AKON KEEPS IT STREET ON NEW 50 CENT TRACK

Akon returns to street roots on new song, “I Still Kill,” from 50 Cent’s forthcoming album, Curtis…..

Akon is one of the artists featured on 50 Cent’s forthcoming album, Curtis, which is scheduled to hit stores on September 11th. While fans may have gotten to know Akon as mild mannered crooner, the singer definitely has a street edge. He turned his time behind bars on a car theft conviction into his huge breakthrough hit, “Locked Up,” and now he’s returning to his street roots on the song, “I Still Kill.”

Akon told MTV.com, “It’s one of them records where it’s almost like you get so successful, people assume you lost your street feel. You lost your edge. I’m at my highest point on the pop side, but I started with street records and still can go there. It’s not a problem. 50 is the same way. It’s just 50 is thinking more business now. He’s thinking radio, crossover, but at any moment, he can switch up and go there. Don’t get it twisted, we still will kill. SSK [SoundScan Killers] all day.

“I think it’s just a start. You know I think like anything that you do to try to make a change is never an instant change. People like to soak it in, understand what it is, and then think about being a part before they’re actually are a part. So you know I think this is the first stepping stone towards making a change.”

The two stars collaborated on the song via phone as Akon was touring but they’ve since run into each other. Akon explained, “Shortly after the song was completed, we met face to face, gave each other a pound, gave each other a hug, like, ‘N—a, we got a hit.’ Now we’re gonna do more records for both [our upcoming albums]. We’ll swap out. Whoever’s album it feel right on, that’s where we gonna put it.”

Akon, who is currently working on the soundtrack to the movie, Cocaine Cowboys, participated in the Live Earth concert series earlier this year. The singer explained that change is a long process. He said,