Akon Scores Grammy Nod for 'Smack That' Featuring Eminem

NEW YORK, NY (Universal Motown) -Multi-faceted superstar Akon can add 'Grammy nominee' to his growing list of prestigious honors, earning a coveted nod when the nominees for the 49th Annual Grammy Awards were announced today in Hollywood, CA. The popular R&B titan was nominated in the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Category for the first single from his best-selling album Konvicted, 'Smack That,' featuring Eminem. The song was a multi-format smash, soaring all the way to No 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart, while also becoming a ringtone staple and a digital phenomenon as well.

Akon has proven that ex-convicts can turn their life around in a hurry, with his Konvict/Upfront/SRC/Universal Motown sophomore CD, Konvicted, garnering the No 2 spot on The Billboard Top 200 at the end of November, selling more than 283K units in its first week of release. The provocative artist, who already has notched a total of 3 million worldwide sales thanks to the success of his seminal debut album Trouble, wrote and produced all but one of the songs on his new album, putting him in an elite club of other Grammy nominated singers/songwriters/producers (Elton John, Mariah Carey, Kanye West).

To top that, Akon landed as the No 1 Hip Hop/Rap artist on iTunes and MySpace, as well as becoming the most searched artist on AOL. The Senegalese artist is currently promoting Konvicted across the country with appearances and performances. The singer/songwriter just recently appeared on the American Music Awards performing the nominated 'Smack That' and 'I Wanna Love You' featuring Snoop Dogg. He has also performed the hit song on Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. The 49th Annual Grammy Awards will air live on CBS from the Staples Center in Los Angles on February 7, 2007. Akon can also be seen on NBC's Saturday Night Live on December 9th, 2006, where he will join the venerable late-night institution as a musical guest.

The press has already weighed in on Konvicted:

'… grand…'
- The New York Times
'…polished…irresistibly slick…'
- USA Today
'…compelling…'
- Entertainment Weekly
'And with his rich new album, 'Konvicted,' this graceful hybridizer has solidified his vision, pointing the way for R&B to progress…'
– The Los Angeles Times
'It's rich with hypnotic pathos and imbued with faraway global echoes.'
– The Washington Post
'He has developed into an artist of vision and versatility.'
– The Boston Globe
'Akon's strength: delivering hard-hitting street portraits with an R&B singer's depth of emotion but with a rapper's level of credibility.'
- The Associated Press
'Akon is a hip-hop hit.'
- New York Daily News
'Akon delivers…expect this performer to represent Senegal proudly for years to come.'
- The Dallas Morning News