If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you are familiar with my legal battle over a video I created criticizing thug singer Akon’s lewd on-stage behavior with an underage girl. We won that legal battle. Akon “apologized” in a song called “Sorry” — and then went on to engage in even more thuggish behavior by throwing a boy off stage at a New York concert.

Today, he admitted in court that he tossed the kid. Guess what? No jail time. No consequences:

Hip-hop star Akon pleaded guilty Wednesday to harassment for tossing a fan off stage at an upstate New York concert last year.

He will serve no jail time as long he performs 65 hours of community service and pays a $250 fine, according to the plea bargain in Fishkill Town Court.

The 35-year-old singer threw a teenage boy off the stage during a June 2007 concert at a minor league baseball stadium near Poughkeepsie. Another concertgoer said she suffered a concussion when the teen landed on her.

Witnesses said a spectator threw something at Akon during the show at Dutchess Stadium. After he asked the crowd to point out the culprit, a security guard picked up a 15-year-old boy and sent him up to the stage. Akon hoisted the teen onto his shoulders and flung him into the crowd. The incident was caught on videotape.

After the plea, Akon shook hands with Anthony Smith, the now 16-year-old fan, and apologized to him and his parents.

Akon declined comment as he left, but Andrea Zellan, his lawyer, issued a written statement saying, “We are pleased that the case has been resolved and Akon looks forward to putting this unfortunate incident behind him.”

Akon, born Aliaune Thiam, was originally charged with misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a minor and second-degree harassment, a violation.

Dutchess County Assistant District Attorney Anthony Parisi could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday morning.

Before the New York incident, Akon drew criticism when he was videotaped simulating sex onstage with a teenage girl during an April 2007 concert in Trinidad. He later apologized and said he hadn’t know the girl was underage.

Guess now Akon doesn’t have to fake a criminal past.

You’ll also recall that Verizon Wireless dropped its sponsorship of Akon after the Trinidad incident. Commenter Mookie noted recently that Verizon was back to featuring Akon on its VCAST music download page.

So much for corporate responsibility.

It’s all about the Benjamins.

***

Previous:

UMG and YouTube retreat over Akon video
Fair use fight: Challenging Universal Music Group
Verizon Wireless ends Akon partnership
Akon’s record company abuses DMCA to stifle criticism on YouTube
Look who’s promoting a vulgar misogynist
Rapper molests girl on stage (graphic warning)

Several weeks ago, I spoke with GWU law professor Jeffrey Rosen about my curious experiences with YouTube’s mystery censors. Longtime readers will remember the battle over “First, They Came.” For the past two years, my attempts to re-upload the little video about the Mohammed Cartoons and violent jihad were blocked. Other users were able to upload it, but it was blocked from my personal channel. Lo and behold, after Rosen inquired about it, the video is now available again.

As of Nov. 16, 2008, the clip was still banned. Here’s the cached screenshot (click for full-size):

As of Nov. 30, 2008, it has magically reappeared on my channel, with the option “Embedding disabled by request” — which, um, I did not choose.

Curiouser and curiouser. Wonders never cease!

Here’s the relevant part of Rosen’s piece on Google’s gatekeepers in the NYT, but make sure to click through and read Rosen’s entire piece for a penetrating look at GooTube’s inner chamber of content censors and their global impact:

Last May, Senator Joseph Lieberman’s staff contacted Google and demanded that the company remove from YouTube dozens of what he described as jihadist videos. (Around the same time, Google was under pressure from “Operation YouTube Smackdown,” a grass-roots Web campaign by conservative bloggers and advocates to flag videos and ask YouTube to remove them.) After viewing the videos one by one, Wong and her colleagues removed some of the videos but refused to remove those that they decided didn’t violate YouTube guidelines. Lieberman wasn’t satisfied. In an angry follow-up letter to Eric Schmidt, the C.E.O. of Google, Lieberman demanded that all content he characterized as being “produced by Islamist terrorist organizations” be immediately removed from YouTube as a matter of corporate judgment — even videos that didn’t feature hate speech or violent content or violate U.S. law. Wong and her colleagues responded by saying, “YouTube encourages free speech and defends everyone’s right to express unpopular points of view.” In September, Google and YouTube announced new guidelines prohibiting videos “intended to incite violence.”

