Akon - Lonely: Classic or Dud?

I think I've liked every song I've heard by Akon so far (which means, so far, four -- the first being "Locked Up" last year, most recent being "So Fly" on the *Longest Yard soundtrack, which actually has a bunch of other tracks I like on it, too.) So I did a search and couldn''t fiind a thread on Akon per se', just three on "Lonely." (Did I miss one?) Anyway, I have a couple questions: First off, after something like a year (or more?) on the charts, I'm wondering whether I should finally buy his album (though I'm curious enough that I probably will anyway, even if people tell me not too.) Secondly: do people consider him a rapper? His CD cover, I'm pretty sure, makes him *look* like a rapper, a pretty thuggish one (I *think* -- it's not in front of me.) But he is from Senegal, right? And to me, his music comes off as some kinda unusually original reggae/blues hybrid. He seems to have come up with this sad lonely sound that's all it's own, though his voice in "So Fly" actually reminds me more of Shinehead than any rapper I can think of. So I'm ineterested in how he is being *marketed,* too. His videos show up on hip-hop shows, he is on an all-hiphop soundtrack, and though he makes sense in such company, he doesn't seem like he totally belongs. Am I nuts about this? What do people think of him, overall? (Has anybody written a good article or review? I'd love to read one.)

oh man, two down

what heat does to man

He's considered R&B, xhuxk.

OK. But the songs I've heard don't sound especially r&b, either, at least not in the way the term usually seems to be used these days. Does anybody talk ever about the blues and reggae influence? Or are they just my imagination?

And is the rest of his album more orthodox r&b stuff?

And oh yeah, I just remembered - He also had a good collaboration track on that Beatnuts album last year, right?

He struck me as "nice," which is nice when you catch it on the radio but not meaty enough over the length of an album, though I like his attitude. And I agree that his sound is a bit different from what's usually being called "r&b" these days. But honestly, this is one of those albums that I listened to five tracks of, put it on the "I'll get back to this" pile and then forgot all about it. And now he's Number One on Radio Disney. Chuck, I'll play the rest of it sometime this week and report back.

i prefer the orginal by Bobby Vinton , Akon's sampled chorus is a lazy double sppeed and sounds like a chipmunk or that crazy frog.I wish Akon sang the orginal chorus.

I hate this song. Akon himself I don't mind but that chipmunk effect is fucking annoying.

xhuxk, yeah he was on the Beatnuts album - that track "Find Us (In the Back of the Club)" was pretty hot (can't go wrong with handclaps!). I was so hoping for it to be a total club banger but it never took off. Other than that, I don't know too much about the guy but seems like he might be interesting.

I think he's marvy. Wrote a review for my local paper, but it ended up not published since the album came out like a year ago. Not super long but readable here: http://antidisingenuous.blogspot.com/2005_05_01_antidisingenuous_archive.html#111584374836445359

I like "lonely" but "locked up" is an absolute classic.

Oh yeah, I love that Beatnuts single, "Find Us," great beat, wonderfully infectious; a near miss on my P&J last year.