Senegalese-American singer Akon has sparked debate after suggesting that males usually are not naturally wired for dedication, arguing that the majority relationship issues girls face stem from infidelity.
The five-time Grammy-nominated musician made the remarks throughout a latest interview with The Shade Room, the place he spoke at size about relationships, gender dynamics, and his private views on constancy.
In keeping with Akon, males are naturally inclined to have a number of companions and usually are not designed to stay dedicated to 1 girl.
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“Males aren’t dedicated. We’re not constructed to be dedicated. We’re pure breeders by nature, proper? Okay. We populate as a result of that is how God created us. So we will not be dedicated to 1, two, three. That is not ours; we’re not wired to be dedicated,” he stated.
The 53-year-old, nonetheless, drew a line between dedication and what he described as “faithfulness”, insisting {that a} man might stay emotionally loyal regardless of being concerned with different girls.
“However faithfulness is one thing completely completely different. I might be with a chick and be along with her perpetually by way of all the issues. It doesn’t matter what, I can discover the baddest chick alive and have my primary chick, and I am simply utilizing this for instance. I might be in a lodge, and she or he busts down the door, and I am knee-deep in there, and I will bounce off and be like, ‘ Babe, I do not even know her.’ She’s out of right here. Like, I would not even know her. She means nothing to me as a result of that is what I am trustworthy to.
“However simply hear me out. What number of males have you learnt who will struggle for that one due to the error they made with one thing that did not matter to them? That is faithfulness. That is creating that vitality to struggle for it. Now dedication, we’re responsible. We’re not dedicated. We’ll be with a number of girls.
“That is simply who we’re. We won’t; that is nature. Nature created that. We did not create that. In any other case, it would not be a coincidence that each single girl on this planet, if they’ve an issue with their partner, it is over one other girl. Give it some thought,” he said.
Gender dynamics
Talking on gender dynamics, the 2007 American Music Awards Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist winner described girls as very smart and emotionally conscious, whereas suggesting that males have realized to navigate these traits.
The “Smack That” crooner went additional, arguing that relationship points amongst girls are nearly at all times tied to a different girl.
“Each chick that acquired an issue with their man is over one other chick. 99.9%. Do you suppose that is a coincidence? That ain’t no coincidence. That is nature.
“Girls, to begin with, are the neatest human beings on the planet. You guys can multitask higher than anyone on this world. One factor about girls is that you simply guys know us higher than we all know ourselves.
“We perceive that girls’s major energy is emotion. So what we do, we good the artwork of emotion… It makes it appear to be it is manipulation as a result of it went over your head, however we caught it,” he stated.
Pushing Wizkid, Africa focus
Talking about Wizkid, he clarified that the singer was found by Banky W, however that Banky W later helped push his profession internationally.
“I did not uncover Wizkid. Banky W found Wizkid. After which I signed Wizkid by way of Banky W. In order that’s how that collaboration went.
“So once I went to Nigeria, Banky introduced me Wiz, and I used to be like, bro, this child is a star.’ However clearly, they’d restricted assets. So once I signed Wiz, that is after we broke him out of the US,” he stated.
Quizzed on whether or not he sees himself as the most important artiste to return out of Africa, he replied that “that is for the viewers to resolve, actually. I am unable to actually resolve. But when I needed to say, if I have been the primary to develop on a worldwide scale, I might really say. However I am unable to say if I am the most important.”
Akon stated his lowered visibility in the US ultimately stemmed from his determination to concentrate on Africa, significantly Nigeria.
The American-born star stated that after selling his Freedom album, he moved into the Nigerian music house, working with artists and contributing to what has now turn into the worldwide Afrobeats wave.
“What made the run in America sort of decelerate was that I took extra time to concentrate on Africa. Oh. Yeah. So in 2008, after I dropped my final Freedom album, I promoted it within the US for about two years. 2010 got here; I produced the World Cup, after which I went straight to Nigeria. And targeted on Nigeria there.
“And that is when the whole lot slowed down as a result of it was round there once I was working with Wizkid, and we began transferring, then I went into the P-Sq. period. So my aim was to provide the platform to Nigeria to allow them to have that choice to have the ability to… As a result of the music was simply too superb. However we did not have a platform then.
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“The whole lot was like black magic, I name it. Since you felt we have been in Africa, however then, once you left, no one actually knew about it. However then within the UK, they helped quite a bit as a result of they helped emerge and open up the market, so I may even promote it,” he stated.
The 53-year-old additionally defined that early in his profession, his sound was onerous to classify, with individuals not sure if it was hip-hop, R&B, or reggae. He added that working with Types P helped place him within the hip-hop house, despite the fact that he would not see himself as a rapper.
Akon rose to world prominence in 2004 with “Locked Up” and went on to turn into one of many defining voices of the 2000s, mixing R&B, hip-hop, and African influences.
Past his music, he’s additionally identified for supporting and growing world stars by way of his file labels.
In Could 2025, Akon confronted intense backlash from Nigerians for claiming he created the Afrobeats style and introduced it to the nation, which critics dismissed as a rewriting of historical past.
In September 2025, studies surfaced that Akon’s spouse of practically 30 years, Tomeka Thiam, filed for divorce.