In addition to Lieberman, another outspoken critic of supposed liberal bias at YouTube and Google is Michelle Malkin, the conservative columnist and blogger. Malkin became something of a cause célèbre among YouTube critics in 2006, when she created a two-minute movie called “First, They Came” in the wake of the violent response to the Danish anti-Muhammad cartoons. After showing pictures of the victims of jihadist violence (like the Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh) and signs declaring “Behead Those Who Insult Islam,” the video asks, “Who’s next?” and displays the dates of terrorist attacks in America, London, Madrid and Bali.

Nearly seven months after she posted the video, Malkin told me she was “flabbergasted” to receive an e-mail message from YouTube saying the video had been removed for its “inappropriate content.” When Malkin asked why the video was removed, she received no response, and when she posted a video appealing to YouTube to reinstate it, that video, too, was deleted with what she calls the “false claim” that it had been removed at her request. Malkin remains dissatisfied with YouTube’s response. “I’m completely flummoxed about what their standards are,” she said. “The standards need to be clear, they need to be consistent and they need to be more responsive.”

I watched the “First, They Came” video, which struck me as powerful political commentary that contains neither hate speech nor graphic violence, and I asked why it was taken down. According to a YouTube spokesman, the takedown was a routine one that hadn’t been reviewed by higher-ups. The spokesman said he couldn’t comment on particular cases, but he forwarded a link to Malkin’s current YouTube channel, noting that it contains 55 anti-jihadist videos similar to “First, They Came,” none of which have been taken down. (“First, They Came” can now be found on Malkin’s YouTube channel, too.)

The removal of Malkin’s video may have been an innocent mistake. But it serves as a reminder that one person’s principled political protest is another person’s hate speech, and distinguishing between the two in hard cases is a lot to ask of a low-level YouTube reviewer. In addition, the publicity that attended the removal of Malkin’s video only underscores the fact that in the vast majority of cases in which material is taken down, the decision to do so is never explained or contested. The video goes down, and that’s the end of it.

One of our YouTube goes Dhimmi videos is still blocked from YouTube and falsely labeled “This video has been removed by user.”

Here’s the screenshot as of 11/30/08 12am:

This one is also blocked with the same false label.

***
On a related GooTube note, the court case of proud mom Stephanie Lenz, who has been threatened by rock star Prince and Universal Music Group for posting a short clip of her baby bopping up and down to Let’s Go Crazy” in her kitchen, is proceeding. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (which helped me successfully fight off another baseless UMG takedown attempt over my Akon video report) took up Lenz’s cause. All the latest is here.

***

Flashback: YouTube’s slippery slope

Flashback: Google bows to China

The China-Google protest logo album

More China-Google protest logos

Because he’s, you know, afraid:

If he [Obama] doesn’t get into office, I’m gonna change my citizenship. I’m moving back to Africa. You can hold me to that. I’m afraid to live there if he [McCain] is President. The decisions he makes scare me: he’s making selfish decisions, he’s doing whatever it takes to get into office.

You want scary? Here’s scary.

And here’s scary.

Hat tip: Mary Katharine Ham, who’s got a great vid of Obama’s flip-flops here.

Akon’s ad nauseum claims about his criminal career and resulting prison time have been, to an overwhelming extent, exaggerated, embellished, or wholly fabricated, an investigation by The Smoking Gun has revealed. Police, court, and corrections records reveal that the entertainer has created a fictionalized backstory that serves as the narrative anchor for his recorded tales of isolation, violence, woe, and regret. Akon has overdubbed his biography with the kind of grit and menace that he apparently believes music consumers desire from their hip-hop stars.

While the performer’s rap sheet does include a half-dozen arrests, Akon has only been convicted of one felony, for gun possession. That 1998 New Jersey case ended with a guilty plea, for which the singer was sentenced to three years probation. Another 1998 bust, this one in suburban Atlanta, has been seized upon by Akon and transformed into the big case that purportedly sent him to prison (thanks to his snitching cohorts) for three fight-filled years. In reality, Akon was arrested for possession of a single stolen BMW and held in the DeKalb County jail for several months before prosecutors dropped all charges against him.

So there was no conviction. There was no prison term between 1999 and 2002. And he was never “facing 75 years,” as the singer claimed in one videotaped interview.

Akon’s invented tales appear to be part of a cynical marketing plan, but one that has met with remarkable success.

Read the entire report.

Will he be releasing “Sorry, Part II?”

Today, Akon was charged in the incident:

Police have filed several charges against hip-hop star Akon for tossing a teenager off the stage onto another spectator who said she suffered a concussion as a result.

