around them, they're gonna always be happy because the environment don't allow them to be depressed. It doesn't allow them to be sad. What they want, they provide. It's. They need. They don't have to look far.

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Akon

When they're in a position where they feel safe, that's the environment.

Comedian Guest

What do you do when your women are not feeling happy? When your wives are not happy, then

Akon

that means you're fucking up.

Comedian Guest

What happens when you're fucking up?

Akon

I find out what I'm doing is fucking it up.

Comedian Guest

And you ask them directly.

Akon

Not all the time, because you might dig yourself in more water. You don't wanna always ask too many questions. The woman normally is the one asking the question to keep your mouth shut. Okay? You shut the fuck up. And then you figure it out. King.

Andrew Schultz

I know that one.

Akon

You gotta do that one a lot. I do that one. Alex, you're making us look bad.

Comedian Guest

Don't talk.

Akon

No, but I know that one. I do that like. No, I'm trying to empower you. All right, all right, all right. And I can tell your wife is a sweetheart because that's why you don't want to lose her, right?

Mark Agnon

Oh, absolutely.

Akon

Yeah. So she's a good woman.

Andrew Schultz

Better person than me.

Akon

Absolutely.

Mark Agnon

She paints his nails.

Akon

No, she's. She's oh, hell no.

Comedian Guest

Come on.

Akon

Damn. Come on. The tables is turned.

Comedian Guest

All the tables have turned.

Akon

Here's the queen. No, no, no. Here's the queen. Here's the.

Comedian Guest

Oh.

Akon

I'm a creator. I work with creative. If the kids do that, if your daughter did it, I'll get it. Cause that's fine.

Comedian Guest

No kids do that.

Akon

I'm gonna just say yeah. I'm gonna just say yeah.

Comedian Guest

Come on, man. Nah.

Akon

But I'm a creative.

Andrew Schultz

You know, we out here, we're eclectic.

Mark Agnon

You gotta use culture on creative.

Akon

He's a little creative. I'm so worried for Alex.

Andrew Schultz

Wait, wait, wait. But what happens when they all sync up? That must be.

Mark Agnon

That's a good question.

Andrew Schultz

A few days off.

Akon

No.

Andrew Schultz

Yeah, that's when you go on tour.

Akon

Well, no, no. Well, this is the thing.

Andrew Schultz

Your tour happens the same week every month.

Akon

I'm always on the road anyway. But when I am home, you know, everything is in separate silos. Like, everybody has their own universe. I think the worst mistake you can do is put all your women in one place. You never want to do that.

Comedian Guest

So wait a minute. It's the same estate and different homes on the estate.

Akon

Everyone has their own place and their own lifestyle and their own universe.

Comedian Guest

Their own place meaning, like own mansion. Okay, so they're 30 minutes away. They're 30 minutes away.

Akon

However, minutes away, they just. Not in the same place.

Comedian Guest

And then how do you decide when you go to them?

Akon

I mean, that's all how your life is set up and how you manage yours. You know, everybody's different, right? You know, like, depending on what's necessary, what's needed. But you want to make sure that everyone's treated equally, though. That's very important. Can't do one without doing for the other.

Andrew Schultz

How do you manage? You guys ask some questions.

Akon

I can barely do that for one. How you doing?

Andrew Schultz

Equal for all that on the road.

Akon

But sometimes one may need a little bit more attention than the other because, you know, emotions go up and down and don't you get those things kind of be. You know. But I mean, think about it. Guys do that now with. They jump offs. Yeah, they do it now.

Comedian Guest

I mean, we don't know anything about that, man.

Akon

I know.

Comedian Guest

That's a different question. That's a different type of lifestyle. I don't even know what a jump off is. What's a jump off?

Akon

Miles. Miles, look up. Jump off.

Comedian Guest

See if you can get a definition.

Akon

Let's not get him in trouble. Let's jump off the subject.

Comedian Guest

I'm A good, good man.

Akon

I'm happy. All you guys are great men. Yeah, all of you guys are good.

Mark Agnon

Do you have different wives that you enjoy doing different things with? Like, oh, this is the wife I like to watch movies with.

Akon

Yeah, yeah, that's. That's another thing. You know, one woman would never be able to provide you everything.

Comedian Guest

Who cooks the best? They are great cooks, every single one of them. Or you just can't say right now. Cause it's gonna hurt.

Akon

A wife has to be a good cook.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, but there's gotta be a best.

Akon

I mean, everybody got different recipes that they cook better than the other.

Comedian Guest

Who cooks the best? Jollof.

Akon

Ooh, my first wife. She's the best with that. She cooks the best African food, period.

Comedian Guest

Is she African?

Akon

No, she's not actually kidding.

Andrew Schultz

Baseball guy.

Akon

No, she's from the Carolinas. Oh, wow.

Comedian Guest

White girl, black girl, Black. Do you have any different flavors in your wives?

Akon

Well, that makes it sound. So she named Aspen Robbins. We all be in trouble by this time. We get out of here. I'm like, Britney Spears. You talking like, is it a buffet?

Comedian Guest

But no. Are there some different flavors?

Akon

Oh, man. Yeah. I mean, in a situation like that, you would want to. I guess you would.

Comedian Guest

You want a little epcot.

Akon

You would definitely want an epcot.

Mark Agnon

You want to drink around the world.

Akon

He's ascribed as what he would want. I'm happy, bro. I'm happy.

Comedian Guest

I'm happy. Yo, I need to jump over here.

Akon

I'm a happy guy.

Comedian Guest

I'm just saying. So with your lifestyle, where you got different mansions, you don't want to have one mansion over here, one mansion over here, and it's the same thing?

Akon

No, I mean, it's their stace, their taste. This is their universe, remember? Like, it's creating a very happy environment for them. Like, separately, though, whatever makes them happy. That's what you create.

Comedian Guest

What about Christmas? Do you as well, you don't celebrate Christmas?

Akon

Me, I don't celebrate holidays.

Comedian Guest

No holidays?

Akon

Not really.

Andrew Schultz

Very convenient.

Akon

Very, very convenient.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, not like that. What about New Year's Eve?

Akon

New Year's Eve. I'm always working.

Comedian Guest

You're on new art.

Akon

I'm an artist. I'm always being booked for those. Like, that's another reason why I don't celebrate holidays. Cause I'm never there. I'm always being booked on special days, special events.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, that's a big day they're gonna have.

Akon

You do. Yeah, it's a lot.

Mark Agnon

And then birthdays. You make a special for birthdays.

Akon

I Have to be reminded. I'm really bad with numbers and names, but faces and places. I'm like photographic memory.

Comedian Guest

How many wads you got?

Akon

That's entertainment.

Comedian Guest

That's entertainment?

Akon

Yeah.

Comedian Guest

What does that mean? That's a great. I answered a different question. That's a great answer. That's fire. I'm gonna use that. What does that mean? I don't even know what.

Mark Agnon

That's entertainment. If you don't even know, that means you're not entertainment, bro.

Comedian Guest

That's what. Damn. I'm entertainment right now.

Akon

Not right now. You know?

Comedian Guest

God. Do you know how many miles out.

Andrew Schultz

That's entertainment.

Comedian Guest

Yeah. Come on, man. Yo, tell me.

Akon

See, guess what that does.

Comedian Guest

Tell me how to use that one.

Akon

It makes y' all figure it out. It makes y' all think about it. Makes you research. It makes you just. It's. It's. That becomes a part of your entertainment.

Comedian Guest

That'd be funny if you were really single, bro.

Akon

That's entertainment. One day I might confess. Until then, it's entertainment.

Comedian Guest

Update. I'm gonna be out in LA shooting a movie this summer, but we added some standup shows, so pull on up, man. We're gonna be in Pasadena, California, at the ice House the 19th and 20th of June. Then the Ontario Improv will be there the 26th and 27th. And then the Brea Improv will be there July 17th and July 18th. And then we're gonna be at the Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Great Outdoors Fest August 8th. So you can go grab tickets any of those shows, if tickets are still available. TheAndrew Schultz.com thank you guys so much. And Virginia Beach. You were fucking awesome. That was incredible. Love you guys, man. All right, Mark, what do you got?

Mark Agnon

Oh, I have great news. I'm going all over at the end of the year. I'm going to Plano, Texas, Chandler, Arizona, Pasadena, California. San Diego, California. And then I'm also going to a couple other spots that are going to be coming up at the end of the year, like Detroit, Michigan, and Salt Lake City, Utah. And I can wait. I can't wait to see you guys all there.

Andrew Schultz

Markagnon live.com Alex, guys, my monthly comedy show is back. Canceled. Comedy is on June 24th. We have a killer lineup. Get your tickets@colceledcomedyx.com and then my tennis series, TheAllLoveClub.com the tennis is on July 25th. I'll see you guys there. The first one was fantastic. Second one's gonna be even better. Peace.

Comedian Guest

You have, like, the most interesting life, bro. Yeah. Like, I was just doing like deep

Akon

dive on you, man.

Comedian Guest

Like, your life is absolutely crazy.

Akon

Nah, that's amazing. Yeah, it's amazing.

Comedian Guest

But like, outside of entertainment, do you ever look back on it and you're like, yo, what the fuck happened over the last few decades? Like, what an insane journey I've been on.

Akon

Yeah. And that actually happens as I'm living it.

Comedian Guest

So you're. So you're present in it, you're reflecting on it constantly.

Akon

100%.

Comedian Guest

Cause like, I think, like, for me, I didn't even know about the Michael Jackson stuff.

Akon

Yeah, nah, that was my dog, man. Good.

Comedian Guest

Dude, I literally found out about that. Doing research on you for it.

Akon

Right.

Comedian Guest

Like, I've known about the Lady Gaga. I've known about like your unbelievable success, you know, like, but the Mike. How do you get connected with Mike?

Akon

Well, we actually share the same attorney for years and I never knew, like, my attorney never told me. He just called me one day and was like, hey man, would you. Would you know, would you do a record with Mike?

Comedian Guest

So Mike reach out to you about it?

Akon

Yeah, he told him to call me and see if I would be interested to work with him.

Comedian Guest

What song did he work?

Akon

I ended up co executive producing the re release. The re release of what's his name, Thriller with him.

Comedian Guest

Wow, okay, so you were brought in as a producer as well?

Akon

Yeah.

Comedian Guest

And then what, he liked your work on it?

Akon

No, he had already liked my work. That's why he had me come.

Comedian Guest

That's what I'm saying. What did he listen to from you? Did you find out the song that he had?

Akon

Yeah. So I had already had a few records already created for Mike, if that day ever came. And it was interesting. Cause when I did it, Hold My Hand was one of them. And that's the song I played first. Hold on.

Comedian Guest

So you already had songs?

Akon

I already set up for Mike just in case.

Comedian Guest

Did you have any idea that you might meet with him after the lawyer connection or before even. The lawyer.

Akon

This is way before. This is when I was locked up. Yeah, this is my vision board. Like he was at the top of the list to achieve one day to work with Michael Jackson.

Comedian Guest

So you're writing songs for Mike while

Akon

you're in prison, Right.

Comedian Guest

Hoping that one day you'll be a massive superstar and you'll get the opportunity to work with Michael Jackson.

Akon

Exactly.

Mark Agnon

The crazy part, he said, I want it in 10 years.

Akon

And then when did it happen? It happened in five years.

Mark Agnon

Crazy.

Comedian Guest

Okay, hold on. So you go meet him? Do you meet him the first time. Or this is a correspondent with a follower.

Akon

Yeah, I flew out to Vegas to meet him.

Comedian Guest

All right, so you flew out to Vegas to meet him. You're in the studio with him?

Akon

Nah, nah, we met at his penthouse the first day I met him.

Comedian Guest

Okay, do you play the music there?

