00:00Who are you?
00:19Akon, recording artist, businessman, philanthropist and a family man.
00:23What motivates you every day, sir?
00:26Singing is a passion. Performing, giving.
00:29I just love it.
00:30I would come with similar music,
00:32but then I would come with African melodies.
00:34Outside of African melodies, I would actually come with songs with lyrics
00:38that actually reflect life and love and living of African people,
00:42but on American sounding tracks.
00:44My African roots is what gave me the advantage over a lot of my American peers
00:49because I was able to tap in a certain spirituality.
00:52I just wanted to be rich. I didn't know how.
00:55As you're young, you make those mistakes, you start moving with the wrong crowd,
00:58and I got caught up in the aspect of the fast money.
01:01So, unfortunately, I get locked up.
01:03Not knowing that at the time when I'm thinking I'm being punished,
01:06it was actually my blessing.
01:08That habit followed me in jail and I just naturally wrote about being locked up.
01:12As a kid, a lot of people don't know I wanted to be a brain surgeon.
01:15I changed my mind.
01:17Because the little Akon had no fear.
01:20Well, I think that was the gift.
01:24I almost said that's the problem, but then when I thought about it, that's the gift.
01:28What's really been going on in my mind is just thanking God to be in this position.
01:31Believe me, I promise you I've never seen me going or reaching this far.
01:35I don't know what it feels like to be a superstar because I don't know how to not be me.
01:39I had never done a live performance before then.
01:42Believe me, I was scared to death.
01:44100%.
01:45I always believed that my purpose was to save Africa.
01:49All one people.
01:50We're just all different cultures, different religions.
01:53But at the end of the day, we're still one people.
01:55It has to start from somewhere and I don't mind it being for me.
02:09I am sorry.
02:10So I soon have come to see a lot of people who've been in this room.
02:25I was happy that my purpose in the world looks like you're going to be in this room.
02:30I'm back in the cabin.
02:31I'm happy to see you.
02:32I can see you.
02:33I have just a friend.
02:34I'm happy to see you.
02:36I was happy to see you.
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