Malcom X Fantasy: Akon

Showing posts with label Akon. Show all posts

Monday, April 25, 2011

Hip Hop’s High Earners

Forbes magazine released their annual list of the 20 top earners in Hip Hop last year. With combined earnings of over $220 million in the top ten alone, it’s plain to see that the global economic meltdown and the changes in the way we purchase our music (why buy an album when you can download the few tracks you actually like) did little to stifle their ability to rake in the almighty dollar.

As we reported in this post on high earning supermodels, the key to longevity is simple. Diversify! Why do one thing when you can do 5?

1. Jay Z

Shawn Carter brought home $63 million last year thanks to his album The Blueprint 3 and subsequent tour, investment in nightclub 40/40 and his stake in the New Jersey Nets basketball team. He boasted in hit Oh My God ‘What you call money, I pay more in taxes’ – he wasn’t kidding! Only our number 2 earned more than his tax bill! Still, he can’t get too big for his boots – wifey Beyonce earned more than him with $87 million.
Their joint income is just more than the GDP of Kiribati, a small island in the Pacific.

2. Diddy (or Puffy or P Diddy or whichever moniker he’s using now)

Sean John made a respectable $30 million thanks to his clothing line, Bad Boy Records and album Last Train to Paris. Movie appearances mean that figure stands to rise in 2011.

3. Akon - $21M

Senegalese-American Aliuane Thiam pulled in $21m from Konvict Clothing, his Pepsi soccer ad campaign and record label Kon Live which is home to cash cow Lady Gaga. Touring was a money spinner as will be new album Stadium Music.

4. Lil Wayne

Not even prison could stop Dwayne Carter. Before being sentenced in March he released album Rebirth, toured and made various guest appearances. Will be able to spend his $20 million soon.

5. Dr Dre

Despite not putting out any new material in 2010, Andre Young still earned $17 million from rights to classics like The Chronic, his Beats by Dr Dre headphones and executive producing Eminem’s The Recovery.

Looks like hip hop is one area that brown skinned men are successfully monopolising. And monetising!

See the full list here.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

UK Chart Roundup: Matt Cardle Avoids The Trashmen, Debuts At #1

No surprise here: Matt Cardle, winner of The X Factor 2010, has debuted at #1 in the UK with his elevator-friendly "When We Collide." Where's a good ol' Rage Against The Machine-like Facebook upset campaign when you need one, you ask? Oh, right—that would be The Trashmen's 1963 jam "Surfin' Bird", which sadly only managed to scrape in at #3. Better luck next year, kids. Likewise, Biffy Clyro's original version of "When We Collide", "Many Of Horror", re-enters the chart at #8.

Michael Jackson and Akon's "Hold My Hand" climbs to #10, giving the Gloved Corpse his first new Top 10 hit in the UK since "One More Chance" went to #5 in December 2003.

Meanwhile, over on the album chart, MJ's Michael debuts at #4. Here in the States, the posthumous collection of Jacko jams (that surprisingly doesn't suck) is going toe-to-toe with Susan Boyle's The Gift in the final countdown to next week's #1 on the Top 200.

And while we do seem to love our SuBo over here—the enchanting Vocal Sex Queen Of Scotland's The Gift has been #1 for four non-consecutive weeks now—it's Take That's Progress that truly rules the man band's home country. The album is #1 for a fifth week, and thus becomes the last chart-topping LP of 2010 across the pond.

The U.K. Top 10:

1. "When We Collide" - Matt Cardle *new* *1 week*
2. "What's My Name" - Rihanna feat. Drake
3. "Surfin' Bird" - The Trashmen *new*
4. "The Time (Dirty Bit)" - The Black Eyed Peas
5. "Your Song" - Ellie Goulding
6. "The Flood" - Take That
7. "Only Girl (In The World)" - Rihanna
8. "Many Of Horror" - Biffy Clyro
9. "Whip My Hair" - Willow
10. "Hold My Hand" - Michael Jackson feat. Akon

Thursday, December 9, 2010

The EEEEEEE-Heeeeee Files: Michael Jackson & Akon's "Hold My Hand" Music Video

Remember, chyldryn, only here in Chart Rigger's investigative series The EEEEEEE-Heeeeee Files will you find the most in-depth, probing coverage of the late Michael Jackson and his upcoming album of unreleased material Michael (out December 14). (Pulitzer, I'm available.)

