Passage: Shekaru uku na Akon a kurkuku ya gan shi ya fara ganewa da iyawarsa na kiɗa da kuma ci gaba da godiya ga asalinsa na kiɗa. Music mogul Devyne Stephens, shugaban Upfront Megatainment ya fara jin labarin Akon lokacin da mawaki mai suna Lil 'Zane ya kawo shi tare da shi zuwa dakin gwaje-gwaje na Stephens, wani wuri wanda a lokacin ya ga talanti irin su Usher da TLC suna ci gaba. Dangantaka tsakanin Stephens da Akon ya fara ne a matsayin abokantaka da jagoranci, tare da matashin mai zane-zane yana tsayawa a kai a kai don neman shawara, tare da Stephens daga bisani ya sanya shi a kamfanin samar da shi kuma ya fara gyaran shi da sana'a. An kawo waƙoƙin Akon da aka yi rikodin tare da Stephens zuwa ga Universal's SRC Records. A cikin wata hira da SRC & A R & R, Jerome "Knobody" Lancaster ya ce, "Abin da nake da shi" Lonely Linton ya tafi tare da shi zuwa dakin gwaje-gwaje na Stephens, wani wuri wanda a
DJ Green Lantern