Recently, in an interview with VladTV, Akon revealed that he did not sign Drake to his new record label because he sounded like Eminem. Akon has helped various artists who have not become popular stars, which include T-Pain, Lady Gaga, and many more. However, he missed out one gem. Keep reading to know what he has to say about our Megastar Drake.
Akon helped other singers, but fumbled one major star
Akon gained popularity worldwide after his catalog hits like I Wanna Love You and Lonely. These songs are still remembered by his fans. Aside from singing, he is also a record executive who signed Lady Gaga to his record label. He also helped singer Kat Deluna, Toronto rapper Kardinal Offishall, T-Pain, and many more via Konvict Muzik imprint and Interscope. He nearly added Drake, but he passed on signing him to his record label.
Akon told VladTV that in 2005, he had a chance to sign Drake, but did not because he sounded more like Eminem. He said that Kardinal Offishall had introduced Drake to him in 2004. He was not that popular at that time, and he met before his Best I Ever Had track became popular. When he heard the demo, he sounded like Eminem.
He added that one can easily see a huge difference between Best I Ever Had and the demo track. If you haven’t watched his interview with VladTV, then you can have a look at the video below, where you will see Akon talking about Drake. After launching in the music industry, a bidding war began and Lil Wayne’s Young Money imprint won in the end.
As soon as Drake gained fame had developed his style, his bidding skyrocketed. Later on, Kardinal Offishall also said that he had told Akon that he was going to become popular. Akon replied that they would reach out to collaborate, but they couldn’t. Sadly, he couldn’t get Drake to work with him because the lowest bid at that time was a million.
Akon lost because he did not have that much money. He also recalled that Sylvia Rhone, who is the Epic Records chair/CEO had a chance to sign Drake. She was also handling Universal Motown Records. But at that time, she was busy with Trey Songz. He also said in the interview that Drake has done a revolutionary thing.
He added that he is a genius, and he is worth every single penny. Moreover, out of all the artists, he truly believes that Drake is one of the best. It is not the first time he has talked about signing off Drake, but it is the first time he has shared the details with the world. Akon said that Drake’s love for Eminem turned him off. You can check out the fans’ reaction to Akon’s interview on YouTube below.
Conclusion
Despite signing off Drake, Akon had a successful career. He launched many artists and became a popular record executive. We will be back with more exciting news about your favorite artists. So stay connected.
Read more: Lil Wayne’s ‘No Ceilings’ Mixtape Is Now Available on Streaming Services
