Akon Ordered to Pay $165,000 in Back Rent
Akon is going to have to pay up if he wants to avoid any further issues.
According to a report from TMZ, the singer has been ordered to pay nearly $165,000 to a company that leased him space for his Aliaune Milano fashion line on the 66th floor of the Empire State Building. The leasing company, GTFM, says Akon agreed in July 2012 to pay $25,000 a month but stopped three years later.
GTFM claims Akon's company financially left in January 2016, leaving almost seven months of rent to be paid. The company sued the singer but he never responded to the lawsuit, so a judge issued a default judgement.
While Akon has run into his own problems, the singer reportedly had a plan to fix a big issue affecting Puerto Rico. According to the artist, he had a plan to restore power on the island but his offer was turned down by the U.S. government.
“We actually presented a program for Puerto Rico and we got rejected,” Akon told TMZ. “We have the solution for Puerto Rico, clearly. We would’ve had power up in less than 30 days and they rejected us.”
When asked why his bid was denied, the artist chalked it up to "politics, special interest and propaganda." He added, "They don't care about the people. If that were the case, then they would have allowed us to go in and provide the solution."
Akon is no stranger to helping struggling communities. In 2015, he created a solar technology training academy in Africa. The singer also started the company Akon Lighting Africa with some help from one of China's biggest companies and has brought solar power to more than 10 countries on the continent.
See New Music Releases for February 2018