Akon

Let me just tell you what happened.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, please, man.

Akon

I'm like, shit, give me the story, bro. This is insane. How many people can say they fucking went down? Straight up. So my attorney literally called and was like, yo, would you want to work with Mike? I said, hell yeah. Okay, cool. You know, I represent him. I said, bro, how long you been representing Mike? He said, for a long time. I said, you never told me. He said, well, you know, it's attorney client privileges. I said, man, fuck that shit. All this time, you know how I felt on my mic and you never told me? He said, well, I just waiting for the right opportunity, but I think now is the time, you know? Do you mind me setting up a call with you guys? And I was like, hell yeah.

Andrew Schultz

Wait, one quick thing. Did you ask him about Mike's stuff? Since he knows the allegations?

Akon

Oh, that was all bullshit.

Comedian Guest

See, that's all bullshit.

Akon

When I met Mike. Thank you, you. When I like, spent time with him, I understood what was happening.

Andrew Schultz

What you mean?

Akon

I'll explain after. Oh, got it. So, no, but it was all. All. Not only. But Mike had a lot of power, bro. And he owned a lot of coordinated attack.

Comedian Guest

You think?

Akon

Yeah, he was. He was. See, Mike was just a smart ass businessman and he outsmarted a lot of the guys at the top. And they wanted the comfort. That's exactly what's happening.

Comedian Guest

Happening.

Akon

They were coming forward.

Comedian Guest

Okay, tell us. Tell us the story and then explain that part of the mic.

Akon

So, so boom, he calls me and Mike's like, hey, Khan, how are you? I was like, hey, get the out of here. So I hung up the phone.

Comedian Guest

Didn't know.

Akon

I hung up because I thought my attorney was just bullshit. Like he was a jokester too. He was a jokester too. So then he calls back. He said, khan, I got. That's Mike on the phone, bro. Like, it's really Mike. I said, ain't no way. So I said, all right. Mike, is that you? Akon is really me.

Comedian Guest

I said, forget.

Akon

I think I'm again. No, when he called the third time, that's when I knew, okay, he's not joking. This is really Mike. So I called, I picked up again. He's like, no, Akon is really me. I said, Mike, it's like, where are you? He said, I'm in Vegas. I said, oh, shit. So what we doing? We gonna work together or what? He said, yeah.

Comedian Guest

You said that to him?

Akon

Yeah. He said, no, seriously, I just want to let you know that I'm such a fan and we have to get together. I'm working on Thriller re release and I want you to be a part of it. I said, well, shit. When he said, what are you doing tomorrow? I said, well, what do you need me to be doing? What you need me to be doing? He said, okay, cool. I'll set it up and I'll see you tomorrow. So next you know, they call me, hit me with a text, flight information. I get to the liner, we get on the jet, fly to Dragos. When I get there, his head security guard, Muhammad, picks me up. And now we're on our way to the win. So now I'm driving, I'm saying to myself, damn, I'm about to really fucking meet Michael Jackson.

Comedian Guest

This is crazy.

Akon

I'm kind of scared because I don't know how I'm gonna fucking react. Like, I don't want to embarrass myself, but I'm like, nigga, this is Michael Jackson. Like, as a kid, like, this is

Comedian Guest

all like, so are you worried about what you're wearing?

Akon

No, I'm like, I don't care about none of that shit. I'm more worried about how I'm gonna react. Like, as a man, am I gonna

Comedian Guest

cry in front of this guy?

Akon

I'm like, I'm. You know what I mean?

Comedian Guest

But it's still like, you wanna just hug them, you're gonna get nervous, you're gonna check.

Akon

I don't know exactly. Now I'm checking myself. Like, bro, just be easy and just pretend like you ain't excited. You know the shit that everybody tell themselves before you meet somebody that you admire.

Comedian Guest

People faint from. Like, right?

Akon

And you see the photos, you see the videos, you like, I know those people didn't plan on fainting. They not just shit you playing, it just happens. You just black out. And next, like, what the fuck just happened? Right? So I'm like, please don't let that shit happen.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, yeah.

Akon

So now we go down, bro. That's when I realized there's entrances and exits in fucking Vegas that you would never ever know. No, bro, we get. I don't know if I can even be saying this online. I don't know if they want people to know this even exists. But fuck it, it exists, bro. I'm riding. We get to this one road and we go into this parking lot and the fucking road lifts up like this.

Comedian Guest

Oh, sure.

Akon

And we drive in it and it closes back down. Wow. Next thing you know, I'm at the fucking underground parking lot of a private place where it's nothing but just parking and one elevator. We get in the elevator. That shit takes me all the way to the top. Directly to the straight up.

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Akon

I get to the top and there's this long ass hallway with no doors. Just. It's a door at the very end.

Comedian Guest

Get the fuck out of here, bro.

Akon

The whole shit felt like it was choreographed, right?

Mark Agnon

Yeah, it's like Men in Black.

Akon

This is when I realized, okay, Mike choreographs everything like nothing is by chance. We get all the way to the end of the door. Five steps before I get there, the doors just start opening up. No, my nigga. I walk in, Mike is sitting in the middle of the floor in a chair, back turned, and the chair just starts turning. No fucking. No fucking, bro.

Comedian Guest

You're lying, bro. You're lying.

Akon

At this point, the door is like, how your chair's turning. That shit moving slow. And while it's moving, I'm like, okay. The moment I see his face, what the fuck am I gonna do? Soon as shit make the full 360 turn with 180, he looks and I look. I was like, oh, shit. I froze for a second. And as I was freezing, the freeze automatically broke. Cause Mike just stood up. Yo, Akon, what's up?

Comedian Guest

And I'm like, oh, my God.

Akon

Wow. Yo, we embraced and felt like we known each other forever. No way. Like, literally felt like we known each other forever, bro. That is crazy.

Comedian Guest

Did he have another voice?

Akon

He did.

Comedian Guest

He did have another voice.

Akon

It was deeper than the one he's normally using.

Comedian Guest

But it's not that deep.

Akon

But it's not that deep, Right?

Comedian Guest

But it's just a little bit.

Akon

Yeah, but you know, people will exaggerate and be like, yeah, but it's. It's definitely deeper than that one for sure. But it's like. It was like. It was like an instinct. He just knew when to turn it on and turn it on.

Comedian Guest

Right?

Akon

Wow.

Comedian Guest

And like, would he talk shit? Would he bust balls a little bit? Was he.

Akon

Oh, no, he was. He was. He was funny. Like, Mike was funny and he, like, we would have real conversations. Like, real conversations. Like, I like, yo, Mike, what kind of girls you like?

Comedian Guest

What was he saying?

Akon

Like, What you like, Mike? Like, do you like fat asses?

Comedian Guest

You Know, I'm gonna ask him, like,

Akon

you like fat asses, you know what I'm saying?

Comedian Guest

Like, that's entertainment.

Akon

Too big. I like him for just palm size. I like, what palm size.

Comedian Guest

Was Mike getting after with the hoes or what?

Akon

Oh, Mike had. Really? But, yeah.

Comedian Guest

And then none of them would talk.

Akon

Hell no.

Comedian Guest

Because these girls talk like crazy. Now.

Akon

You would think set up. Mike had a system, but. But by the time I met him, he was older.

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Akon

More mature.

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Akon

But he told me some fun times when he had. When he was growing up.

Comedian Guest

Oh, really?

Akon

Yeah.

Andrew Schultz

Wow. I always thought he just was, like, asexual.

Akon

No, no, no. He's very heterosexual.

Comedian Guest

Oh, okay.

Akon

Wow.

Comedian Guest

Yeah. Yeah, he's very heterosexual. How heterosexual you think Al is?

Akon

I don't know, man. Mike had the high water, the tight. Yo, come on, man. Mike, Mike. Honestly, Glitter. Glitter. I think if Mike wasn't glitter. No, no, hold on. I think if Mike. If Mike didn't live that life to where he was, he had to been like a celebrity his whole childhood. Mike probably would have been a pimp.

Comedian Guest

No.

Akon

What? Yeah, he was. He was that finesse. Like, he really. He probably no loved Mike, bro.

Comedian Guest

Well, yeah, of course.

Akon

That's what I'm saying. Yeah, but.

Andrew Schultz

Because he was a celebrity.

Akon

But I'm just saying, like, Mike, before even a celebrity, like, bitches thought he was handsome as shit.

Comedian Guest

And he had charm.

Mark Agnon

He had like.

Akon

Yeah, like, think about it. Like, celebrity will take you so far, right? But there's some people out there that's not celebrities that got bad bitches.

Andrew Schultz

That's true.

Akon

Cause they just got a certain level of how they move and how. You know, they got a certain aura

Andrew Schultz

that comes with it.

Akon

Mike just had that aura that was just magnetic to women. You know what I'm saying?

Comedian Guest

Really?

Akon

Like, Prince had the same thing.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, yeah. You always heard about it with Prince, for sure.

Akon

You know, and what happened? Prince became what, the pimp.

Comedian Guest

Oh, really?

Akon

No, no. Prince wasn't a. Like, he was out there pimp, but he was a pimp.

Comedian Guest

But he had girls.

Akon

No, he was a pimp. Prince was a pimp, but he.

Andrew Schultz

What is he very heterosexual? That he was a pimp and he painted his nails.

Akon

I just call. I just bro. Don't look for.

Andrew Schultz

I'm just saying. I'm just saying that's a very heterosexual thing to do.

Akon

It's not Prince.

Andrew Schultz

Prince have more bitches than mine.

Akon

Like. I wouldn't say that. I would say that.

Comedian Guest

I wouldn't say that. I wouldn't say that.

Akon

I wouldn't say that. See, Prince, Prince, that was a part of his image. Like he walk in, he have some walking with him. His band was all hoes, you know what I'm saying? Like, I'm sorry, ladies, but I'm just, you know, just figure speech. But they was all bad. Savage. Entertainment. It's entertainment. But my point is, is a part of his aesthetic. Right, Right. You know what I'm saying?

Comedian Guest

Where Mike was true to Mike was.

Akon

Everything was quiet, silence, mysterious. A mystery. Like you never really knew how he moved, who he moved with. You know what I mean? But so then you guys do you

Mark Agnon

immediately get to work. Is he like, hey, let's look at some like samples. Let's look at beats. Or is it like you guys just hang?

Akon

Oh, yeah, we just hang. We just hang. We talk and then we just create. What do you think of this? I love that I'm add this. What do you think about this? And like, it was like we just kind of just back, you know, kind of was like sparring partners in the studio. Yeah. And he'll go in there and beatbox something. Then I'd make the actual beat to it. Like it was really dope.

Andrew Schultz

And he had a recording studio in the pent up or actually we went

Akon

to the Palm to record.

Andrew Schultz

Okay.

Akon

The Palm had a dope ass studio. And he blocked it out and we recorded. Wow.

Comedian Guest

And how was he musically in terms of like production? Oh, well, did he really understand?

Akon

Yeah, he understood music, but he was. He more. He more was a. I thought I turned this off. He's more of a. He understood rhythm.

Comedian Guest

Right. What's the difference between those two?

Akon

Well, music and rhythm is two different things. Right. So let's say from a perspective, they don't know rhythm. Yeah.

Mark Agnon

Define rhythm.

Akon

Music is more from like the way that you. Well, Mike wasn't like a musician, so he couldn't really play instruments.

Comedian Guest

Music is like composition.

Akon

Yeah. Like putting together the different parts. It's more organized, noted, written down, whatever the case. Whereas rhythm is just a feeling that just rocks with you. It's locked in on a tempo.

Comedian Guest

Right.

Akon

You follow what I'm saying? So Mike was that like no matter what you did, there had to be a certain pocket that he needed it in.

Comedian Guest

And did he have instincts for what a song needs?