The charges stem from an incident June 3 at Dutchess Stadium. Audience members said a spectator lobbed something at Akon and the singer asked the crowd to point out the culprit. A security guard picked out a 15-year-old and sent him up to the stage, where Akon hoisted him onto his shoulders and flung him into the crowd.

The boy landed on Abby Rosa, who told the Poughkeepsie Journal she was later diagnosed with a concussion. She said she has hired a lawyer and spoke to Fishkill police about the incident.

Akon is scheduled to appear in Fishkill Town Court Monday morning for arraignment on a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a minor, and second-degree harrasment,a violation, according to a news release issued Thursday by Town of Fishkill Police Chief Donald Williams.

More background here.

The unhinged kid-tossing debacle came on the heels of Akon’s videotaped girl-humping escapade, which led to Verizon Wireless dropping the jerk from its ringtone service and abandoning sponsorship of his concert tour with Gwen Stefani–as well as a failed attempt by his record label to stifle criticism of his behavior.

Meanwhile, the Akon empire continues to thrive.

Malaysia should pull the plug on the Kuala Lumpur leg of U.S. singer Gwen Stefani’s upcoming Asian tour because of her indecent dressing and obscenity, a Muslim students’ group said.

The 10,000-strong National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students said Stefani’s August 21 concert, which is part of her Sweet Escape tour, would clash with local Asian and Islamic values.

“Her video clips promoting the event are too obscene,” Mohamad Hilmi Ramli, the group’s president, told Reuters. “We want the organisers to cancel the concert, failing which we will ask the authorities to intervene.”

Stefani has agreed to bow in dhimmitude. She won’t wear “revealing” constumes:

U.S. pop singer Gwen Stefani will not wear revealing costumes during her concert in Malaysia, the show’s organizer said Thursday, after protests from Muslim students about her sexy outfits and steamy acts.

Maxis Communications Bhd. said it “respects the values and conventions of this country” and pledged that Stefani would follow the local code of ethics for foreign artists, which bans the unnecessary baring of skin.

“Gwen Stefani has confirmed that her concert will not feature any revealing costumes. She will abide by the Malaysian authorities’ guidelines to ensure that her show will not be offensive to local sensitivities,” it said in a statement to The Associated Press.

So much for that independent, strong female image she has cultivated.

As usual, we heard not a peep from the Muslim students about the lewd, obscene, indecent behavior of Gwen Stefani’s touring partner, the devout Muslim R&B singer Akon, whose on-stage antics make Stefani look like a Catholic school girl:

Nope, not a peep.

Well, UMG is at it again. This time, they’re targeting a mom for posting an innocent little YouTube video clip of her cute kids dancing to Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy.” Here’s the 29-second video (which has since been reposted as part of the counter-takedown notice process):

EFF reports:

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed suit today against Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), asking a federal court to protect the fair use and free speech rights of a mother who posted a short video of her toddler son dancing to a Prince song on the Internet.

Stephanie Lenz’s 29-second recording shows her son bouncing along to the Prince song “Let’s Go Crazy,” which is heard playing in the background. Lenz uploaded the home video to YouTube in February to share it with her family and friends.

But last month, YouTube informed Lenz that it had removed the video from its website after Universal claimed that the recording infringed a copyright controlled by the music company. Under federal copyright law, a mere allegation of copyright infringement can result in the removal of content from the Internet.

“I was really surprised and angry when I learned my video was removed,” said Lenz. “Universal should not be using legal threats to try to prevent people from sharing home videos of their kids with family and friends.”

“Universal’s takedown notice doesn’t even pass the laugh test,” said EFF Staff Attorney Corynne McSherry. “Copyright holders should be held accountable when they undermine non-infringing, fair uses like this video.”

Last May, UMPG’s parent company, Universal Music Group, sent a baseless copyright takedown demand to YouTube for a video podcast by political blogger Michelle Malkin. That video was quickly reposted after Malkin fought back.

“Copyright abuse can shut down online artists, political analysts, or — as in this case — ordinary families who simply want to share snippets of their day-to-day lives,” said EFF Staff Attorney Marcia Hofmann. “Universal must stop making groundless infringement claims that trample on fair use and free speech.”

The lawsuit asks for a declaratory judgment that Lenz’s home video does not infringe any Universal copyright, as well as damages and injunctive relief restraining Universal from bringing further copyright claims in connection with the video.

This lawsuit is part of EFF’s ongoing work to protect online free speech in the face of bogus copyright claims. EFF is currently working with Stanford’s Fair Use Project to develop a set of “best practices” for proper takedowns under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

The full complaint is here.

