Akon: Building an Empire, Funding Africa, and Why 'I Am the Fund' Changes Everything | EYL

**Akon** (0:00)
Everybody, when they sign in the contract for the first time, it's the best thing that ever happened to them. It's only a bad contract later when you're making money. When I invest, I'm investing so I can raise my value to get more money. Whereas them, they're investing to make the money back plus interest. I'm not thinking like a hedge fund. I'm thinking like I am the fund.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:15)
I might not sell a bunch of records anymore, but if I can get billions of views on Instagram and TikTok, is that something that musicians are starting to look at?

**Akon** (0:22)
That's what I'm looking at. And you should, because those are the active users that's constantly checking for that record, constantly playing that record, repeating it and sharing it.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:30)
As far as Africa, what do you think the biggest hurdle is?

**Akon** (0:33)
The outside world coming in. If you go into an environment where people don't got, you can just bribe. They got to survive. So they're going to accept it. Africa got to be willing to die for it. That's the only way it works. That's an ultimate opportunity for anybody to go in and really, like whatever you're doing here and you do it there, your money, your value, all that's going to triple, quadruple, like literally within a year.

**SPEAKER_3** (0:51)
At what point are you thinking, I got to build catalog?

**Akon** (0:54)
That was always the case. Just make timeless music.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:56)
People are selling their catalog. Is that something that you're considering?

**Akon** (0:59)
My catalog is so big, there's pieces that I'm creating specifically just to be able to gain value and then sell it later.

**SPEAKER_2** (1:05)
How do you feel about the direction that African music is headed in?

**Akon** (1:08)
The fact that it's even mainstream, to me is enough for it. But what I am afraid of is the idea that that is the only way out.

**SPEAKER_2** (1:15)
All right, guys, welcome back. EYL, we got a special guest, my brother Akon. What's going on, man?

**Akon** (1:20)
Man, it's a special day. Boy, since I seen y'all last, bro, I can't begin to express how proud I am of y'all advancement, man.

**SPEAKER_2** (1:31)
Appreciate that.

**SPEAKER_3** (1:32)
Appreciate that, man.

**Akon** (1:32)
Hey, bro, this is amazing.

**SPEAKER_3** (1:35)
We've seen each other all over the world.

**SPEAKER_2** (1:37)
Right.

**SPEAKER_3** (1:39)
Last interview, we were in a hangar, which was Illmatic, and here we are today, man.

**Akon** (1:45)
Man, this is amazing.

**SPEAKER_2** (1:47)
I appreciate it. Before we start, I gotta ask you, man, is Senegal giving back that trophy? Man, that's highly controversial.

**Akon** (1:54)
It's highly controversial, 100%. And we all, as a family in Senegal, all spoke about it. Like, we know we're the champions.

**SPEAKER_3** (2:04)
On which side?

**Akon** (2:05)
I mean, if you want the cup, we'll give it back to you. But you know, like, you know what I'm saying? It actually looks worse, us giving it back to you. Like, the person that has to receive it.

**SPEAKER_2** (2:17)
Hakeem, he said that they don't deserve it. I respect what he said. You heard what he said? He said that they don't deserve it.
He said, we lost. Like, we shouldn't be getting a trophy like we lost.

**SPEAKER_3** (2:25)
Right. And you was there. You watched that live.

**Akon** (2:27)
Man, I was there from top to bottom. Like, I almost jumped out the stairs myself.

**SPEAKER_3** (2:34)
I don't think people got to understand it to see you in Africa and watch the reception. Like, we were at the semi-final game and you went on the screen and it was like, I'm like, what's going on? Oh, come on the screen, okay.

**Akon** (2:46)
Man, I wish I knew y'all was there. Like, oh, man, you know, but I was just happy that y'all actually was though. That just shows that y'all making y'all rouse though.

**SPEAKER_2** (2:54)
Yeah, that's a fact.

**Akon** (2:55)
That's amazing, man.

**SPEAKER_2** (2:57)
Well, let's get into it, man. I know you got the new music coming out, so we definitely going to talk about that, but I wanted to get your perspective on a few things. You know, obviously you're one of the great moms when it comes to business. So what's your thoughts on the state of music right now? I know you got a head out now, but have you changed your tactical strategy as far as like TikTok? Like are you aiming towards social media TikTok influences when you're actually making the music or is it still like how it was before? Like how has that changed being social media?