Today we turn our detective lens to the music video for Michael and amazingly soulful vocalist Akon's "Hold My Hand" (a jam I previously labeled "effective pop"), the lead single off the "new" LP.

Now, I'm not really sure who this Persian woman is who's impersonating Michael all through this video in various faked scenes of concert footage, etc., but I think the whole thing is perverse. Let the dead lie. What a con!

In fact, only at the end of the clip do we see the real Michael Jackson—at the 3:29 mark, where he's standing on the ground waving at the cheap heart-shaped box of Hallmark Valentine's Day chocolates.

That's the Micheal we all know and love. Unfortunately, "Hold My Hand" has dropped this week on the Hot 100 from its peak of #50 to #66.

EEEEEEE-Heeeeee!!!

Thursday, November 25, 2010

U.S. Chart Roundup: Rihanna Makes Hot 100 History With "Only Girl (In The World)"

This week Rihanna not only becomes the first female singer to nab four #1 singles within one year on the Billboard Hot 100, she's also the first artist ever to have the first single from an album top the chart after the second single did.

Yes, RiRi's "Only Girl (In The World)" has finally inched its way to the top spot, two weeks after her second Loud single "What's My Name" was #1. Earlier this year she ruled with both her hooker jam "Rude Boy" and Eminem's "Love The Way You Lie."

Meanwhile, over on the Top 200, Rihanna settles for a #3 debut with Loud, behind Susan Boyle's The Gift (#1 for a second week) and 10-year-old Pittsburgh native/America's Got Talent runner-up Jackie Evancho's O Holy Night (#2). That's right—bow to SuBo's powerful thong, you amateurs!

Back on the Hot 100, just behind Rihanna is Pink's "Raise Your Glass" at #2. Her only other single to chart higher (not counting collaborative cover "Lady Marmalade" or shit "We Are The World 25") is "So What", which reached #1 two years ago.

It's annoying to think of that time period in the early '00s where labels by and large weren't offering CD singles in the U.S., and the iTunes store wasn't around yet. Because surely "Get The Party Started" would have been a #1 hit, rather than peaking at #4 on airplay alone? At any rate, Pink's Greatest Hits...So Far!!! debuts at #14 this week over on the Top 200.

Cee Lo Green's "Fuck You" finally cracks the Top 10 (#9), likely thanks to last week's episode of Glee. Gwyneth Paltrow's own tame version of "Forget You" from the episode debuts at #11.

And, hey—maybe this will pave a highly fuckable path for Enrique Iglesias' new single, "Tonight (I'm Fuckin' You)"?

On a final single note, Michael Jackson and Akon's duet "Hold My Hand" debuts at #84. Currently it's up to #30 at the iTunes store. Will this will become MJ's first Top 40 hit in nearly 10 years, Jacko fans? Eeeeeeeeeeee-Heeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

And on a final album note, 2010 American Idol winner Lee DeWyze appears to be dead on arrival. His debut LP Live It Up pretty much kicked the bucket with its #19 debut.

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "Only Girl (In The World)" - Rihanna *1 week*
2. "Raise Your Glass" - Pink
3. "Like A G6" - Far*East Movement
4. "We R Who We R" - Ke$ha
5. "Just A Dream" - Nelly
6. "Firework" - Katy Perry
7. "Just The Way You Are" - Bruno Mars
8. "What's My Name" - Rihanna feat. Drake
9. "Fuck You" - Cee Lo Green
10. "Bottoms Up" - Trey Songz feat. Nicki Minaj

Monday, November 15, 2010

The EEEEEEE-Heeeeee Files: Michael Jackson's New Single "Hold My Hand"

Unlike "Breaking News," the Michael Jackson song (yeah, right) that surfaced last week, "Hold My Hand" actually sounds like the King Of Pop is crooning the main vocals. Produced by and featuring Akon, a rough version of "Hold My Hand" was originally recorded two years ago. Now this polished rendition is the first single off the upcoming Michael (out December 14).

We all know Michael was a massive perfectionist, but "Hold My Hand" proves that sometimes going the simple route can produce spectacular results. I'm not saying this stands up to classic MJ hits like "Billie Jean" or "Man In The Mirror." But after one listen, the chorus is ringing through your head, and that's just effective pop.

Still feeling a bit dubious about this whole Michael project, because "Breaking News" was a real rocky start to the campaign. But at the very least, "Hold My Hand" should fare well as a surprisingly solid single.