One of the more prevalent songs from the Broadway musical 'Dreamgirls' is a rousing thumper sang by the James 'Thunder' Early character called 'Fake Your Way to the Top.' The title of the song is pretty self explanatory.
And although the glitzy theatrical tour-de-force deals with all things Black Music Industry of decades before, most of the themes translate to today's day and time.
Take Akon for instance.
The Senegalese Singing Sensation has been a chart-topping mainstay on the hip-hop soul scene; thanks – in large part – to his break-out debut single 'Locked Up,' (video below) which told an autobiographical tale of how his sale of narcotics led to him being incarcerated.
In subsequent interviews, the crooner has claimed he served a total of 4 1/2 years in prison for various felonies, including running "a notorious car theft operation."
That's hard time.
Not so fast – said TheSmokingGun.com.
The investigative celebrity website is labeling Akon (real name: Aliuane Badara Thiam) a complete and total fraud when it comes to his so-called criminal past After digging through his legal records, SmokingGun found that the New Jersey-bred balladeer was convicted of only one felony - for gun possession - and that case ended in a guilty plea with three years probation.
It also is revealed that the Grammy Award winner was arrested for stealing just one BMW.
In that case, he was detained in Atlanta for several months before prosecutors dropped all charges against him.
In the story, titled "Akon's Con Job," SmokingGun stated: "Akon's ad nauseum claims about his criminal career and resulting prison time have been, to an overwhelming extent, exaggerated, embellished, or wholly fabricated.
"Police, court, and corrections records reveal that the entertainer has created a fictionalized backstory that serves as the narrative anchor for his recorded tales of isolation, violence, woe, and regret. Akon has overdubbed his biography with the kind of grit and menace that he apparently believes music consumers desire from their hip-hop stars."
Whoa wee.
A spokesperson for the Universal Motown Records recording artist was not available for comment at deadline.
Comments: (149)
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By: bebe on 4/18/2008 11:33AM
i think this akon guy has a brain problem.he need to check himself with a psych doctor for treatment.i'm a true fun of him but i don't trust him no more.he lies to the public about his new albums and also about his new country music single. akon please try to calm down.how is he going to answer this new fraud lies when he comes back from his africa tour.
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By: Heidi on 4/18/2008 2:04PM
It's sad when an accomplished musician can't be proud of his past. We need more good examples, not bad.
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By: Stacy on 4/18/2008 2:08PM
Oh gee, what a surprise. Someone making up a past to sell records! Whatever, like it doesn't happen all the time. The funniest part is that this crap still sells. So go that the consumers for allowing this idiot to be fraudulent. Don't stand there like a deer in the headlights and act like this doesn't happen all the time. Tupac did it, 50 cent did it. But yet they still make money off of it. People choose to believe what they want regardless of the facts.
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By: Dan on 4/18/2008 2:12PM
They just say what people buy & who buys the most"WHITES".So they do care what we think.The biggest PUNK is diddy !
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By: rob on 4/18/2008 2:14PM
The really pathetic part is that when the guy bragged about his notorious criminal past the community embraced him becasue a notorious criminal past is something we should all be proud of..no wonder certain people continue to lanquish in poverty and misery..look who their heroes and role models are..look what they consider to be "cool"
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By: nique on 4/18/2008 2:15PM
There you go black community a real treasure to your race and you buy his music, young African Americans dream of doing time rather than make something out of themselves or staying in school, black music, made by blacks, sold to the black youth and prifits go directly to black music artists and their record companies. Somehow it will be white Americas fault as always. Take a look in the mirror before you go shoot hoop today and tell your girl you were out looking for a job.
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By: patrick on 4/18/2008 2:23PM
Wow. The world is upside down. We've moved from the idea that engagng crimial actiity is nothing to be ashamed of to the notion that one ought to be ashamed for not having a criminal reord.
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By: so f ing what on 4/18/2008 3:37PM
big deal..so what, now if he makes a song i should not buy it cause he is out lying hillary clinton?yeah, right...
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By: SD on 5/02/2008 11:17AM
Let me get this straight??? We are dogging the man (or young man) because he doesn't have the horrible criminal record he sang about in his song?, or that we thought he had? Therefore making him someone who is less a criminal. I got one thing to say about that GO TO H**L, you are crazy and need to get a life.
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By: carol on 4/18/2008 2:23PM
Of course, some people would consider a writer who does not know grammar a fraud as well.
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