However, following managerial commitments to other artists, work on the album has not been completed. It was announced in late 2009 that Akon's fourth studio album, Akonic, was set for release in the first quarter of 2010. It has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide. On November 20, 2007, the RIAA certified the album ‘triple platinum’ with 3 million units sold in the US. It stayed in the top twenty of the Billboard 200 for 28 consecutive weeks and peaked at number two on four different occasions. The album was certified platinum after seven weeks, and after sixteen weeks it was certified double platinum. After only six weeks, Konvicted sold more than one million records in the U.S. The final single was confirmed by Akon to be " Never Took the Time." Konvicted debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 286,000 copies in its first week. The deluxe version was fully released on August 28, 2007. To coincide with the release of the Platinum (deluxe) edition of the album " Sorry, Blame It on Me" was the album's fifth single, debuted in August 2007 on the Hot 100 at number seven. " Mama Africa" was released as a European single in July 2007, making it the fourth overall single from the album reaching just 47 in the UK. In January 2007, a third single " Don't Matter" which earned him his first solo number one and second consecutive Hot 100 chart topper was released. " I Wanna Love You," (featuring Snoop Dogg) was the second single released in September, it would go on to earn Akon his first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, and Snoop's second.
The first single " Smack That" featuring Eminem was released in August 2006 and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks. It included collaborations with Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Styles P. Īkon's second album, Konvicted was released on November 14, 2006. Akon knew of Foster's work as producer Knobody and so there was a mutual respect for one another and the pair hit it off. In an interview with HitQuarters SRC A&R Jerome Foster said, "What caught my attention right away was "Lonely", and I said, 'this kid is official - this is a huge record." Foster and SRC CEO Steve Rifkind immediately boarded a private plane to Atlanta to meet the young artist. The songs Akon recorded with Stephens were brought to the attention of Universal's imprint SRC Records.
The relationship between Stephens and Akon began as a friendship and mentorship, with the young artist regularly stopping by to ask for advice, but when Akon lost his deal with Elektra Stephens signed him to his production company and began grooming him professionally. Music mogul Devyne Stephens, president of Upfront Megatainment first heard about Akon when the rapper Lil' Zane brought him along to Stephens' rehearsal hall, a place that at the time saw talents such as Usher and TLC being developed. Akon's alleged three years in jail saw him begin to recognize his music abilities and develop an appreciation for his musical background.
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