International artist Akon has filed a lawsuit against his former business partners accusing them of using his name for a new perfume without his permission.

The Grammy nominee and Konvict Muzik CEO was reportedly in talks to develop his own scent, but according to recently filed court documents, Akon was met with a huge surprise when he found out perfume executives formed Konvict Cosmetics International and started selling a scent called Konvict without his prior approval!

So now, the Senegalese-American entertainer is demanding the company halt further production of the illegitimate fragrance. Representatives from the unauthorized company Konvict Cosmetics so far haven’t responded to requests for comment.

Producer/singer Akon has put it out that there that he is far from feeling Christina Aguilera jacking his artist Lady Gaga’s style… or so he says. In a recent interview with Vibe, the CEO of Kon Live records is sharing his views on the newly created “Gaga vs. Christina” battle. Basically, people feel that Christina’s new sound and look are a rip-off of what Lady Gaga has been doing since she was signed to Akon’s Kon Live Distribution label in 2008.

“Aw man, that’s not even any competition,” Akon tells VIBE. “You are actually giving Christina too much credit. She always had her cool little look and way about how she went about things. But soon as Gaga came out everything switched up. Christina stepped out of her own shell to become something different. And the crazy thing is Christina is really talented. She has unlimited range when it comes to singing. Her voice is out of here. I just think she just needs to believe in herself more. I think sometimes she gets insecure because of all of the success Gaga has had not realizing that she was already successful before Gaga came out.”

Akon hopes Aguilera’s upcoming album Bionic showcases more of her dynamic voice and less of the up-tempo, electro pop bad-girl anthems typified by her latest single “Not Myself Tonight.”

“Christina shouldn’t have anything to prove or anyone to compete with,” he continues. “I miss the old Christina Aguilera. I like the old one better than the new one. Honestly, Gaga and Christina could probably get together and do something that’s amazing. But that’s impossible if they are both trying to do the same exact thing musically.”

As far as his own work is concerned, Akon is set to release his new album Stadium this summer.

What do you think about the Lady Gaga / Christina Aguilera comparisons?

Akon has postponed an April concert in Sri Lanka after the nation's government said it planned to deny his visa this week. The problem? A certain "Sexy Chick."

Specifically, a sexy chick who's feverishly shakin' dat booty all up in a Buddha statue's grill in the song of that name by David Guetta featuring Akon. Obviously.

More than 200 protestors in the city of Colombo threw rocks at the offices of Capital Maharaja, Akon's concert promoters, angrily reacting to the video Monday.

The mob - some carrying signs that read "Stop Akon Now!!" - broke windows and hit cars parked near the building. Four employees were reportedly injured.

"Sexy Chick," the hit song Akon recorded for Dave Guetta's One Love album, shows babes dancing all suggestively in front of this Buddha statue by a pool:

Images like the screen cap above have "triggered a lot of disappointment among Buddhists all over the world," a Sri Lankan government spokesman said.

Online debate heated up as well. The "We Hate Akon" page on Facebook has more than 12,000 members. That's both hilarious and sad at the same time.

"I was not aware that the statue was even on the set of the video until now," Akon said. "I would never desecrate anyone's religion or religious beliefs."

More than 60 percent of Sri Lanka's population is Buddhist, and "I myself am a spiritual man, so I can understand why they are offended," Akon added.

"But violence is never the answer and I am disheartened."

Akon gets spiritual in his "Sexy Chick" video.

In case you're unclear what song we're talking about, and feel like getting it stuck in your head for 72 hours (you're welcome!), it's the one with this verse:

She's nothing like a girl you've ever seen before / Nothing you can compare to your neighborhood hoe / I'm tryna find the words to describe this girl ...
Without being disrespectful!

The way that booty movin I can't take no more / Have to stop what i'm doin so I can pull up close / I'm tryna find the words to describe this girl ...
Without being disrespectful!

Anyway, whose side are you on!?

People rarely talk about the fact that Lady Gaga is actually signed to Akon’s label and she has made him a ton of money. In fact, her rapid success has put enough money in Akon’s pockets that he could retire TODAY.