Are the lawyers and p.r. people at UMG missing synapses or what? If they were smart, they’d be promoting this cute baby video, not trying to stifle it. Geez.

Oh, yeah, he’s sorry alright.

Nothing in the song, by the way, about the kid Akon hurled offstage in N.Y. last week.

But you know, he’s “just a singer tryin’ to entertain.”

***
Previous:

Akon: From girl-humping to boy-hurling
UMG and YouTube retreat over Akon video
Fair use fight: Challenging Universal Music Group
Verizon Wireless ends Akon partnership
Akon’s record company abuses DMCA to stifle criticism on YouTube
Look who’s promoting a vulgar misogynist
Rapper molests girl on stage (graphic warning)

Fishkill town police are looking for the KFEST concertgoer who on Sunday was plucked from the crowd by a security guard, directed toward headlining musician Akon and then hoisted by Akon on the singer’s shoulders and hurled back into the audience.

Detective. Lt. John Berlingieri of the Fishkill Police said talks have been held within the department regarding the possibility of questioning Akon about the incident, which occurred during Fishkill-based WSPK (104.7 FM)’s annual KFEST concert at Dutchess Stadium.

“We’re trying to identify that kid, just to find out whether or not we have any kind of criminal offense,” Berlingieri said. “We are looking to speak to him. No victim. No crime.”

WSPK General Manager Jason Finkelberg said, “Certainly, we’ll cooperate with anything they need from us.”

A message left with the publicity department of Akon’s record label, Universal Motown, was not returned.

During an April 12 concert in Trinidad, Akon was videotaped simulating sex with a girl invited onstage as part of his act. After the video was circulated widely on the Internet, it was revealed that she was 14.

As a result of that incident, Verizon pulled out as a sponsor of Akon’s recent tour with Gwen Stefani, with whom he appears on the hit song, “The Sweet Escape.” Akon, whose latest album “Konvicted” has sold more than 1 million copies in the United States, said in a statement at the time that he was sorry for the incident. But he also said he did not know the girl was underage.

Finkelberg said he and members of his staff discussed “the Akon issues, the history,” prior to KFEST.

“We did our due diligence,” Finkelberg said. “We talked to everyone we could find. We were comfortable with the show.”

Yeah, but how do you think that boy is feeling?

Here’s the video:

Here’s another angle:

***
Previous:

UMG and YouTube retreat over Akon video
Fair use fight: Challenging Universal Music Group
Verizon Wireless ends Akon partnership
Akon’s record company abuses DMCA to stifle criticism on YouTube
Look who’s promoting a vulgar misogynist
Rapper molests girl on stage (graphic warning)

We originally posted the Hot Air report to YouTube on May 2. On May 3, after we publicized the video on nationally syndicated radio host Laura Ingraham’s program, YouTube yanked the video and replaced it with the following notice:

UMG claimed our video podcast infringed its copyrights and had submitted a takedown notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), pressuring YouTube to pull the episode down. We concluded that this was a clear attempt to suppress the report by abusing the DMCA.

On May 8, with pro bono legal support from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, we filed a counter-notice with YouTube.

On May 10, we received the following message:

From: Copyright Service copyright@support.youtube.com
Date: May 10, 2007 2:26 PM
Subject: Re: #144942627 DMCA Counter Notification
To: Michelle Malkin

Dear Michelle,

In response to your DMCA counter-notification, Universal Music Group has retracted its copyright claim with respect to the following videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZL1IHw6ea8

This content has been restored and your account will not be penalized.

Sincerely,

Jacob
The YouTube Team

Translation: “Neeever mind.” UMG’s Emily Litella moment is as clear a concession as any that our report was, in fact, fair use–and that UMG’s use of the DMCA to try and stifle it was, in fact, abuse.

But the shenanigans didn’t end there. After receiving the notification from YouTube that the video would be restored, we discovered a new message in place of the video. YouTube claimed that our Akon report now violated its “terms of use.” (Where have we heard that before?) EFF’s senior staff attorney, Kurt Opsahl, pressed YouTube for an explanation. On Friday, after Opsahl took the matter to one of Google/YouTube’s in-house counsels, YouTube reinstated the video–over-ruling the prior terms of use decision.

Here’s the EFF press release this morning:

Universal Music Group Backs Off Claims to Michelle Malkin Video

Online Criticism of Hip Hop Artist Akon Drew Baseless Copyright Allegations from UMG

San Francisco – Universal Music Group (UMG) has backed off of its attempt to silence nationally syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin’s online criticism of one of its controversial artists after Malkin fought back with the help of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).

