Akon's Imagination More "Konvicted" Than Akon

According to an investigation by website The Smoking Gun, R&B crooner Akon has exaggerated the criminal past that inspired singles like "Locked Up" and the album Konvicted. Among the singer's claims is that he was once the kingpin of a car theft operation and that he spent four-and-a-half years in the prison after being ratted out. Not true, says TSG. Akon did spend time in a Georgia prison, but it was only for a few months. And he wasn't arrested for being a ringleader of a car theft operation or because he was ratted out; rather, he was pulled over for driving a BMW that was previously stolen by someone else. It was also discovered that "Locked Up" was not written in prison (as Akon purported) and that the singer also sired a child with a college student while he was supposedly in jail. Neither Akon's publicist nor business manager have replied to the TSG report.

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Song Stories

“Time to Pretend”

MGMT | 2008

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”

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