Minutes before he was to appear on stage at Franklin Field, Akon was the calm eye of his own brand's storm. Security guards, assistants and Benny-D, the tour's DJ, rushed around the dressing room, making sure the 7,500 students and community members outside would enjoy the Konvict Muzik experience. Amid the hustle and bustle, Akon was disarmingly tranquil, chatting on his iPhone at a far lower volume than one would expect from the energetic Akon of such hit songs as Right Now (Na Na Na) and Beautiful.
As he walked to the stage flanked by his sizable entourage, his quick stride became a confident swagger better matched to his degree of success. Benny D played Top 40 hits, working the crowd to fever pitch, and Akon bounded on stage, delivering an electric, energetic performance that included a brief crowd surf.
Post-show, with concertgoers still reeling from his performance, Akon returned to his dressing room to decompress, chugging cranberry juice and toying with his iPhone. Akon's muted pre-concert demeanor returned as he sat down with 34th Street Magazine to talk Spring Fling, Lady GaGa and Freedom.
Though he answered questions about college and Fling with all the ease of a seasoned veteran, Akon brightened most when asked about that which made him famous in the first place - his music. He cited Bob Marley and other classic reggae acts as influences, but said he loves how "cool and relaxing" John Mayer's music is. When he's not working, he said his iTunes is almost always on shuffle, but "[Lady] GaGa's records hype [him] all the way up."
He took pains to plug the Konvict Muzik artist, noting her songwriting ability and the authenticity of her quirky image. In regards to her often off-beat wardrobe, Akon said, "Oh, I love it. Even before I signed her, she was like that. It wasn't something we created."
Akon spoke warmly about GaGa labelmate Colby O'Donis as well, calling him a "student" and "little brother."
"He's really fun 'til we get a bunch of girls around, then he gets clingy," he said. Akon imitated himself reprimanding O'Donis, laughing affably, while still maintaining his off-stage quiet.
With both Lady Gaga and O'Donis' music to manage - as well as his own - Akon's production cycle is often very quick. "That's how it is in my brain, too," he said. "I am lucky."
While on his Freedom tour, Akon is "already starting to record the next album and . adding four new songs" to his current release for the holidays. He said he's "always writing [and] always recording" with a sense of duty hinting at the true extent of his talent.
To his credit, Akon seemed incredibly capable of tailoring his talent to whatever project comes his way, be it serious or Smack That. For his next album, he said he plans to incorporate the "change the world" sentiments he expressed at the end of the concert.
"There's a lot of dark clouds on the way in," he said, adding that his music needs to echo that sentiment.
As the dressing room was dismantled and the energy in the air dissipated, Akon looked ready for a respite from the public eye. He was catching a 6 a.m. flight out of Philadelphia Saturday morning, and from there heading to New York, Atlanta and London. Though he was visibly eager to head to his hotel, Akon made sure to deliver a message to Street for Penn's student body.
"Don't be defeated by Penn State," he exclaimed. "Y'all party hard!"
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