“She’s pretty much retired me,” the singer said of Gaga, who is signed to his KonLive imprint at Interscope Records. “She was definitely a blessing. She came at the right moment. I’m glad I believed in her, boy. That goes to show you, if you believe in something strong enough, it will pay off.” Gaga, one of last year’s top-selling artists, was dropped from at least one major record label. She was available just as Akon closed his deal with Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine, the Senegalese singer said in a recent interview.

“And I was like ‘Yo, I want to sign that right there. She needs to be under my umbrella,’” Akon said. “Jimmy was like ‘Yeah, whatever you want. Take her. Let’s get it done.’ And she just blossomed into a super megastar, man.” Gaga is one of several artists to be featured on Akon’s next album.

HUFFINGTON POST

Lady Gaga is currently on tour overseas in the UK for her “Monster Ball” tour. Her opening night in Manchester Thursday was said to be a hit, despite a few technical glitches. But Gaga gets a pass seeing as as she re-did her entire show and only had a month to rehearse and get everything down for the UK/European leg of her tour. More info on that to come soon…

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As celebrity couples go, Akon and Polish singer Ramona Rey was not one we saw coming. Then again, he is Akon. We should never be surprised at his prowess.

The man who inspires us to smack that up on the floor may be bending Ramona Rey over. Sources say they met working on the video for his song "Oh Africa."

He was reportedly "charmed" by her. In Akon terms, that means he's "trying to find the words to describe this girl without being disrespectful." Hot stuff.

“When they first met, Akon said to Ramona that she’s beautiful,” a source said.

“When they were making the video, they were dancing together. The last day of filming, Akon said that he will never forget Ramona’s beautiful blue eyes.”

Ramona Rey beware: Akon has a kriminal record.

It seems the relationship is already progressing beyond strictly professional - the singers reportedly arranged to spend Valentine’s Day in L.A. together!

Cue soft, seductive beats of "I Wanna Love You" now ...

The music video for “We Are the World: 25 for Haiti” debuted Friday night (Feb 12) during the opening ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

This version of the song, featuring vocals from Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson, Lil Wayne, Janet Jackson, Miley Cyrus, Jamie Foxx, Mary J. Blige, Kanye West, T-Pain, Usher, Wyclef Jean and much more, is much more contemporary than the original but it fits today’s music era. The song’s original writer and singer Michael Jackson also appears in the song and video (his sister Janet sings the first chorus with footage of Mike thrown in). They also kept one of MJ’s original parts and show footage of him singing it (Nice!).

The 25th Anniversary recording features over 80 artists and performers. The recording of We Are The World 25 For Haiti embodied the same enthusiasm, sense of purpose and generosity as the original recording 25 years ago. Every one of the artists who participated, regardless of genre or generation, walked into the room with their hearts and souls completely open to coming together to help the people of Haiti.

The video shows footage of Haiti and the efforts surrounding its repair, along with footage of the artists mentioned above and more recording the song in the studio. Check it out below…

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A large number of celebrities took part in helping BET raise money for Haiti relief Friday night (Feb 5) at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, FL during the BET SOS Saving Ourselves – Help for Haiti benefit concert, which was hosted by Queen Latifah, Diddy and Pharrell Williams. Artists like Chris Brown, Monica, Ludacris, Justin Bieber, Nas and Haiti’s own Wyclef Jean took to the stage and performed while folks like Common, Spike Lee, Trey Songz, Mike Tyson and more manned the telephone lines.

Continue reading for 30+ pictures of celebrities at the BET SOS Saving Ourselves – Help For Haiti concert…

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The star-studded 52nd Annual Grammy Awards went down last night (Sun. Jan 31) in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. And the red carpet was swarming with celebrities, including Beyonce, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Usher, Mya, Drake (who arrived with his mother), Akon (rocking a Lady Gaga t-shirt), Britney Spears (who reportedly made a last-minute decision to attend), Jennifer Hudson and tons more.

Continue reading for 50+ pictures of celebs walking the red carpet before making their way into the Staples Center for the biggest night in music…

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New music video from Keri Hilson and Akon titled “Change Me,” from Keri’s debut album In A Perfect World, in stores and available online now. Continue reading for the new video…

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