Akon is hoping to make a change with his new music. After going viral with “Akon’s Beautiful Day,” he opens up about his upcoming album Not Guilty, set to release in February 2025, in a recent interview with AllHipHop. He also shares his unique insights into his vision for the future of music and tech.
The Senegalese artist seeks to bring back the classic album experience—a cohesive body of work. While his song is doing millions on TikTok and YouTube, he’s not enamored with the single. He professes his love of music and the culture as he talks about artificial intelligence and addressing common fears around it. From A.I. advancements to rediscovering the value of albums, Akon highlights his desire to push boundaries and reshape the industry.
Watch the interview in full or read an edited version below.
AllHipHop: What’s good?
Akon: What’s going on, big time? I’m doing amazing! Good to see you, man.
AllHipHop: Good to see you, too. I see you’ve got that super iconic jacket on. I don’t even want to call it a “Michael Jackson jacket” because it’s your own thing.
Akon: It’s AKON-ic. You know? AKON-ic.
AllHipHop: Yeah, okay. Is that the name of the album?
Akon: Nah, nah. The album’s called Not Guilty.
AllHipHop: Not Guilty. Dropping in February 2025—looking forward to it. You’ve also got a new song out, an inspirational joint. Can you talk about why you went in this direction on “Beautiful Day,” the song in question?
Akon: Man, I just felt it was necessary. Coming back from Africa, I was listening to the music, and honestly, the vibration [In America] felt low, you know? I kept seeing clips of drill rappers losing their lives, or artists getting hit with RICO cases, locked up for 25 years or more because of lyrics. I thought, “We need to change this narrative.” Music should be about creating positive memories, not something that’s used as a tool to bring down a culture.
AllHipHop: Throughout your career, you’ve gone back and forth on different themes. Do you think it’s time to approach things differently?
Akon: I think we should have always thought differently. We tend to take the art for granted and sometimes forget the environment we’re in. We’ve rarely been seen in a positive light, and we often have to go above and beyond to get recognized. Even now, we’re protesting for things we contributed to and don’t get credit for. So, knowing that we often start out on a negative, we really should approach things from a worst-case-scenario mindset.
AllHipHop: We’re still in the tech space. I even asked AI to tell me about AllHipHop, and it responded with, “AllHipHop’s been adaptable to all the changes in technology.” I was like, okay, AI, we’re still here!
Akon: AI is a powerful tool. I really believe it’s going to be hugely beneficial for us in the future.
AllHipHop: AI.
Akon: Absolutely.
AllHipHop: Do you have any concerns about AI in relation to music?
Akon: Nah, I think it’s only going to keep growing. The main fear people have with AI is losing control over it. But honestly, that fear just comes from not fully understanding it. A computer only does what a human programs it to do. It can’t go beyond that—it needs to be programmed.
AllHipHop: So it’s not the AI or the technology we should be afraid of. It’s the people programming it.
Akon: Exactly. That’s really the only thing to fear.
AllHipHop: Right? And there are already movies showing AI with rights or even having babies.
Akon: But that’s just movies.
AllHipHop: I don’t know, man. Elon Musk is out here making things from movies a reality. What’s happening now?
Akon: True, though. A lot of what’s happening now started in the movies. Look at FaceTime; it was on The Jetsons. Self-driving cars? That all started in cartoons. Movies sometimes do predict what’s coming.
AllHipHop: Okay, let’s talk about the album. I know it’s not dropping until February, but what can you tell us about it?
Akon: This album is going to change things, hopefully. I want to bring back the old ways of releasing music with a fresh, futuristic perspective. Right now, it’s all about singles. Everyone’s focused on dropping one single at a time, afraid to release a full album. But what made music amazing was the experience—a whole body of work with a theme.
I want to bring that vibe back, so I’m planning something for the fans. People are impatient nowadays; they don’t want to wait until the end of February. So, I’ll be offering a chance to buy a physical copy of the album before the official release date.
AllHipHop: Oh, nice. That’s good money, too.
Akon: You going to love this album, bro. I promise you. I promise this album is going to change the game. I promise.