Akon

Oh, yeah.

Comedian Guest

So like he knows what a song needs without being able to necessarily play it.

Akon

Yes, exactly.

Comedian Guest

Got it.

Akon

Exactly. Exactly.

Mark Agnon

Was it difficult for you to give pushback if he did something musically and you were like, I actually don't think that's It.

Akon

No. That's what made me work so well together. Because we would try anything to see what it sounds like first. Like, sometimes people have a habit of saying, nah, I don't think that's gonna work. But you didn't do it yet. How would you know?

Comedian Guest

But who's saying that to Michael Jackson? Like, if.

Akon

No, you'd be surprised. There'd be people that do that.

Comedian Guest

Really?

Akon

Yeah. But Mike was the, like, man. He was. So now I realize why he was as big as he was. Cause he was like, he was that open minded to it. I would ask him to. I could have asked him to bark on the. And he would have did it just to see what it sounded like.

Comedian Guest

What would his bark sound like?

Akon

I don't know. That'd be interesting to find out.

Comedian Guest

It's entertainment.

Akon

It's entertainment. Come on. Like a dorky. Like a poodle. Wow.

Comedian Guest

Damn, Man, Mike, how many people can say legend, bro? All right, so you leave that session, you're like, did I just accomplish everything that I ever dreamed of?

Akon

Yeah.

Comedian Guest

No, like, honestly, you're already an incredibly accomplished artist.

Akon

Yeah. At that point, I feel like, yeah, I've hit the ceiling.

Comedian Guest

You checked off every box?

Akon

I checked off every box.

Comedian Guest

Like, is there an actual feeling as you leave the hotel or as you leave the session?

Akon

It was that feeling like, damn, what do I do from here?

Comedian Guest

What do I do from here?

Akon

That's exactly what it was. It was like, what do I do literally from here?

Comedian Guest

And then what did you think? What did you do? Did you dream up new dreams? Did you have to sit and reflect on it?

Akon

Well, actually, I didn't reflect on it. I just kept going to see where life take me.

Comedian Guest

Got it.

Akon

But then I found out that's when I got actually more active and going to Africa with my philanthropy, the lighting projects and all this other stuff. Because even me and Mike was talking about creating like a music university out there. Out there in Africa. Like, almost like, you know, like a Berkeley type of style university, but for Africa, because you have the arts. You have. I mean, when you look at rhythm, arts, instruments, all of that shit come from Africa. We wanted to kind of reinvent the whole wheel, bring it in for history, and also create how we develop that. That instrumentation and culture for the future. Like, really a musical university that would take Africa into the future.

Comedian Guest

That'd be kind of wild.

Akon

Yeah.

Comedian Guest

Is it. Is it. Is it interesting for you? Exciting for you to see how much African music is being embraced in the mainstream?

Akon

Yeah, that's. I mean, interestingly, Enough in the beginning it felt tough, though. Cause that was why I actually stopped doing music. After I released my album in 2008, I promoted for about two years. I did the World cup in South Africa. And then I stayed in Africa and went straight to Nigeria and started developing what you now know now as to be Afrobeat. But it really was. Afrobeat was more of a political movement started by an artist named Fela. And he was really big and very influential in Nigeria. He was like the rebel, this Fela Kuti. Yes, he was like a rebel, but he would split, speak the people's words through his music. And he would always combat the government on what they ain't doing, what they should be doing. And it became one of those kind of things. So it was more Bob Marley esque

Comedian Guest

figure in terms of his influence.

Akon

Exactly. Wow.

Comedian Guest

Okay.

Akon

He's a good analogy. So when we went up there, that music was well respected, but wasn't commercialized. And then that's when we came and kind of brought more of a pop feel to it and gave it a more rhythmic type Of. Of, you know, allowance to where people outside of Africa couldn't actually relate to it if you wasn't quite understanding what was being said.

Comedian Guest

Wait, when is this.

Akon

This started from 2008 to recent, bro, when I. Wizkid was my first artist that I signed.

Andrew Schultz

Wow.

Comedian Guest

Akon.

Akon

Yeah.

Comedian Guest

Wow.

Mark Agnon

The lore is crazy.

Comedian Guest

Your life is unbelievable.

Akon

No, it's crazy.

Mark Agnon

Like, Wizkid was how old when you met him?

Akon

He was 13. Crazy. Wow. Okay.

Comedian Guest

And what are you seeing in this kid?

Akon

Oh, he's a star. Like, he was a. He was a star, but at 13,

Comedian Guest

like, musically, he was a star.

Akon

He performed, man. Like, when he walked into the room, you just knew, okay, this kid is gonna be. He's something big. And he was. He had an amazing voice. He was also writing his own little songs at that time. Wow. You know, he was managed and ran by a guy named Banky W at the time. Who. That's who I partnered up with to sign Wiz.

Comedian Guest

So you're in there, you see some talent. You also see potential for this genre of music internationally.

Akon

Yes.

Comedian Guest

What makes you think, like, what. I mean, because I imagine as a young kid growing up in the States, being African right. There wasn't the same, like, embracing and love and, like, learning to connect with your roots.

Akon

Right.

Comedian Guest

Like, I'm 42, so I remember there was like a distinct separation even. Like, yeah, maybe I would even go so far as to say, like, no, no.

Akon

Like, everybody hid the Fact that they was African. Yeah. Like literally people was embarrassed to be African. You know what I mean? I would like, maybe I was probably

Comedian Guest

the only one pushing about it.

Akon

Oh, they was being clowned. It was like African jokes. It was like, like if you had. If you was being joined on the African jokes was the most popular. Put it that way. Nobody wanted to be African.

Andrew Schultz

I apologize for my past.

Akon

You know what I mean?

Comedian Guest

Okay, so that's interesting. So you grew up in this time and now you're seeing massive artists from

Akon

the region and like doing well locally. And I'm like, yo, this would be. This is crazy how like they don't know about this.

Comedian Guest

But what gives you the feeling that it would be successful when you grew up in a place where there was this separation?

Akon

Well, because I knew in Africa was heavily popular, but I knew it just wasn't exposing America to even get the chance to become popular. Got it. Right. So I just knew that certain elements in it that I knew that made it too local on why it would never leave and become bigger than. Than the continent.

Comedian Guest

And this is like sonic elements.

Akon

Yeah, this is sonic elements. I'm knowing what the US want to hear. I'm knowing what Europe want to hear.

Comedian Guest

This is like taking Chinese traveling from China and turning it into a version of it where Western people will confront.

Akon

Exactly.

Comedian Guest

Got it.

Akon

So perfect. That's the perfect way to explain it.

Comedian Guest

And this is just because like your father was a musician, if I'm not mistaken. So like you grew up classically trained in music.

Akon

Right.

Comedian Guest

So like you can consume this from this culture that you understand and it is a part of your identity. But also recognize the limitations in the

Akon

music for Western audiences and how much not to take out to keep it authentic.

Comedian Guest

They also need to still like it.

Akon

Yes.

Comedian Guest

Right.

Akon

They have to love it.

Comedian Guest

Yeah. It can't feel too commercialized where they start going. No, that's not the real thing.

Akon

Exactly. Oh, that was a challenge. That was a challenge.

Comedian Guest

So you're saying Afrobeats doesn't really exist in its modern iteration. Before you go there, 100%.

Andrew Schultz

Wow.

Akon

Whoa, dude.

Mark Agnon

Do you connect with Burna Boy around this time?

Akon

Well, Burner, he was. He was young at that time too. He was, he was.

Comedian Guest

Cuz we're talking 2008.

Akon

Like he was probably trying or thinking about being an artist at that time. Wow. But he wasn't at that level, nowhere near it. Wow.

Mark Agnon

And at what point do you go, oh, Afrobeast is out of here. Like, this sound is now global.

Akon

Is there a moment when Wiz kid actually popped. That's when I realized, okay, we got him. Because it took a while. And when I came to the US and I was shopping Wiz, they thought it was reggae. And they like, well, reggae's not really popping right now. I'm like, it's not reggae.

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Andrew Schultz

And it was bigger in Europe before it came to the States.

Akon

But that's what made me go to London. Then when I went to London, it broke in London because London was more open minded and there was a huge African community there. So London was where it actually broke. And we was able to break P Square first, which was a twin group. Two twins, right? And we had a record called Chop My Money that went fucking ridiculous. End up charting the US charts. Oh, wow. But it charted in the UK charts first. You know what I mean? But at that time, those guys were like, they were performers. Imagine if you had two ushers and they were twins. That's what they were. But in the Afrobeat market, right, like when you see their performance, it was nuts. That's how they actually got them. And then while that's happening, Wizkid is more authentic at that time for what we were trying to portray. Whereas Peace Square were more commercial. So P Square came. What actually opened the door for Wiz to bust through the door with the authenticness of what they recognize in Peacequare. And then they just took off. It was over.

Comedian Guest

At this point in your career, can you kind of like see, do you know when the trend is gonna pop?

Akon

I don't know when it's gonna pop, but I know what will pop.

Comedian Guest

Right. So it's like. But is there a moment where you see something building momentum and you're like, yeah, this is out of here in a year, this is out of here.

Akon

That's exactly how I see it.

Comedian Guest

And this is what you saw with.

Akon

With that. That's what I saw with that.

Comedian Guest

Interesting. And at that point, from a business perspective, are you starting to build up an apparatus around it?

Akon

100%. But what I realized was there was no business or apparatus to build around African music music because they didn't understand the business well enough to know what that was.

Comedian Guest

And why is that?

Akon

Is there was no. There was no music industry structure in Africa. Everything was black market sold in the back market. Like there was no even. There was no record stores. You would have to go to the actual market and buy albums that was duplicated and CD duplicators.

Andrew Schultz

Because the music industry didn't see the value.

Akon

Exactly. So in Africa, the motto Was you would sell the master to somebody and then they like prime example with Wiz's album before then they would make an album and then sell it to someone, Sell the master to them for like 100 grand. And then done. Then now they just make money off shows. And who owns the master now? He monetizes that through all the black markets throughout Nigeria and then later does a deal in the US with iTunes, Apple or whoever. And then he owns the master now to it.

Comedian Guest

Got it. So just so understanding here. You make the album, you sell it to somebody. It might be somebody in the business, it might be somebody outside the business. They own the rights to it in perpetuity.

Akon

Right?

Comedian Guest

You go tour with your songs, and then they literally print yes. CDs or whatever it is and then sell them in different black markets.

Mark Agnon

You can see how someone might never break out but be locally super hot.

Akon

Exactly. And that's why it was like that, because of that motto. So when we came, we twisted it up. We actually taught them the business.

Comedian Guest

Oh, really?

Akon

Yes. You're making publishing off this. You make royalty off of this. This, your distribution cost. This goes to the label, this goes to the artist. Now they understood it, and it was able to now understand it because now you can actually negotiate with labels in Europe and France and the uk and,

Comedian Guest

you know, you're putting artists on game to this. You're putting the industry folks on game to this.

Akon

What is the industry folks didn't like the fact that we're putting them on game to this?

Comedian Guest

Fuck no. Right?

Mark Agnon

Cause they're like, yo, we're getting a deal off this. We're giving 100 grand.

Akon

And I mean, it was getting masses for free, basically, right?

Comedian Guest

It was basically like, hey, we'll pay for the production of all this.

Akon

And interesting enough, in India it was the same way because India had the same model.

