Akon was among the early champions of Lady Gaga, so much so that she was signed to his KonLive Distribution label in 2007. Although Gaga’s last release on the label was her A Very Gaga Holiday EP in 2011, Akon reflected on his time with the pop icon—and her distinctive style—during a visit to daytime talk show Sherri this week.
Around the 3:50 mark of the video below, host Sherri Shepherd brought up Gaga’s powerhouse Coachella set and asked Akon about the “It Factor” he noticed in the 14-time Grammy winner.
“You don’t really know until you see it,” Akon began before explaining that he’d signed producer RedOne shortly before meeting Gaga.
“Soon as she walked in, it was like, ‘What is that?'” he continued. I mean she looked like she was coming straight from the ’80s but she’s a classical pianist. And it was like, how do you mix that and create a sound that the world can actually gravitate to without it sounding too eclectic?”
Akon called merging those worlds the “biggest challenge” he faced with Gaga, although they’d find success with her 2008 breakout single, “Just Dance.”
“I think that was the problem she probably had before she signed to me,” Akon continued.
While the two have since parted ways, Akon had nothing but appreciation for his former artist, who he signed along with other now-legends like T-Pain and WizKid.
“I just thank God every day that he allowed me to be a part of that legacy,” said Akon, who’s now planning to do a country revamp of his catalog. “I think what she’s created in pop music… Just to be attached to that is a blessing in itself.”
Akon has a lot to be thankful for in signing Gaga, as the musician has sold a whopping 170 million records globally. Her first three studio albums, The Fame, The Fame Monster and Born This Way–which were all distributed through KonLive–have been certified multiplatinum.
