Akon, hip-hop’s popular chorus crooner, may claim to have been imprisoned, but his sound isn’t locked up in a single genre.
The 35-year-old self-proclaimed convict demonstrates versatility on his third and latest album, Freedom. Akon masterfully crafts potential hits for European rave clubs, Top-40 radio and socially conscious coffeehouses.
His high-pitched voice, rhyming skills and simple, accessible lyrics are easily applied to many types of music: hip-hop, pop, reggae and even techno. Akon’s bundle of musical abilities is comparable to curry; it’s hot, and he can dish out any product based off it.
And although Akon owes much of his bread and butter to collaborations and guest appearances, some of his best songs on Freedom are solo efforts. He may sing some of the most popular rap hooks in the business, but he’s not trapped into the role like Nate Dogg has been.
Akon embraces the current pop-electronica trend in the beginning of Freedom. The songs are basic and not especially dynamic, yet they are still catchy, fun and dance-worthy. Akon sings about love and sounds especially sincere on “Keep You Much Longer,” a track about trying to spend time with a busy woman. Akon exudes a sweet, laid-back quality that serves as a necessary contrast to the persistent synthesizers and bass line.
As the album progresses, the sensitive ladies’ man noticeably transforms into a heartbreaking ladies’ man. “We Don’t Care” bridges hip-hop and techno, resulting in a sexy joint about uninhibited grinding on the dance floor. Akon switches up between singing and rapping with the prowess of R. Kelly – he even throws in moans and groans reminiscent of the Pied Piper of R & B.
Akon continues to flaunt his swagger on “I’m So Paid,” the most hip-hop track of the bunch. He breaks out badass boasts to relieve listeners from the somewhat monotonous techno sound and even lets Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne spit 16 bars each. Jeezy’s verse is entertaining thanks to his gruff voice and punch lines, but Wayne foolishly turns on the Auto-Tune. He tries to bite Akon’s vocal style, dragging the song down.
But with some tracks, Akon seems to have lost his mojo. When he hits up the playa’s ball on “Troublemaker,” a song with a rapid rhythm and a deep bass, his vocals lack attitude. Akon even sounds bland when he flows about “popping bottles with models” and “partying hard.”
Freedom’s lead single, “Holla Holla,” may be about macking on chicks, but it’s actually the album’s most impotent track. Akon and guest artist T-Pain try their best to sound bouncy over a drowsy melody and overpowering drums. They sing a murky, idiotic hook that sounds like the old man from the Chappelle’s Show skit: “Holla, holla, holla, let me holla at you, holla, holla.”
“Against the Grain” sounds like a dirge thanks to its slow, pulsing synthesizer and lack of melody. The track isn’t supposed to be funny, but how can listeners not chuckle at Akon’s despair for falling in love with a “ho” even though his buddies told him not to?
Fortunately, Akon compensates toward the end of the album with personal songs about anything but sex. “Over the Edge” has an air of defiance and determination. Akon sounds like a motivational speaker as he gives a troubled friend advice by saying, “I’ve been through the same things you’re going to/ But you gotta believe in you.”
Akon also sounds inspirational on the title track, a powerful song laced with a marching band-esque snare and a call-and-response bridge. He details his parents’ emigration from West Africa, as well as how he escaped the thug life he was drawn to as a teenager.
Despite some mishaps, Freedom is an enjoyable release with plenty of diversity and enough club-ready cuts to get by.
arush@umd.edu
RATING: 3 out of 5 stars