Comedian Guest

I've realized something recently. Sleep is everything. I hate to be one of these guys. I. I genuinely hate it because I like to stay up late and I have to wake up early because I have kids. The reality of the matter is sleep dictates, especially at my age, when you're like 20 years old, I don't even know if sleep is necessary, to be honest with you. And then you hit 40, and it's like, if you don't sleep, there's just no way that you can be a functional human being. I didn't take it seriously until I switched to Brooklyn Bedding. Let me tell you about Brooklyn Bedding. This mattress is different. I'm not just Crashing anymore. I'm actually recovering. If you want to wake up feeling aligned, rested, like your body actually reset overnight, which is the whole fucking point of going to sleep. Sleep. I recommend getting yourself a mattress from Brooklyn Bedding. They're not just throwing together some random mattress. They design and build everything themselves in their own factory in Arizona. No middleman, no gimmicks, just quality. And they've got options for everybody. Whatever your sleep style is, they've got something for you. If you like to sleep hot like I do, they actually have mattresses that stay cool all night also. This is big. They're endorsed by the American Chiropractic association. So your back isn't going to get cooked while you sleep. And you don't have to stress trying it either. This is the best part. They give you a 120 night trial. If you don't love it, you can swap it out. Simple. So do yourself a Favor, go to BrooklynBetting.com use the promo code FLAGRANT at checkout to get 30 off site wide. That's BrooklynBetting.com promo code FLAGRANT for 30% off. Get your sleep right, everything else gets easier. All right, guys, I'm going to be honest. I didn't realize how much water quality actually matters when it comes to a shower.

Akon

Shower.

Comedian Guest

I've only cared about water quality when it comes to drinking water. I never even considered water quality with a shower. And then I switched to Jolie. And sometimes you can be doing all the right things, using good products, taking care of your skin and hair. And then something still feels off. And it's because maybe one of the most important things of a shower or the most important thing, the shower, the water sucks. Okay. A regular shower water can contain chlorine, heavy metals, basically everything you don't want hitting your skin and your hair every single day. And that's where Jolie comes in. It's a clinically proven filtered shower head designed to remove those impurities. And it makes a real difference. The skin feels calmer, Hair feels softer. It's like your shower is finally working for you instead of against you. And it's an easy upgrade. The Jolie shower head installs in minutes, fits all showers, and still delivers great water pressure. It's a simple way to elevate your daily routine without changing anything else. The Jolie shower head is the perfect base for your routine, because if your water isn't right, nothing else performs the way it should. It even looks great, too. Sleek, clean, gives your bathroom that luxury spa feel. So if you want to upgrade your skin, your hair, your whole shower experience, try Jolie risk free for 6D days by going to jolieskinco.com flagrant. That is joleeskinco.com flagrant. Jolie is also available on Amazon. Now let's get back to the show.

Andrew Schultz

Where does this business acumen come from? Because like even you started your label early.

Akon

Yeah.

Andrew Schultz

As soon as you started music, you were thinking of your own.

Akon

Because I used to always, you know, we gotta think like my dad was a jazz musician.

Andrew Schultz

Okay.

Akon

And in jazz.

Comedian Guest

Drummer.

Akon

Yeah, he was a drummer. Yeah, yeah, he's a drummer, percussionist. The problem with jazz is that that's a passion project. Yeah, dude, jazz doesn't really make money. You gotta really just love music to do jazz. And if you making it money off of it, that's fine. But you don't really care if you make money or not. You know, you hit small bars, little spots and things like that. So my pops was like, I don't know if music is what you wanna do for a living, you know what I mean?

Comedian Guest

But you loved it as a kid.

Akon

I don't know if that's what I wanna do either. Right. But I loved it as a kid. But I was like, there's gotta be money. Cause somebody's making money. Yeah, like literally somebody's making money. And I used to always think about that. But then I used to always hear how artists used to cry about them not getting paid enough and they got robbed this and that. And I was like, I want a lot of money that's being made. How do I be the. But somebody's making it. So you find out how they're making it.

Comedian Guest

Smart.

Akon

How'd you find out? I started reading books about the music business. See, back then they had books that would tell you how the music business worked. There's a book called. What was it called? I think it was called. What was it? How to Something about the music business. Something about that. It was, it was. I forgot the title, but it was a long ass title. Like all. Oh, it was all about the music business. That's what it was all about, the music business. And I read it and I understood the dynamics of how it all work. And I was like, oh, so the money's made if you got your own label?

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Akon

It's not actually being the artist unless you're just a successful artist that know how to tour, that understand merchandise and all this other stuff. You need the label because that right there becomes bulletproof.

Comedian Guest

Right.

Akon

And that's when I said, okay, cool. I'm just gonna start my own label and just find distribution. But I was like, how the fuck am I gonna distribute it? That costs even more money to create. Then I found that they had things which you call like, joint ventures, where you can just partner with a distributor and give them a percentage and they handle that part and you handle the content. Now was like, that's what I want to do.

Comedian Guest

But there is a. There is a small difference going on here, which is like, you can produce music, right? And, like, we had Rizzo on here a few weeks back, and it's just like, the guys that can actually create something, right, Are. It's different than. I'm just going to start a record business.

Akon

No, no, for sure.

Comedian Guest

It's. It's the same thing. Like, even in, like. Like, you're talking about, like, scripted television or film, right. If you can write a script, you're a very different entity than somebody who just gets placed to maybe act in a movie or maybe even just 1000%. So. And it's very unique that there is somebody who has artistic ability and business sense. Often times they're, like, almost diametrically opposed.

Akon

No, they are. They are.

Comedian Guest

So you're in a unique position that, like, you could, if you needed, you could just produce all of your own music or your label.

Akon

But that's what I've been doing, of

Comedian Guest

course, and it worked out.

Akon

It makes sense.

Comedian Guest

But not everybody could do it.

Akon

Right.

Mark Agnon

My favorite story that showcases kind of the business acumen tied with the creativity is the. The ring.

Akon

The ringtone story, which was, to me, basic common sense, bro. I didn't.

Comedian Guest

I couldn't believe that the ringtones were going for that much.

Akon

Yo, 4.99.

Comedian Guest

Were we buying ringtones?

Akon

Yes, we were buying them. And they were selling more than singles. That's. Yeah, they were selling more than singles.

Comedian Guest

We were spending $5 for a fucking ringtone.

Akon

A ringtone, bro.

Comedian Guest

So break down the ringtone. What this did and how you kind of, like, produce songs around it.

Akon

Yeah. So when I realized, okay, well, first of all, I was trying to find a solution because I wasn't getting enough radio play. Like, the way my music was, it was hard to put a genre to it. Like, it wasn't quite rap. It wasn't quite R and B. It wasn't quite reggae. It was like, what is it?

Andrew Schultz

Is this before Locked up or after Locked Up?

Akon

This was during Locked up, okay? Like, Locked up itself. What made Locked up actually pop was the fact that we was able to get Styles P on There. Oh, so Styles P made it a genre. It became hip hop.

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Akon

That's why till this day, in the eyes of the cause, before, before Styles was on it, we was working the record a whole year and couldn't get it to stick nowhere.

Andrew Schultz

Get outta here.

Akon

Cause there was no genre. Wow.

Andrew Schultz

I thought, that's interesting.

Comedian Guest

Before you say it, though, what does that mean, working a record?

Akon

So that means like promoting it, going to DJs, you know, going to radio stations, trying to get it played, things like that. So when we put Styles P on there, it gave it a. Because before then they didn't know, okay, what do you play it before or what do you play after it? Like, what genre it is. So it confused people because they just don't think, like a good record just can go behind another good record. Right?

Andrew Schultz

Yeah. So there's a version of Locked up where it's just you.

Akon

The first version is just me.

Andrew Schultz

Oh, okay.

Akon

So then when they put a genre to it, then they just made it hip hop. Like, that's why right now, to this day, if you notice, I've never rapped a day in my life. Yeah.

Comedian Guest

I never thought of you as a rapper.

Akon

But if you look up, Akon, I'm on the hip hop genre. Because that was the first thing that was ever, you know, recorded as. And it stayed that way.

Comedian Guest

Wow. You know, it's so funny, like. Cause I was doing a little research about you and you were very intentional with Gaga, right, To not sign her under, like, convict, because you didn't want her to be framed in an UN way. You wanted to have her audience find her organically.

Akon

Exactly.

Comedian Guest

And like, did you understand that after you went through this?

Akon

I went through it. Yep.

Comedian Guest

Got it, got it, got it, got it.

Akon

I was like, she's like, me, like, what genre is she really?

Comedian Guest

Like, yeah.

Akon

And then at that time, we were doing 80s music in like late 90s. I mean, late two, early 2000s. Yeah. And you know, like, even. Right. Promise app with Just Dance, they thought it was like, Just Dance was out a whole year before it actually popped. Why? Because I literally had to tour the world to push it. We tried America first. Nobody bit, Nobody touched it. They was like, no, this is too old. We can't even put this in our playlist. We went to Europe. Europe was like, well, it's a little cheesy. It's not quite what it is. Then I was like, fuck. I went, I can't let this record go. Like, this is a hit. I know it's a hit. So I. I had a tour in Australia. I flew all to Australia. When I got to Australia, I said, I'm gonna push it here. I know for sure they'd get it here. The record didn't work. So now, mind you, that's six and a half, seven months of me working this record and nothing, getting no bite. So now I'm at a point, like, fuck, I'm just gonna give up. Like, we just gotta give up. And I know if I give up, there's a chance that they will really drop her, right? Cause she was always having challenges before. I picked her up before already. So this would have solidified the fact that, okay, this just maybe not it. I was like, no, I can't fucking deal with this. So now I'm trying to figure out how I'm gonna revive this record. So I'm on Australia, heading back to the States. We're connecting through Canada. And I was like, should I get off the plane and go to Canada and try it? Like, what would it hurt? I'm connecting. I got five hours there. So I'm in the lobby thinking about this shit while I'm in the lounge, and I said, you know what, man? Fuck this shit. I ain't got nothing do to. I called a friend at the time. He was the head of Virgin Radio, named David Magro. I said, yo, David, I got this record I want to test. It's out, but it's like, the biggest record in Europe right now. It's doing amazing in Australia. Australia, the hustle side, bro. You guys got to jump on this shit before it reaches America. Like, that'll be embarrassing. It's the number one record on both sides. Like, you need to drop this record, test it with, you know, with your mark, and see what you got. He said, I come to the station, leave my bags, everything, and go straight there. He plays the record, the shit becomes number one on phones. The phones start lighting up. Oh, my God, this record is amazing. Who is this?

Comedian Guest

People are calling into the radio station now. And is that how you could tell back in the day?

Akon

That's when you knew if you had something, because they would say, listen, this is new music. Let us know what you think and then play it. Bro, when I tell you, the phone lines lit up. So he was like, man, this record is a fucking smash. We need to add this. I said, what? He said, can we add it to our other stations? I said, hell, yeah. So now I start going to the other stations. While I'm there, fuck it. Mind you, my bags are still on that plane. That plane had already left back to the States, I understand. In Canada. An extra week going to all the stations. By the time I left, left Canada, the record was number one in Canada. Wow, that's cool. Then they called like, yeah, what the fuck is going on with this record? I think we got something. Then KISS in New York City picked the fucking record up. In America, when they picked it up, everything changed.

Comedian Guest

KISS fm, yes.

Akon

At that time, they were the needle. If KISS got the record. Everybody was like, what about Z100?

Comedian Guest

Was that like a big pop?

Akon

It was, but not like Kiss, though. Kiss was like the generation, whereas Z was more like the older generation.

Comedian Guest

Right.

Akon

You know what I mean?

Comedian Guest

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Akon

Kiss, though, was like. When Kiss said that was it, everybody follow suit.

Comedian Guest

Follow suit, meaning all the other radio stations go jump on it. Wow.

Akon

Okay.

Comedian Guest

And you're recognizing this piece. You believe in this artist. But is there also a version where you're like, you understand how profitable it is to have just a megastar artist on your. It's worth.

Akon

You taking the time is 100% worth it.

