Akon: A Con...or Con Man?
Akon's just been smoked out.
The gangsta-posturing rapper, who has extolled his bad-boy past in hit albums like Trouble and Konvicted, is, according to a new report on The Smoking Gun, more hoodwinker than hoodlum.
The investigative site has dug into the rapper's claims, first spouted during his promotion for his 2004 debut, Trouble, that he served four and a half years in a Georgia prison in the 1990s as the "ringleader of a notorious car theft operation" and owned four chop shops frequented by "celebrities and drug dealers."
Upon following up with many of the detectives that worked his case, The Smoking Gun reports that the hip-hopster was merely busted in 1998 in suburban Atlanta for driving a stolen BMW and ended up being held in a DeKalb County jail for five months before prosecutors dropped all charges against him.
While rising to the top of the hip-hop heap, Akon told tall tales of getting ratted out by lower-ranking peeps in the underworld, facing upwards of 75 years in the joint, having to fend for himself behind bars as a "150-pound inmate" who "fought almost every day for two years" and being feared by fellow convicts.
The stories ended up being fodder for many of his hit tracks, like "Locked Up," which helped him sell millions of albums and gave the 35-year-old emcee the kind of street cred accorded bigger rivals 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and the late masters Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.
While Akon has been arrested on six occasions, only one was a felony—a gun-possession rap to which he pleaded guilty and received three years' probation.
The rest were all minor exploits that, aside from the car stunt, did not lead to any significant jail time.
Akon recently touted his fabricated résumé on VH1's Rags to Riches program in February, asserting that he was once a carjacker who "used to literally snatch cars from people and they would be traumatized for months."
While the chart-topping, Grammy-nominated performer, whose real name is Aliuane Badara Thiam, has apparently exaggerated his past misdeeds, he does have his share of real recent troubles.
In December, he was arrested and charged with harassment and endangering the welfare of a child in Fishkill, N.Y., for a June 2007 concert. He allegedly called a teenager up on stage for throwing a pretzel at him and then tossed the young fan headfirst into the crowd.
Two months earlier, Akon took lots of heat for having simulated sex with a 14-year-old girl he pulled up on stage during a show in Trinidad. He subsequently apologized, saying he didn't realize she was underage.
BIG PICTURE
A Pound of Flesh Will repays fans for his success by posing for pics and signing autographs at his movie screening
More PhotosE! News Now
-
Ashley Dupre on "20/20"
Eliot Spitzer's infamous call girl is speaking out for the first time on "20/20." Get a sneak peek.
-
Rosie Apologizes to Walters
The feud between O'Donnell and Babs may be coming to a close after Rosie addresses the situation on "Conan."
-
"Girls" Hit the Kentucky Derby
This week on "The Girls Next Door," the girls give Hef his first Kentucky Derby experience. Sneak a peek!
-
Breaking: Ashlee's a Mom
Ashlee Simpson finally gives birth to her first child with rocker Pete Wentz. Get the exciting details!
Most Commented
- Lipstick Jungle: Is It Really Dead or What? (692)
- Is Pushing Daisies Really Dead? (599)
- Help Us Help You (251)
- Old Christine's Wanda Sykes: "I'm Proud to be Gay" (147)
- Sundance Film Fest's Prop 8 Headache (136)
- Heroes Redux: Who Is Sylar's Baby Mama? (128)
- Miley Cyrus Victim of Hacker Hoax (121)
- Who Should Perform at the Obama Inauguration? (113)
- DWTS Backstage Dirt: Cody Cries! And Derek Disses (102)
- Barack Obama Draws a Crowd...on 60 Minutes (101)
Top 10 Stories
- Ashlee Simpson-Wentz Births a Fall Out Baby Boy
- Madonna, Guy Granted Quickie Divorce
- Jacko P.A.: Michael, Sheik Brothers From Another Mother
- Harry Potter's Not Opening, and They're Not Over It
- Twilight's Night "Is Going to Be Huge"
- Seven Survivors Remain on Gabon
- John Mayer Meets Jennifer Aniston's Dad?
- Julianne Hough Hangs Up Her Dancing Shoes
- Next Stop for Britney: The American Music Awards?
- Garner Gets Permanent Protection From Alleged Stalker
Hot Topics
Fashion Police
Calling All Couture Cops!Does Madge's Green Giant getup have you craving frozen veggies? Do tell! It's YOU Write 'Em Up time
More Photos
More Pics from mystyle.com
Our Partners
Shop
-
The Girls Next Door, 2009 Calendar Have your favorite girls with you all year long!
-
The Soup "Coffee, Tea or...Soup" Mug Spend $40 on oup stuff and get the new mug for only $5!
Get Your E! News Now
E! News Now
-
Ashley Dupre on "20/20"
Eliot Spitzer's infamous call girl is speaking out for the first time on "20/20." Get a sneak peek.
-
Rosie Apologizes to Walters
The feud between O'Donnell and Babs may be coming to a close after Rosie addresses the situation on "Conan."
-
"Girls" Hit the Kentucky Derby
This week on "The Girls Next Door," the girls give Hef his first Kentucky Derby experience. Sneak a peek!
-
Breaking: Ashlee's a Mom
Ashlee Simpson finally gives birth to her first child with rocker Pete Wentz. Get the exciting details!
0 Comments
Now loading...