Akon has been on quite the press run lately, and not everyone is impressed. The hitmaker's recent remarks about Nick Cannon earned him a viral moment. However, his comments comparing African performers to Black Americans received a bit of pushback.
According to Akon, Africans are "a little different when it comes to stage presence.” He added, “Them n*ggas gon' be wobbling, pants hanging half down, bored as hell, half asleep ‘cause they high as hell on stage. But Africa, we wake up in the morning—like, look at these YouTube clips of all these kids from Uganda. Like these kids are performers. So for us, it comes natural.”
Read More: Akon Draws Backlash After Comparing American & African Performers
Quickly, Akon was called out for his alleged anti-Blackness by both Africans and Black Americans. Van Lathan also chimed in with a response, and he didn't mince words.
"First off, Akon has been on his clown sh*t for years now but that’s another topic... I wanna say something though. I’m Black. Like Black American Black," wrote Lathan on Instagram. He then took readers on a history lesson.
"Like South Louisiana bayou bondage Black." He added, "Like my father was raised by Bishop and Lizzie Lathan Black. The kind of Black where you grow up around old people with scarred souls who tell you about everyone who died and everyone who lived so you could sit down and drink a soda on a Saturday."
"The type of Black where you understand the beauty and the danger of your skin from the beginning, because the old people want you know what they been through. Real talk, I’m sick of seeing people sh*t on that. And make no mistake, when you single out Black Americans for criticism, the ones who have culturally empowered the entire diaspora, you’re sh*tting an entire experience I feel connected to by birthright. This seems to be happening more now, why?"
Read More: Akon Says He Supports Nick Cannon Having So Many Kids
Lathan accused Akon of making millions by "cosplaying like brothers from Atlanta or Miami." He then questioned why there is a need to target Black Americans specifically.
The podcaster's hot take was co-signed by several other influential figures in his comment section. Akon has yet to respond to his latest controversy. Check out a few more reactions below.
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