Comedian Guest

All you need is one.

Akon

Meaning all you. All you need is one major artist. That one artist can pay the bills for the next 10 years. Wow. Yeah. If you sign the right artist, you're good. And.

Comedian Guest

And you signed. Well, Gaga was already signed.

Akon

She was already at Interscope.

Comedian Guest

And then you were like, hey, I. I think she's talented. Can I work with her?

Akon

Yeah. And Jimmy, literally. That's why I say, Jimmy saved my life with that one. Because he threw me the bone. He didn't have to do that, really. And he made me a 5050 partner with it.

Comedian Guest

Get outta here.

Akon

Yeah.

Comedian Guest

And is it because he knew your talent, your ability?

Akon

He believed in me.

Comedian Guest

Got it. So he's like, listen, we don't know what to do with this girl. She's obviously got talent. Let him give it a try. If it becomes massive, let's take half of it.

Akon

Well, this is the thing. Jimmy was brilliant. He knew how to put, like, parts together. Like, he knew how to marry a writer with producers, producers with artists, you know, writers with artists. Like, he knew exactly what would work. So when I called and was like, yo, Jimmy, I need this one. And he thought about it, he's like, you know, that could be brilliant. Cause at that time, I was working on the Pussycat Dolls record.

Comedian Guest

I remember you.

Akon

So in his mind, he's like, dude, this might. He said, you sure? I said, trust me, Jimmy. This is. I need this one on my label. He said, all right. Well, fuck it. She's all yours. Wow. Like, literally thought about it like that. And then when we heard that first record. Record. Because the first record I did on her was really for the Pussycat Dogs.

Comedian Guest

You had her singing. Just Dance was supposed to scratch vocals for the Pussy Cat Dog, so.

Akon

Yeah. Cause she came on board because I had got a writer's block and couldn't come up with nothing that week. I was just. I was so excited. I had just closed this big ass deal. Like that's what I. And I had just picked up Red one, who was the producer that I worked on the whole Gaga album with. And he was like, I just worked with this chick last week. That's pretty dope. I think she'll help you come up with some ideas. And that's when I met Gaga. Cause she came into the studio and then I was like, yo, are you signed? Like, what's your situation? She's like, well, you know, I met her interscope. I said, wait, wait, you had Interscope? Hold on. Yo, Jimmy, what the fuck? You know? Yeah, that's how it came together. Wow.

Comedian Guest

And then when did you stop, or have you even stopped working with Gaga?

Akon

Ah, man. We did the whole first album in 30 days.

Comedian Guest

Holy mo.

Akon

Literally the whole first album.

Mark Agnon

And that's all those tracks. That's like Poker Face.

Akon

All that. Whole, whole first album. Wow. We did that in 30 days. After that. Then I got obviously on tour, started working on my album. Red was still a part of it, but I wasn't as active as I was on the first album on the writing side of things. So the second album, I had like, I would say 50% involvement on the creative, but I was heavily involved on pushing the album itself once it was done. And then the third album, by that time she had had her own idea of what she wanted to do and who she wanted to work. And then she partnered up with her ex boyfriend, who was a producer as well, and then they did those albums moving forward.

Mark Agnon

Yeah, you do a cool thing with Neil on the tour where you guys go kind of like back.

Akon

Yeah. Back to back on songs that we wrote for other artists.

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Akon

And then we call it the Needle Drop.

Mark Agnon

There's tracks that you're like, you worked on this.

Akon

Like what you would not even. I mean, now you gotta come to the show.

Comedian Guest

I can't. Oh, 100%.

Akon

Because people don't know. I don't want them to know until they come to the show.

Comedian Guest

Oh, got it. Okay. Okay.

Akon

It's gonna shock you

Andrew Schultz

face.

Akon

Yeah, but it's like deep cuts.

Mark Agnon

I mean, he was telling me something outside where I was like, that one.

Akon

Yeah.

Comedian Guest

Can you say any. That you're not playing in it that you might.

Akon

People might assume it's entertainment. Yeah.

Mark Agnon

Are there any artists that came along that you had the opportunity to work with or to sign that you were like, I don't know if now is the right time.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, who's the one?

Mark Agnon

And then it's the fish that got away, bro.

Akon

I had. It's the biggest fishes that's out today. I had or had opportunity to do. And I did not. I passed on it at the time for specific reasons. But tell us. Okay, so Drake is one of them, really. Cardinal officiar. Had brought me Drake originally.

Comedian Guest

Yeah. It's so interesting how you pronounce his name.

Akon

Oh, card. Yeah.

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Akon

So it's interesting because he was the first artist I had ever signed from Canada.

Comedian Guest

You signed?

Akon

Yeah, he was. Yeah. So Carti was like, yo, nigga, this nigga out here now. He killing the streets. Yeah, yeah. And he played me his mixtape. But I was so busy doing so much, and I was so busy on the Gaga stuff. And, you know, I had just turned down Justin Bieber because I didn't have time for that because I had Kobe Odonis. Yeah, it's like, those things. And then I had one of my security guys. Two T's was constantly on me about Kendrick. Like, literally for a whole year. Like, yo, I'm telling you, Khan, you got you. I'm telling you. But it just, at the time was so much happening that I just didn't have the time to do it. And then Drape ended up picking up Kendrick, and then Dre would beat me down to do production for Kendrick. But everybody was needing me, and I just. There was no time, you know what I'm saying? And I never had the time to stop and listen, to see, to hear even the genius of what Kendrick was.

Andrew Schultz

I was just about to compliment you for your eye for talent. And then I'm.

Akon

I'm like, you missed out. No, I didn't miss out. No, I didn't miss out. No, I did. I missed it. Like, literally had I had an infrastructure, they would have all been bagged at that time. But it was just all me doing my own A and R and doing my own everything and everybody pulling from every direction. And I'm just focusing on what I have on the table now and what needs to happen for that versus what more I need to add to my table.

Andrew Schultz

Yeah, you didn't have all the wives to help out at that time.

Comedian Guest

Wow, that is crazy. So now. Now you built out the infrastructure?

Akon

Oh, yeah, the infrastructure's built out now. Yeah, it did work. Yeah, now it works in my sleep. I don't have to be a part of it at all.

Andrew Schultz

Could you kind of break down what your infrastructure looks like?

Akon

It's like a mini universal. It's like literally like, I have artists I haven't even met yet that's been signed to my label that I haven't even.

Comedian Guest

So you have different ANRs that are

Akon

going and getting well now a RS we don't really use ANR. I just felt like a RS was a waste of time and money. Cause most of them didn't really know what the hell they was doing anyway and didn't have the ear for music. Like, they just went whatever they saw was popping so they would read other people's gauge to see instead of having their own. Instead of having their own. Today, it's like the people around me, these are the people that was telling me, yo, Khan, I don't know about that record. And I be like, nah, nigga, this is a hit. And they be like, ah, I don't know. And then they was right. And I was like, oh, shit, okay. They know something that I don't know. Got it. Keep him down. Keep him, keep him. You know what I mean? Type shit. You know what I mean?

Andrew Schultz

Do you ever get worried that it gets too big where you start signing artists and it could have another Lady Gaga situation where you have an artist with talent sitting there, but isn't good?

Akon

Oh, no. But that's a part of the business. You're not gonna catch everything.

Andrew Schultz

Ah, okay.

Akon

That's one thing that I had to realize and had to just accept that there's gonna be some ones that you miss, you know what I mean? And. And it just is what it is. Everything ain't meant. Some things are meant to pass by you, but not through you. And I've realized that had Drake been with me, he probably wouldn't have been that big. Have Kendrick been with me, he probably wouldn't have been that big. It's those things that either define them or things that passed them by that might have motivated them to even go even harder. Because by the time I was and did have time for dreams, Drake, his price was a million dollars to sign. He was in a bidding war.

Comedian Guest

Oh, wow.

Akon

And I was like, man, I ain't got a million dollars for artists. Yeah, I can't pay a million dollars for an artist. At that time, I was. I couldn't afford it. You know, I'm curious.

Mark Agnon

You have such an international appeal. What's the craziest, like, private event that you got booked to do with, like,

Comedian Guest

a king or something like that?

Akon

Exactly. It was royalty. And it was funny because where it was in the middle the Of.

Mark Agnon

Yeah.

Akon

I can't say which family, but for the most part, it was the craziest thing because they booked me for a million dollars, right. And was like, why? We want. You know, we want you to perform for the family. We have this huge event, and my daughter's the biggest fan. I said, okay, amazing. So we get prepared. They do everything. Like, it was set up to where it's gonna be like. I even had a dressing room with all my condiments, everything on my rider. Like, it was like, top notch. So, you know, I go in and I'm getting ready for the show and everything else. It was interesting because I'm like, the castle is so big. I don't hear any music, right? So I'm like, wow, this is. This is huge. Like, so they're walking me to the show. They walk me through this huge hall, but there's only three chairs, monster stage, LED lights, lasers, everything. And I'm sitting on the side of stage waiting for my audience.

Andrew Schultz

No fucking way.

Akon

Yo. Three people came. The daughter, the son, and the wife. And she's sitting in the middle. She's just, like, just cheesy. Just can't wait. I walk out and it's like, okay, this is my audience, right? Wow. So I go into my show. In the middle of it, she said, no, stop, stop. And I was like, what's going on, sweetheart? Everything okay? She's like, I want to hear Mr. Lonely. I said, that's it. She said, yes. Can you just play that first? I said, okay, no problem. So we start singing Mr. Lonely. Miss Lonely. I miss hello. Right? So song finish. He's like, again. They can't treat you like a. Like a.

Comedian Guest

Like a city player Again.

Akon

We do it again. Bro.

Mark Agnon

Bro. That song's never been more applicable, bro.

Comedian Guest

Like, I am alone right now.

Akon

Hour. That's all we.

Comedian Guest

No, no way.

Akon

That's it.

Andrew Schultz

She was like, funk flex when he gets a new record again.

Akon

Again.

Mark Agnon

No way.

Comedian Guest

How many dudes are with you on stage in total?

Akon

No, no, you don't understand. My whole team was there. My sound guy, my lighting guy, road manager, business manager. Cause we thought it was, like a major show. Cause, I mean, they. They agreed to everything on the rider, bro.

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Akon

Yeah, that's a million dollar stage.

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Akon

And they set it up in a hall.

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Akon

You know what I'm saying? Like three people. It was crazy.

Mark Agnon

What do you think they spent on it? Total, like the stage is a million dollars. Your fee's a million dollars.

Akon

It was an easy $5 million budget.

Comedian Guest

Was there a part of you that was like, man, I could have just kept the 5 million and just sung it with a karaoke. No, it was like, bro, it's just three of them.

Akon

After that, in my mind, I. And I'm like, I wish they would have just told me specifics because I would have just saved them all that money, took half of that and just went in the living room and just sang with her. Like karaoke with her for like an hour. Yeah, it had been better.

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Akon

Wow. Cause, bro, even the jet that they sent, it wasn't like a typical jet. It was like a fucking 747. Had a full bedroom inside, shower, game room, like theater, like crazy.

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Akon

Disaster gigs? Oh, no, it was no disaster gigs, but that was one gig that almost could have been a disaster. I was in Lebanon.

Comedian Guest

Okay.

Akon

Craziest show, yo, on everything. The Lebanese crowd is probably the craziest crowd I've ever been in front of.

Comedian Guest

Let's go.

Akon

So I'm in the crowd crowd. Well, not yet. I'm in the car, riding through the crowd. This is probably one of the biggest events Lebanon has had since their last bombing, right? This was a 19. No, no, no, this was. This was. This was 2007. No, no, this was 2007.

Comedian Guest

Hey, cuz.

