Akon: Pop star or businessman?

His name is Akon - or Aliaune Dmala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam to his parents. He is in the UK to promote his third album, Freedom.

It is one of the most-anticipated R&B releases of the year, but the record was not without its teething troubles.

"Too many songs have gotten leaked," the star complains - blaming a hacker who intercepted songs as he sent them to his engineer from his laptop.

This caused something of a headache for the 34-year-old star, who scrapped every song that found its way onto the web and started afresh.

"Once it's on the internet, everyone gets it," he explains.

 
The star is the son of the son of famed jazz musician Mor Thiam
"They download it and keep it on repeat at home or when they're cleaning. So the album is already exposed. You want people to buy it not knowing what to expect."

The final, hack-proof album, out this week, has been trailed by the single, Right Now (Na Na Na), which is already in the UK top 20.