Konvikted

It wasn't so long ago that Akon burst on the scene with the eccentric 'Lonely' — but already his music has advanced. So much so that his new album 'Konvikted', written, arranged and produced by the rapper, takes hip-hop to another level.

Not many MCs can sing their lyrics but when it comes to vocals, Akon is one of a kind. He gets deep and emotional on ‘Blown Away’, with its slow beat, soft melodies and appearance by rapper Styles P.

Getting a lot of airplay is song of the moment 'Smack That'; catchy, it’s one of those you hear once before it’s stuck in your head all day. In other words, it’s downright annoying but Eminem spices things up with a cheeky rap.

It all gets better on ‘I Wanna Love You’ featuring the suave Snoop Dogg rapping about what he loves best, although the Doggfather ends up exhausting the use of the other rather colloquial word for the feline species.

Also check out the rather melancholic ‘The Rain’, and the hip, gunshot-laden 'Shake Down', while he gives Bob Marley some serious competition in the legend stakes with the reggae infused ‘Mama Afrika’.

‘Never Took The Time’ may be a bit on the cheesy side, but doesn’t detract from the fact that 'Konvikted' is truly inspired stuff.