Akon

This was in 2007. No. So this was to kind of like bring morale, just uplift the, you know, because it was going through some of conflicts, right? And it was like, don't worry, it's gonna be a ceasefire. It's gonna be no issues whatever. Cause a lot of people said they wasn't gonna come. They was all afraid to come. I was the only one that was like, I'll do it, right? Cause I just love the Middle east, right? Especially Lebanon. Like, bitches. I'm sorry, girls. It's just. They're party people, right? Bro, I get there, it's like 200,000 people easy.

Comedian Guest

Holy shit.

Akon

It was that big. Like it was easily 200,000. And we're riding through the crowd. You got the security and I'm out there performing, man. We go crazy. Ghetto comes on. Oh my God. It's like goes nuts. So now we're in the party side. I go into the back and I'm in My absorb ball. Like, the absorb ball, right? I've been doing it back then, since then, by the way, he goes in one of the.

Comedian Guest

In the. And then you're just going through the crowd.

Akon

So I'm riding through the crowd and I see this one dude's like, yeah, I know, he's a super. So I was like, okay, I'm gonna roll over his way so he can, you know. Cause I know a moment like this for him is like, crazy. Crazy. Like he would never forget this moment. So now I'm rolling this way and I see him and I just start rolling over towards him. And as I'm rolling over towards him, I'm getting close. He's like, yeah, come. And next thing you know, he disappears. I'm like, where the hell did he go? And next thing, I look down at the ball and I see him, and I see him. He has his blade. No, bro, he takes the blade, shoves it in the ball. Cause he's so fanatically a fan that he wants to hug me. So he hits the ball and I see. And I. So I immediately see him going. I try to hurry up and roll out the other way, but he had already poked it.

Comedian Guest

No.

Akon

So I'm seeing the ball slowly start to deflate. No, bro, I'm in the middle of, like 200,000 people at the stop. No. Crazy, right?

Mark Agnon

Security's not near you.

Akon

No, I'm in the audience. They can't move fast enough. They just watch from the side. But now I've started deflating. So now I said I got to think quick because I can suffocate in this with all these people, right? Because how I'm going to get out, because you got to open it from the outside. So then I start thinking quick. I start, like, calming down so I can see where the wind is coming from so I can find the hole. And then I realize the hole is above me. So I roll to where the hole is right up under. And then I put my fingers in and I just open it up and I slide out. And then the ball just go. So everybody's like, like, no. Everybody's like, scared, like, what the fuck's going on? In the meantime, I done came out and I'm on my knees like this under everybody, on my way back to the stage. By the time the ball had sunk all the way down and people realized where the hell I was, I had already made it back to the stage. Get the fuck outta here, bro. Cause everybody's working towards the ball. Nobody really realized that I was crawling already towards the stage. I get to the stage and the fucking crowd thought I was a musician.

Comedian Guest

A magician.

Akon

A magician. The crowd was a magician. Right. Like, yo, my light guy, my light guy was so brilliant. Soon as he saw me spot hit the black and put the spot right on me. I was like, Lebanon. He was like, ah. It was. Yo, that shit was the crazy, craziest show. I'll never forget that one. Wow. That is fire. That was.

Mark Agnon

You gotta incorporate that from now on.

Akon

Yeah, that was crazy. No. Cause I wanna give people ideas when I go out in the ball.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, fair.

Akon

So I kind of try to keep that quiet. You just did.

Andrew Schultz

How come you haven't performed in the

Akon

States in a while? I just. Man, it was. Well, for two reasons. One is they wasn't paying enough. And two, I was just so busy. Like, literally it was like a two, almost two and a half, sometimes three year waiting list for me to get available to perform out here because I was so in demand on the other side, to the point where when a promoter wanted me, they'd be like, damn, I gotta wait. In a year and a half? Nah, I just book somebody else. And that's how it was. Like that.

Comedian Guest

So how long has it been since you've done a proper tour in America?

Akon

Man, I would say since 2000. Probably four. No, 12. 2012. Wow. Yep. 2012 was me and Usher. Wow. That's crazy. Yeah.

Andrew Schultz

But all this time you've been performing.

Akon

All this time I've been performing internationally.

Andrew Schultz

Wow.

Akon

Yeah. Wow.

Comedian Guest

And never, never considered living internationally because you're mostly in Atlanta, right?

Akon

Well, that's the thing. I got like, I got a house in Atlanta, house in la, house in France, house in Senegal, house in Dubai. So I kind of do live internationally, but I'm just always traveling.

Comedian Guest

Right.

Akon

You know, so there's no one place I can just call home because I'm always moving around and shit.

Comedian Guest

Was there ever concern, like, when you're in Senegal, was there ever concern about safety because of just how famous you had become?

Akon

Nah, because it's like me, I never looked at it as a safety because it's all. It's all love. Like the people it's coming from.

Comedian Guest

Love can be dangerous too. Meaning it could be like.

Akon

Yeah.

Comedian Guest

Trying to poke things.

Akon

Yeah, exactly.

Comedian Guest

So more just like people wanting to see you, people rushing them.

Akon

That was always the thing. Like just having crowd control, like security for crowd control.

Comedian Guest

And did that become. Did it become difficult to spend time there because of that?

Akon

Yeah. In Senegal. Senegal was one of the Places. It was difficult to spend time because of that.

Comedian Guest

So what would you do? Do you have, like, a compound there? Like, how do you.

Akon

Well, I got a house on the island. And you need one to get out to it.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, got it.

Akon

That was the only way.

Comedian Guest

Wow.

Andrew Schultz

Are you worried about coming back to the States? Like, what your reception's gonna be?

Akon

Oh, no. I mean, my legacy's already built. It don't even really matter.

Andrew Schultz

Okay.

Akon

You know what I'm saying? Because the fan base is already there, and they hadn't seen me in forever, so it's a treat for them. It's starved, right? Yeah, he's starving for it. I'm gonna give it to him.

Andrew Schultz

And are you going out with Neo or just.

Akon

Yeah, me and Neo got a collaboration tour now that we're doing. So we got all together 70 dates. We just did 30 in Europe. We're about to do 10 in Canada. Then we're doing another 30 in America. Wow. Wow. Yeah.

Mark Agnon

What was it like working with Eminem?

Akon

Ah, man, I love working with Em. I love working with Em.

Mark Agnon

How did that come to be? Was that.

Akon

That was through Obie Trice, actually. Obie Trice was the one that connected me with Em. Oh, wow. Yeah. Cause I had this record I did for Obie, and I was like, obi, don't worry, don't worry. You ain't got to pay me. I just need a feature from Em. You know what I'm saying? Like, I just need a feature from Em. He's like, ah, man, gotta talk to Goldberg about that one. I was like, all right, well, let's figure this out. He said, but, nah, he ain't gonna let it happen. We just gotta find Em. You gotta get to him directly.

Comedian Guest

Goldberg. Rosenberg.

Akon

Rosenberg. Rosenberg. Yeah, that's a Goldberg. That's a Rosenberg was a wrestler. Yeah, Rosenberg. So Opie was like, yo, just come to Detroit. I just take you to the studio. And I was like, man, I don't want to be on Rosenberg's bad side. Let me just call him first.

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Akon

So I called Rosenberg. I said, yo, I got this record I want to do with Em. What do you think? He said, well, send it to me. I didn't have it at the time. You know, I didn't have it at time. The I said, well, I gotta kinda put it together. When I put it together, I'm send it to you. He said, all right, cool. Just let me know. So at that moment, I put the C down.

Comedian Guest

Right.

Akon

He knew that.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, there was interest there, Right.

Akon

I put the C down. He knew. So then I said, okay, Obi. All right, cool. Let's go. We gotta get the record because I gotta send it to Rosenberg, right? Boom. So Obie was like, all right, cool. So now we posted looking all over him. Cause Em, he don't never really know where Em's gonna to be. So we post outside the studio. Em doesn't show up that day. So I'm like, well, he might show up at night. Kobe was like, I mean, Obie was like, nah, he'll never come up late night. Cause we stay nights in studios. He said, nah, nah. Em don't operate like that. I said, all right, well, let's come tomorrow. He said, you gotta come early before you come. So we come early, like 6am so we don't miss him. So it's almost like we staking out the studio. It's the funniest thing. So Em finally shows up. He's like, that nigga, go right there. Come on. So then we come and was like, oh, shit. What's up? What's up? What's up? So I come through and I was like, yeah. Yo, Em, man, we need to get in the lab. Like, you know, let's work. He said, I, I, you know, I came. My little briefcase with all my tracks and everything. I said, I got mad records for you, too. I want to play you a few records. So now I'm going to make sure I get records for him first before I ask for something, right?

Comedian Guest

Exactly. Yeah. You're offering value.

Akon

So he was like, yo, you know, I produce two. I said, really? He said, yeah. I said, well, play me some tracks. So now he's playing me some tracks. I didn't even know M produced. Yeah, I had no idea. Wow, bro. The smack that track came on. I was like, yo, this shit is crazy. Can I get that? He said, hell, yeah. So I take the track, and he gave me four more. So altogether, I picked five tracks. I started on the. What's the name? One first though, the Smack Dat Record. And then after I finish on the M Herd here. And I was like, what do you think? He said, yo, this is crazy, bro. This is fucking. This is a hit.

Comedian Guest

So this is M's production?

Akon

M's production?

Comedian Guest

You asked for it. Cause you're like, I can do something with that.

Akon

Yes.

Comedian Guest

Are you tweaking anything in the production or are you laying vocals on it?

Akon

That track was produced solely by Eminem. Wow. A lot of people don't know that. They thought I produced it.

Comedian Guest

I thought you produced it too.

Akon

Right. That was the only track on my album that I didn't produce, by the way. Wow. Em produced Smack that, right? So interesting enough. Em heard and I was like, bro, you really think it's a hit? He said, hell, yeah. This is a smash. I said, you should jump on it. Yeah, right? I said, you should jump on it with me. He's like, yeah, you know, I think about it.

Comedian Guest

Okay, so. So he. Because everybody's asking him to be on a song, right? So it's a ballsy move to go, hey, be on my right. Like, for you, you have to find the right moment, right? You throw it out there.

Akon

I just throw it out there.

Comedian Guest

And then when he goes, let me think about it. You're like, cool.

Akon

I like. That's not the. Because it really wasn't me. It was just great enough that he's produced it. I was happy to be able to say Eminem produces track. I was cool with that. Right? So now I'm working on the other tracks. So I'm kind of hearing the song playing in the background. Not quite sure, you know, if he just listened to it to see what do you want to do from a production perspective?

Comedian Guest

Oh, you're hearing him listen to it.

Akon

Listen to it. So I'm thinking, okay, now he want to tweak the beat, whatever the case may be. So he goes off to lunch. We come back. By that time I done worked on the other tracks. Five o' clock come. I'm like, yo, where's M? Like, em left. I was like, where he go? He went home. I was like, oh, shit. He just went home while we was working. I didn't know that he set a timeline at the studio. He comes in, lunchtime. He takes lunch. Five o', clock, he goes home. He treated it like a real 9:05.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, right.

Akon

And I was like, damn, that's interesting. Like, it fucked me up. Because he accomplished just as much work as he's supposed to accomplish in that little time that I did spending the night there. So I started to rethink everything. It was actually after that that I started to really manage my time better.

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Akon

Like in life. Cause after that, I realized now I can make time for my kids, make time for my family, and not be consumed by the studio all day every day. He comes back the next day. He said, yo, man, I just some. Some minor adjustments to the song. I want to let you know what you think. So I'm playing, I'm hearing my verse come in. Boom. Then his verse come. Oh, looks like another one. I said, whoa. Oh shit.

Comedian Guest

Oh shit.

Akon

Bring that back, bring that back.

Andrew Schultz

Whoa.

