Akon, a Grammy-winning R&B performer who was born in the US, is keen to rekindle his relationship with his roots. His lofty aspiration? His family’s native Senegal is being transformed into a spectacular “real-life Wakanda” by the construction of a fantastic metropolis.
Normally, I would write this off as rambling conversation from a crazy person. However, it’s important to remember that Akon, who is well-known for his music, has previously worked with Snoop Dogg, a well-known supporter of marijuana. Together, they produced the song “I Wanna Love You.” This leads me to suspect that Akon may have been abusing the drug a bit too regularly.
However, the illusions the artist detailed in his advertising campaign for “Akon City,” in which he promised, could only have been generated by massive quantities of LSD. “Every single African American would be a millionaire without even thinking twice” The projected 41.6 million black people in America would up and go if they moved to Africa, and the country would become immobilized “overnight” if they stayed.
Akon claims that the planned city in Senegal, a difficult country in West Africa, can be developed for the cheap, low investment price of $6 billion. According to a story in AfroTech on Friday, the city is supposed to be built on the former French colony’s former naval base. “To be a safe space for Black Americans and others facing racial injustices.”
“The system back home treats them unfairly in so many different ways that you can never imagine. And they only go through it because they feel that there is no other way,” The Associated Press quotes Akon as saying in 2020 that the imagined African metropolis will serve as a “home back home.”
“So if you’re coming from America or Europe or elsewhere in the diaspora and you feel that you want to visit Africa, we want Senegal to be your first stop,” he said.
“The almost surrealist, water-like designs of Akon City were inspired by the shapes of traditional sculptures long made in Africa’s villages, he said. However the gleaming structures of Akon City will be made of metal and glass, not wood,” the AP reported.
“A hotel within the city plans to feature rooms decorated for each of the 54 nations of Africa. However, the project was designed by a Dubai-based architect because Akon said he couldn’t find a suitable one in Africa fast enough. It’s also unclear what percentage of the building materials and construction teams will be sourced locally.”
Introducing Akon City, the unrealized utopia of the future. The startling reality is that there hasn’t been much improvement and some investors believe there has been fraud.
An investigation commissioned by the plaintiff and carried out by retired federal Special Agent Scot Thomasson revealed that the city, which was intended to run on blockchain and cryptocurrency technology, contained “many of the trademark characteristics (known as “red flags”) of fraudulent business ventures such as Ponzi schemes and pyramid schemes,” according to the New York Post. In March of 2022, one of Akon’s former business partners sued him.
REVEALED: The 3 reasons you should NEVER use Vegetable Oils…
But disregard it. AfroTech reported on Friday that if you’re a black American, it would be foolish not to invest in and/or relocate to Akon City.
“Africa is in a position where if African Americans take position now, every single African American would be a millionaire without even thinking twice because there’s nothing that’s not needed over there,” In a recent podcast interview, Akon remarked.
“So, you guys come with the discipline, you guys come with the knowledge, you come with the resources.”
According to AfroTech, the vocalist “went on to emphasize his perspective that it’s Black people who are the driving force behind America’s revenue today across all sectors such as sports, entertainment, fashion, and medicine.”
“I mean, you name it. We’re leading in every single sector,” he said.
“Just imagine if we all just decided to just take all our bags, withdrew all our money and go to Africa. Where would America be today? It would collapse overnight.”
As for Akon City itself? “The whole idea is to create what the future of Africa should be,” he said.
“We have all the resources, we have the manpower, we definitely have the population. So it was just a matter of putting something in a country that can start and pretty much scale out to every other country — that we can copy and paste or at least the idea.”
“If nothing [else] happens, the city will be done and mentally people know that it’s something possible to do in Africa,” he added.
Absolutely! It is conceivable to waste billions of dollars meant for African charity and end up with a terrible project in a poor country. There is no disputing that.
However, if it took the words and deeds of a faded R&B singer for you to realize this fact, it appears that geopolitics isn’t your strong suit given the countless disasters that the last seventy or so years of well-intentioned post-colonial money dumps in developing countries have produced. In most cases, the resources would have been better allocated had the bank notes simply been burned to provide energy for the locals.
If “Akon City” weren’t yet another variation of the return-to-Africa scam that dates all the way back to Marcus Garvey, another accused scammer with similar beliefs, this would be a comical human interest epic-fail story.
Discover a ridiculous yet alluring version of hustling as a guy pitches his concept for a futuristic metropolis that is modeled after the imagined paradise in Marvel’s “Black Panther.” This bold plan offers a distinctive viewpoint on tackling America’s racial inequities in a nation where just 44% of rural families have access to power. Join the movement of a new generation of black separatists who want to leave the allegedly racist United States and go back to Senegal, their native country. Be prepared for the possibility that this huge migration may cause economic standstill in the US.
What possibly could go wrong?
Let’s examine the headlines, then. June 6, Associated Press: “Senegal violence threatens country’s stability as experts call on government to instill calm.” Human Rights Watch, June 5: “Senegal: Violent Crackdown On Opposition, Dissent.” NPR, June 3: “Death toll in Senegal protests rises to 15 as opposition supporters clash with police.” Deutsche Welle, Jan. 9: “Rebel conflict in Senegal’s Casamance region far from over.”
Imagine providing Akon with $6 billion in seed money. With that, he declares his intention to build a blockchain-based Wakanda. Interesting, huh? Not to mention, who will serve as finance minister? Could Sam Bankman-Fried be there?
It’s sad to say, but from the sounds of things, SBF may be living in safer, cleaner conditions than a good number of Senegalese in the decades to come. I’m also willing to bet that there will be just as many millionaires and at least one more permanent resident in his jail cell than there will ever be in “Akon City” as well.
Good, hit the road, uppity NIGER, you won’t be missed except by the WOKE-FOKE that are suicidal JOKE-FOLK! Take all of your lazy, low IQ brother and sisters with you, don’t let the door hit you in the ass!