Ranking All the Akon Studio Albums

Akon

From Trouble to the 2008 album Freedom, Akon has been releasing groundbreaking music for most of his career. In fact, Ranker lists him as one of the best artists of the 200s. His discography includes several chart-topping tracks and five great albums that feature singles like Smack That, and I Wanna Love You. Since his last album release, Akon has been working with various well-known music artists like Wiz Khalifa, David Guetta, and Chris Brown. Let’s review how Akon Albums have fared in the music world.

5. Akonda

Date of Release: 2019

Singles featured: Wakonda, Bottom, Take Your Place, Bottom, Boogie Down, Welcome to Africa, Pretty Girls, Low Key, Control, Scammers.

Akon released his eagerly awaited album named Akonda in 2019. This album comprises ten amazing Afrobeat-influenced tracks, only featuring three emerging music stars from Nigeria – Skales, Olamide, and Kizz Daniel. Earlier that year, the album’s lead single, Low Key, was released with its official music video ready for a global YouTube launch. Akonda followed the release of Akon’s fourth studio album that premiered early that year.

4. Trouble

Date of Release: 2004

Tracks Featured: Pot of Gold, Bananza (Belly Dancer), When The Time’s Right, Locked Up, Gangsta (featuring Picklehead, Devyne, and Daddy T), Lonely, Don’t Let Up, Trouble Nobody, Show Out, Journey, Ghetto.

Akon’s album, Trouble, was released on June 29, 2004. This solo debut album showcased Akon’s West African-styled vocals combined with Southern and East Coast tunes. Some of the singles featured in this album include Locked Up, Pot of Gold, the catchy Lonely, and Ghetto, which became a major hit after DJ Green Lantern remixed it. The remix spawned versions recorded by well-known rappers Notorious B.I.G and 2Pac. A majority of Akon’s songs in the album begin with him uttering the word “Konvict” and a distinctive sound of the clang of a jail cell’s door.

3. El Negreeto

Date of Release: October 2019

El Negreeto is Akon’s fourth studio album and part of his three-part album series that was released on October 4, 2019, under the music record label – Akonik Label Group. It was released in collaboration with BMG Rights Management. This independent studio album was launched more than a decade after his 2008 album Freedom.

El Negreeto serves as Akon’s first Spanish-language album that was produced in partnership with producers such as IAmChino, Jon Leone, Maffio, Camilo Echeverry, Mau y Ricky, and Jimmy Joker. The album only features a few guest appearances from famous music artists; Becky G, Pitbull, Farruko, and Anitta. El Negreeto’s first featured track, Get Money, which got released on May 24, 2019, features the amazing Puerto Rican rapper, Anuel AA.

2. Freedom

Date of Release: 2008

Singles featured: Troublemaker (featuring Sweet Rush), Right Now (Na Na Na), We Don’t Care, Keep You Much Longer, I’m So Paid (featuring Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne), Beautiful (featuring Kardinal Offishall and Colby O’ Donis).

Akon’s third studio album, Freedom, was originally known as Acquitted, according to Reuters. However, Akon decided to change the album’s name to Freedom before he released it. It was finally released on December 1, 2008, and became available in stores the next day. Freedom features several hit songs, such as We Don’t Care, I’m So Paid (feat. Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne), Beautiful (feat. Kardinal Offishall and Colby O’ Donis), and Right Now (Na Na Na).

Freedom peaked at number 7 on the Billboard 200 chart after more than 110,600 of its copies were sold within one week. Based on comments from Rolling Stone, the album was described as “a melodrama about love and lost love illustrated in a hooting theme over synth-filled beats.” Freedom has a 58 out of 100 Metacritic score. Moreover, Dan LeRoy of the Hartford Courant has said of the album, “Akon’s silky West African vocals make the album pleasing to listen to…”

1. Konvicted

Date of release: 2006

Singles Featured: Mama Africa, I Wanna Love You (featuring Snoop Dogg), Shake Down, Gangsta Bop, I Can’t-Wait (featuring T-Pain), The Rain, Blown Away (featuring Styles P), Never Took the Time, Smack That (featuring Eminem).

Akon’s second studio album, Konvicted, was released in November 2006 and rose to number 2 on the Billboard 200 after selling approximately 286,000 copies in a week. The album stayed in the top 20 albums of the Billboard 200 for a maximum of 28 weeks and was number 2 four times.

Six weeks after the release of Konvicted, more than a million copies were sold in the United States. The album was certified platinum after 7 weeks and later certified double platinum after 16 weeks. On November 20, 2007, after 3 million copies of the album were sold in the US, it was certified as triple platinum.

This album features several famous music artists, such as Snoop Dogg, Styles P, and Eminem, among others. Its first hit single, Smack That (feat. Eminem), was released in August 2006 and ranked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a maximum of 5 weeks. On October 5, 2006, Akon broke the Billboard’s Hot 100 record after the album’s track Smack That jumped from number 95 to number 7 on the Hot 100.

This jump was mainly as a result of its 67,000 downloads on Hot Digital Songs. Smack That was later nominated at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards for the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, but unfortunately lost to T.I. and Justin Timberlake’s song “My Love.”

Final Thoughts

The Senegalese American singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, and record producer Akon rose to fame after the release of his hit single Locked Up. This smashing hit was featured on one of the best Akon Albums yet – Trouble. Mixing smooth R&B vocals with hip-hop beats, the song rose to the top 10 in both the US and UK. It also played a major role in helping the album go platinum, a certification that was later awarded to subsequent albums, such as the 2008’s Freedom and 2006’s Konvicted. From his discography, it is safe to say that Akon’s albums are true masterpieces.

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