Akon

I heard the verse, I was like, oh, this shit is impossible. I was like, in my mind, I was like, oh, this shit is going to be crazy. Then I'm like, okay, whose record is going to be though?

Comedian Guest

Of course. Yeah, yeah, naturally.

Akon

So now I'm just waiting for it, you know, I'm just like, so we going to put this on your album.

Comedian Guest

So you off you, you, you're deferential to him.

Mark Agnon

Obviously he raps on it.

Comedian Guest

You know, you're doing the respectful thing, which is like, is this on yours? And what do you want to do?

Akon

I mean, think about it. You were producing, now you're featured on it. Like cuz some like, like prime example. When I did I want to love you, me and Snoop did the same thing where we actually put it on both of our albums.

Comedian Guest

And that's been done before.

Akon

Yeah, right. So that's when I, you know, I was like, so em, what do you think? You know, should it be on your album? What? How you want to work this? He's like, nah, bro, it's on your.

Comedian Guest

So he just gives the song to you?

Akon

Yeah. He was like, yo, bro, let's go. Like, you know. And then later it became a bonus track off on his album as well too. Because the record became such a huge hit.

Comedian Guest

Such a huge hit. And then. And for you, there was no issue with that at all.

Akon

You're like, hell no.

Comedian Guest

It's even more sports.

Akon

It was even better because now I got a bigger, broader audience on top of that to also bring this record to. You know what I mean? So cool.

Comedian Guest

Holy shit.

Akon

Yeah.

Comedian Guest

And then that. It just goes crazy. When you're hearing a song like this, you've produced it. So the creative part is quote unquote done.

Akon

Yeah, that's the easy part.

Comedian Guest

Are you going. Are you like assigning a dollar amount to what you think this song is going to do?

Akon

N. Never.

Comedian Guest

Okay, so there's never a financial thing. It's more just like this is going to impact culture.

Akon

It's about how big the record is going to be.

Comedian Guest

I'm going to perform this if it's

Akon

going to be a. Yeah. Cuz I like, like the creative part is automatic. And me, if the record is a hit, the financial part is automatic.

Comedian Guest

It's just gonna happen.

Akon

Yeah. If a hit record's gonna generate money, no matter how you.

Comedian Guest

For those of us who have no fucking clue, what does a hit record generate?

Akon

Pays the bills, of course.

Comedian Guest

But like, is it can you tell us like what it will depending on

Akon

how big the record could be? Like you got some records that literally. Cause okay, prime example, let's say, let's say smack that. Let's say smack that for instance. Right. I can't tell you the exact number, but I can tell you, you that that record. I'll be getting paid for that record for the rest of my life.

Comedian Guest

Are we talking about like, like royalty checks? No, of course, of course. We're talking about 20 million. We're talking about.

Akon

Well, that's the thing.

Comedian Guest

2 million.

Akon

That's the thing. You can't quantify how much it eventually will make because it will always continue to make money. Like let's say in a 10 year period. Like, like let's say in a, let's, let's use it in a, let's quarterly period. Every three months. Yeah, every three months that record could generate easily about 150 to $200,000 dollars. Wow. Every three months.

Andrew Schultz

And you got a lot of smackdowns.

Akon

A lot of those. Yeah. And that's for.

Comedian Guest

In perpetuity. They just.

Akon

Right. And guess what? It spiked during that. And that was before digital. That was before digital with the label taking all the extra out now digital is more accurate. And when you had Spotify and you got the streaming and you know, you have the, the Netflix of the worlds, the apples of the worlds, the Amazons of the world, now you got AI coming that's gonna also bring in the record. Now goes from that into digital world. It tripled off top just from that. And then when AI comes where it now becomes even bigger and global and being attached, it can make easily up to a million dollars. A quarter. A quarter forever. Wow.

Comedian Guest

And the record makes that. And then everybody gets their piece of that.

Akon

Then everybody gets their piece of that. But the writer gets it, the producer gets it, the labor distributor gets it. Whoever owns the masters gets their piece like that. And it's kind of it all so down.

Comedian Guest

And if there's an artist, right, that has a massive huge song, assuming they're not in like a completely like predatory contract, like say they're an artist that they have, you know, a piece of their publisher and all these things, right? One song, they could potentially never work again.

Akon

Yeah, one hit record.

Comedian Guest

One hit record, they'll never work again.

Akon

Let's say one classic.

Comedian Guest

And that is different than a hit,

Akon

That's a hit, different hit. Because sometime hits come in, they go. But classics stick around for a long time.

Comedian Guest

So if you. And this goes back to the goal

Akon

is to make classics.

Comedian Guest

Yeah. And this goes back to the Michael thing when you start owning.

Akon

Yes. This is why Mike had so much power. Cuz he owned catalogs that was filled with classics.

Mark Agnon

Like you owned the Beatles at one point, I think.

Comedian Guest

Explain. So explain that to me. Like, you think. So you think that this was potentially without, you know, putting yourself in a compromising position, but like, you think that there was certain people out there, there that felt threatened with the amount of power that Mike.

Akon

Yeah. It was alleged that at the end of the day, he owned too much. Like he owned too many shares of Sony to where he controlled it because

Comedian Guest

he owned the classic records or too many catalog. Wow. And then. So that. So there might have been.

Akon

And he didn't want to sell.

Comedian Guest

And they were like, hey, we need control. Or maybe somebody over there.

Akon

So it was alleged that because he didn't want to sell, they said, okay, cool, we're gonna press you to sell, and if not, then we're gonna devalue you to the point where it doesn't. It's not worth that much.

Comedian Guest

Holy shit.

Akon

And that's where that came in to devalue him.

Comedian Guest

And what does devaluing him do to the records?

Akon

Oh, it doesn't really do much to the records itself, but it does to his financial situation. Yeah.

Comedian Guest

And now he's enforced to sell these records.

Akon

Yes. Whoa.

Comedian Guest

So, okay, so this is obviously, we've all heard the side that, you know, people have made the allegations against Mike, et cetera. So the other side, the other argument would be he has so much power, they first try to pressure him to sell.

Akon

Right.

Comedian Guest

What are they doing to pressure him to sell?

Akon

I mean, like how they do with everything. They first attack your reputation, your likeness.

Comedian Guest

Oh, wow.

Akon

They take the power your name has and make it muddy to the point where nobody wants to be attached to it.

Comedian Guest

So this is a. This is an interesting.

Akon

And it always starts with allegations with women, pedophilia, you know, I mean, you see it happen with every powerful person at a certain time in their life when they don't want to play ball. The reason why it never happened to Trump. Cause Trump didn't give a fuck.

Comedian Guest

Interesting.

Akon

He owned up to it and said, yeah, okay, I did it, and fuck you, niggas. Locker room talk.

Comedian Guest

We all do it.

Akon

He didn't say, no, I didn't do it. Or he didn't try to distance himself from the allegations. He stepped up to it. And then there's no power because now you get support.

Comedian Guest

Sometimes in sports, you see this where, like, A player's coming on a contract year, and all of a sudden the video leaks of them, like, rolling a joint with, like, some cocaine on the table. Remember that happened with, like, Odell Beckham Jr. Do you think that's the same thing? You think that's like Powers that Be?

Akon

It depends. Because sometimes everyone has a backstory that you don't quite be aware of. But certain people, when they get to a certain level, there are certain things they're asked to do that sometimes most people play ball, and some people don't do it. And when you don't do it, depending on what they're asking you to do. Now, you seem to be not a part of the club. So when you're not a part of that club, okay, we need to remove this person because he's a threat to everybody else. It's almost like a crooked cop within a precinct. He knows where the bones are back.

Comedian Guest

So you got to get that motherfucker out.

Akon

You gotta either play with us, or somehow there's gonna be accident and a police report written that makes everybody okay and you not.

Comedian Guest

Because think about it.

Akon

Yeah.

Comedian Guest

That one person threatens everybody else. And why was Michael owning all the music so threatening to them?

Akon

That's a very good question.

Comedian Guest

Like, what is that? Like, why? Why couldn't they just continue to make more songs and make more hits and then have other things?

Akon

See, okay, there's a word that's more powerful than value in itself, and that's hope. Mike is the most, arguably the biggest artist on the planet, and he's black. It's one thing to be a big black artist, Sabin. No, but it's true.

Comedian Guest

I know, I know.

Akon

But to be a big, black, powerful artist that runs the business.

Comedian Guest

Oh, now you.

Akon

That's something different.

Comedian Guest

Interesting.

Akon

If Mike can be that guy, what makes you think I can't be that guy? Or LeBron can't be that guy for NBA?

Comedian Guest

So you think they were attacking the hope. They're attacking the systems and power.

Akon

That's what it is.

Comedian Guest

Whoa.

Akon

Because you got to think about it when you talk from a cultural perspective, and I don't want to sound like it's to be racist or anything, but when you look at it from a cultural perspective, whether it's entertainment, fashion, or sports. Yeah, right. Black and brown people are ones that generate in the billions, but we don't own the content and we don't control it.

Comedian Guest

And there's no real reason why you shouldn't be able to do it, since you can generate it.

Akon

Right. But the Moment we put ourselves in a position to be able to do that. What'd it do? You can't stop telling kids, the ones that.

Comedian Guest

Come on, bro. Why does that happen to you guys? Oh, hell, dude.

Akon

What the.

Comedian Guest

Get a little bit of power, you know?

Akon

Aight, cool. Nah, you can't be that guy. He's touching kids. But because that's so sensitive to society, that's always the first place they go to start to attack. And that's why when you see that, you got to first say, wait a minute, what's really happening? You don't just agree with that. Find out what's happening behind it and find out why it's going there first.

Comedian Guest

Why do you think that Michael's team didn't push more of that out there? Why do you think that there wasn't.

Akon

Well, you gotta think they own the media. It's Michael Jackson. Like, yeah, no one's bigger than him from a perspective of voice. But if you can't use the platforms that your voice can be heard in, your voice has meant nothing. So if Mike can't use it, what makes you think the people around him gonna be able to use it?

Comedian Guest

Oh, it's a game.

Akon

It's like. Like, it's powers that know how to control the situation. It's all about how you control the narrative. And then the companies that actually own what controls the narrative, who controls that. So it's almost like you gotta be careful how you move.

Andrew Schultz

He was talking about the predatory practices, and then Prince was also talking about it.

Akon

They all talked about it because they were all in handcuffs, but there's not much you can do. You can just say it, but. But the people you're telling it to is blind and deaf to it.

Comedian Guest

Can I. Can I. Is there a part of you that, as you ascended to superstardom and then you start shifting into more. I wouldn't want to say political things, but, like, infrastructural things. Wanting to build.

Akon

Oh, yeah, I'm a victim of it, too. I was a victim 100%. I mean, you saw the attacks on Akon City.

Comedian Guest

Well, that's the thing I want to ask you about.

Akon

That was clearly, clearly that.

Comedian Guest

So that. That is where.

Akon

That's why I shut the up.

Comedian Guest

So, okay. And again, we don't have to talk about something, but, like, is there a part of you that's going through? It's like, oh, wow, now I'm attacking, like, system instructions. If I can just come in and make this majestic city within this country that I love and Cherish Right. All the people that exist within this country and the powers be within this country that haven't done that you yet right now, you're potentially threatening that. That power 100%. Because if I'm a person that's living there, I'm going, well, why the haven't Joe done this? Why the hell did he?

Mark Agnon

And then every other country, right, like Ibrahim Traori takes over. And all of a sudden all these other countries are like, oh, why don't

Comedian Guest

we do that again?

Akon

After that happened, guess what? There was four more coups.

Comedian Guest

Yep.

Akon

And then the other ones are now preparing. And there was some that got stopped. And he goes, so it was like it becomes a domino fit. Because it's human nature nature. It's almost like a very successful person walking through the mall. Nobody really notices. Some do, but they're afraid to go ask for a picture. It only takes one person to say, oh, my God, can I get a picture? And the next, you know, everybody's like, oh, shit. So then everybody comes and does it. So to control just human nature and the way how we are, because we're just followers by nature, there's not that many leaders. Right. The majority of humans are followers. So the ones that actually lead, it depends on what you're leading. And you gotta be able to control that. Because if one person gets the hope to move in that direction, it can offset everything that was built.

Mark Agnon

If that leadership is at odds with someone else's agenda.

Akon

100%, yes.

Mark Agnon

They need to stop.

Comedian Guest

So do you think that you had people that were working against.

Akon

Oh, yeah, it was very clear.

Comedian Guest

And the goal was attainable.

Akon

More than attainable.

Comedian Guest

Right. Because the outside perspective, I'm sure you were probably having to defend nonstop.

Akon

Yeah, I mean, I realized me defending it only made it look more. It made it look worse.

Comedian Guest

That's an interesting thing. Because the knee jerk, reflexive reaction is that, guys, this is what I want to do. I want to do good in the world. We could do this. But the more you keep saying it, then they start looking at you like, where are you? How are you involved in this?

Akon

They looking like, okay, Khan is 100% part Illuminati. I'm like, what the fuck, bro? Like, you go on YouTube right now that tell you all Illuminati. They start looking at my show, they start seeing signs. I was like, oh. It made me believe I was a part of. Because the way they put that together, bro, it's like, dude, this is so interesting. It's like, damn, these motherfuckers are clever.

Comedian Guest

They do that to Jay.

Andrew Schultz

They do that to all of us, bro.

Comedian Guest

It's like, I love the work.

Andrew Schultz

And the way you highlight Africa, are you still doing the work but just doing it more?

Akon

Yeah, now I'm just doing it in a more smarter way to where it

Comedian Guest

doesn't attack the powers that be.

Akon

Attack the powers that be, but more support them in a way to. To where they can get what they want, but we can get what we want, too.

Comedian Guest

This is a lighting project.

Akon

Yeah. So, like, you know. So my thing is. Okay, let's find a way to coexist. I get you need the resources here, but we also need the resources, too.

Comedian Guest

Yeah.

Akon

You can't just take the resources from Africa, build your country up, and then ours are still fucked up.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, yeah.

Akon

How do we work it to. And this is the agreements that was made with China. China figured out. Okay, cool. We understand you don't have the liquid cash, but you do have the resources. But we need your resources. So give us what your resources are worth, and then we'll give you that back in infrastructure. And that made sense, Right? So now China's in Africa building roads, roundabouts, bridges, you know, putting down fiber optics for technical futures and things like that. Whereas Europe, America, they just took the resources and left and didn't even send no money back for nothing.

Comedian Guest

Put that more on Europe than us.

Akon

No, no, no, no, no. It's more real.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, sure.

Akon

Completely more Europe.

Comedian Guest

We do that to the Middle East. No.

Akon

America only comes in when the oil is South America. They do Africa, too, a little bit. They do. They do a proxy. They do a proxy.

Comedian Guest

We outsource that.

Akon

I'm American, so I know I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm straddling both sides of the fence, but I'm trying to unite us, because I was the one in the White White House trying to get America to partner with Africa before China did. But they didn't get it.

Comedian Guest

This is. Dude, this is the. The political game.

Akon

Yeah.

Comedian Guest

Is a very dangerous one.

Akon

No, it's very dangerous when you attack

Comedian Guest

people with real power.

Akon

Yeah.

Comedian Guest

It's very different than music.

Akon

Nah, bro. You think, you think. Listen, you talking about gangster.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Mark Agnon

Government. Government's a mafia, bro.

Akon

Yeah, they. They. They bigger than the mafia. The mafia is more than the government. Small potatoes.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, yeah.

Akon

Because those powers is something you don't want to play with.

Andrew Schultz

This is something that interests me so much because, like, I. I saw you say somewhere, like, something that really bothers you is the fact that Black people can't work.

Akon

Come together. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Comedian Guest

Why?

Andrew Schultz

Like, how can we come together?

Akon

I mean, something. The thing is, there's a lack of trust within our community, unfortunately. How can change that? It's hard. Only thing that can do, you can't. That's not something that can be changed overnight. That's something that have to change from a genera generational like, like, like cycle. Because we have to teach our children and they have to be the one to make the change.

Andrew Schultz

Okay.

Akon

Like, we're too gone. Like, our mindset and mentality is so left that it's impossible. Because like this generation itself, I admire

Andrew Schultz

that of other cultures that are able to come together and like pull their wealth together to move up.

Akon

That's how you have.

Andrew Schultz

It sucks that we're not able to do it as a people, but it's also. It's like there's black Americans and then there's Africans and even they don't get along at a time.

Akon

Yeah. Because it's a divide of how. And it's also information too. Like, information can be very dangerous if you know how to properly use it to create divide. Right. But if it's being used to create unity right now, it can be dangerous because such a capitalist, you know, environment that we're living in and so many agendas that can actually affect that. It's in the world's best interest to keep Africans and black people divided.

Andrew Schultz

Yes.

Akon

Because Africa holds so much power.

Comedian Guest

So if they were united so much power, they would be able to organize around that power, period.

Akon

Tell us everything that they see it.

Andrew Schultz

One thing that black Americans can maybe do to help bridge that gap.

Akon

They just come together. That's it. Nobody likes, like literally, literally come together, put together pools, bring your investments together, invest together together and literally create and build together. Like, prime example. Let me give you a prime example. The one thing that you have to respect on this planet is how small a population the Jewish are. But how uni united they are. Yeah, they're the smallest population on the planet, but they're the most powerful. Why is that? Because they come together, they pool together, they invest together and they build together. And then when there's a problem, they stay together. What happens when there's a problem? With my niggas? I don't know that shit over here, bro.

Comedian Guest

I don't need no problems.

Akon

My nigga, chill. You know what I'm saying? On their side, they're like, hold on. Cause if that affects you, that affects us. How do we fix it? We need them. Conversations and we can't continue to blame the white man for every fault that goes on in the fucking society.

Comedian Guest

Hold on now.

Akon

But it's true. I'm just being real.

Comedian Guest

We like to be talked about.

Akon

I'm talking about. You're not sitting. It's a brother conversation, but it's real.

Comedian Guest

We like to be reminded how powerful we are. Don't take that away from us. If you stop blaming white people for everything, we'll start to think we're not running shit.

Akon

What does the point.

Comedian Guest

That would really infuriate us.

Akon

Yeah, we just gotta stop. Because, man, what I realized, bro, as much as I tried, that problem only exists in America, in maybe two or three parts of Europe. But the rest of the world is united and they all coexist.

Comedian Guest

This is a young crazy story. This is a young place, though. I think that's another thing that it's tough for us to compare to. You're looking at European civilizations that existed for thousands of years. America's a young country about to be 250 years old. The black American experience in America is different. Super young. Because a lot of the black Americans don't even have connectivity to their roots in Africa.

Akon

That's so true.

Comedian Guest

So you're like, inventing a new identity. And unfortunately, because of what his family did.

Akon

My family was in Canada. No,

Comedian Guest

he would talk.

Akon

Some Canadians.

Comedian Guest

I wasn't doing nothing, bro.

Akon

The natives. But no, no, no.

Mark Agnon

Black Americans. They were coming up there as a safe.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, he fell for that trick.

Akon

This is a sketch. You're welcome.

Comedian Guest

But, like. But, like, so unfortunately, like, a lot of the experiences, this, like, shared trauma is shared trauma. So it's like, eventually, ideally, you get to the point where it's like, a lot of the experience is shared culture. And, like, the most ideal version is, like, we all share culture. Like, that's like. That'd be amazing. We all share culture and everything is incredible. And we can all rally around being American despite us having cultural differences, et cetera. I know that you gotta get around here, but, like, that would be the ideal scenario. But there is a version where, like, what we've done in 250 years, most countries haven't done in thousands.

Akon

That's 100%.

Comedian Guest

But we still got. You know.

Akon

But to your credit, to your credit, what we've done as a culture here is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel. Because. Because right now, my kids don't know what racism is. They wasn't raised that way. Like, their friends are from all parts of the world. It's like United nations at my house.

Comedian Guest

Right.

Akon

Literally. They don't see each other from that perspective.

Comedian Guest

They know racism exists, of course, but

Akon

they don't see it the way we see it.

Comedian Guest

And maybe the same way that maybe you and I saw it growing up

Andrew Schultz

or something, there is a lot of flavor over there.

Comedian Guest

There's a lot of flavor over.

Akon

Yeah, it's all in how the. It's all in how the adults teach their children, though, because if they keep it going, then it's going to continue to go moving forward. Right. But if we allow them to be able to just be themselves and get to understand each other as they are without putting our thought and process and our ideology on them, it actually can change overnight.

Comedian Guest

That's true.

Andrew Schultz

But you got to tell them that, too.

Comedian Guest

Yeah, we're working on it. We're working on it. Okay.

Mark Agnon

We're going to say that.

Akon

We'll discuss it, and we'll get.

Comedian Guest

You got to get out before you get out of here. We just need your World World Cup. We just need your World cup hot. So my.

Akon

Here. My World cup prediction.

Comedian Guest

You were talking crazy outside.

Akon

I was. I said the finals is going to be Senegal and us.

Comedian Guest

What are the chances on cow she that we have?

Akon

What's the chance?

Comedian Guest

0.8% for. For Senegal.

Akon

Right. What about.

Comedian Guest

What about the U.S. the U.S. is 1.6%.

Andrew Schultz

Oh, I'll take those odds.

Mark Agnon

Yeah, but that's a tough one for you. You're a dual sibling citizen if. If Senegal and USA is in the final.

Akon

I went both ways.

Comedian Guest

But who do you root for, though?

Mark Agnon

What jersey do you wear to the stadium?

Comedian Guest

Oh, great question, bro.

Akon

Oh, that's actually a very good question.

Comedian Guest

Great question. Yeah, because there's the businessman in you.

Akon

No, no, no. Honestly, I would get a. A customized jersey. It's gonna be sunny out in the front, us in the back. Why.

Comedian Guest

Why is Senegal on the front, though?

Mark Agnon

Yeah, the colors look nicer.

Akon

Because I'm in the business of sun selling hope, and Senegal needs it.

Comedian Guest

Senegal needs more hope.

Akon

I like that.

Comedian Guest

Even when it comes to soccer.

Mark Agnon

No, America needs more hope against Saudi Arabia.

Comedian Guest

Come on.

Andrew Schultz

We got better odds than them right now.

Akon

Yeah, they got you. See, I got. Bro, listen, the US Team is so good this year. They're really good, bro. And mind you, just so you guys know, people didn't know there was a friendly match between Senegal and the US and you guys beat us by one. Oh, all right.

Comedian Guest

I didn't even know that.

Akon

That's a fucking lot. Yeah, I mean, we. We. We kind of wanted to build hope in the U.S. don't do that.

Comedian Guest

Come on.

Akon

Before the game wants otherwise. Come on, guys. If we beat you before the show, I mean, come on. You hope. Like, we need to make sure that you guys make it to, like, make it to the finals so we can really play.

Mark Agnon

Okay, well, I guess we'll see then.

Akon

You know what I mean? But, yo, the US Team is really good this year, bro. Like, they make me nervous. I'm not going to lie.

Comedian Guest

See, you got me feeling hope, man.

Mark Agnon

Yeah, you give hope to all of us.

Akon

I already know Sunday Guy's gonna make it, but y' all make. Y' all make me feel nervous.

Comedian Guest

Con, Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much.