Earlier this month, UMG filed a baseless copyright notice regarding a recent episode of “Vent with Michelle Malkin” — an irreverent daily video podcast produced by Malkin’s conservative Internet broadcast network “Hot Air.” In the video posted on YouTube, Malkin called Universal hip hop artist Akon a “misogynist,” supporting her criticism with excerpts from Akon’s music videos as well as onstage video footage showing Akon with a teenage girl at a nightclub in Trinidad.

Despite Malkin’s legally protected fair use of the Akon footage to support her criticism, UMG claimed that the podcast infringed its copyright. UMG submitted a takedown notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), forcing YouTube to pull the episode down. However, with EFF’s assistance, Malkin filed a counter-notice with YouTube, informing the company that she was legally entitled to distribute her video. As a result, the video is back up on the site, one that has become an important forum for political speech of all kinds.

“We’re pleased that UMG has backed off its bogus copyright claim and stopped squelching Michelle Malkin’s video criticism,” said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Kurt Opsahl. “However, it remains inexcusable. UMG’s misuse of federal law made the video unavailable on YouTube for a full week, denying the Hot Air podcast access to YouTube’s extensive audience during a time when the controversy about Akon’s behavior was all over the news.”

After UMG rescinded its takedown request, YouTube briefly continued to block access to the video podcast, claiming it included a “terms of use” violation. However, after EFF contacted YouTube to discuss the alleged violation, the video was quickly returned to public view.

“My Hot Air staff and I are grateful for EFF’s invaluable aid in forcing UMG to retreat,” said Malkin. “Shame on any copyright holder who would attempt to use the DMCA to intimidate and silence critics. We hope YouTube and its corporate partners, like UMG, will think twice next time before yanking video commentary and criticism that clearly falls under fair use.”

If you are a podcaster or video content provider, and you think your work has been squelched by a DMCA-abusing entity, don’t take it lying down. Get informed and take action.

***
Previous:

Fair use fight: Challenging Universal Music Group
Verizon Wireless ends Akon partnership
Akon’s record company abuses DMCA to stifle criticism on YouTube
Look who’s promoting a vulgar misogynist
Rapper molests girl on stage (graphic warning)

San Francisco – San Francisco – With the legal backing of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), nationally syndicated columnist and prominent blogger Michelle Malkin has contested music giant Universal Music Group’s (UMG’s) improper attempt to silence her online criticism of one of its artists.

In a recent episode of “Vent with Michelle Malkin” — an irreverent daily video podcast produced by Malkin’s conservative Internet broadcast network “Hot Air” — Malkin criticized Universal hip hop artist Akon, calling him a “misogynist” and his antics “vulgar and degrading.” She supported her criticism with excerpts from Akon’s music videos as well as controversial onstage video footage showing Akon with a teenage girl at a nightclub in Trinidad. Malkin’s accompanying commentary condemned both Akon’s lyrics and his behavior.

On Thursday, May 3 — after Malkin appeared on a nationally syndicated talk radio show to put pressure on Akon’s sponsors — UMG claimed the podcast infringed its copyrights and submitted a takedown notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), forcing online video hosting site YouTube to pull the episode down. Yesterday, Malkin filed a counter-notice with YouTube, informing the company that she was legally entitled to distribute her video. Under the DMCA, YouTube can repost Malkin’s video ten days after receiving her counter-notice.

“It is impermissible and irresponsible for copyright holders to use the DMCA as a pretext to squelch criticism,” said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Kurt Opsahl. “Ms. Malkin had every right under copyright law to criticize UMG and Akon, and to use footage of Akon to emphasize her point. Criticism and commentary are not only the core of fair use, but vital to our traditions of free speech.”

“We believe this is a clear attempt by UMG to hide the truth about Akon and intimidate critics,” said Malkin. “The Hot Air staff and I are grateful for EFF’s willingness to challenge a corporate bully wrapped in the DMCA cloak.”

You can find out more from EFF about copyright/free speech here.

EFF’s “Legal Guide for Blogger”‘s FAQ on Intellectual Property is here.

Stay tuned.

***

Related: The heat is on. Nearly a month after it occurred and a day after the videotape was played on The O’Reilly Factor, Akon “apologizes” for the Trinidad incident.

***

Previous:

Verizon Wireless ends Akon partnership
Akon’s record company abuses DMCA to stifle criticism on YouTube
Look who’s promoting a vulgar misogynist
Rapper molests girl on stage (graphic warning)

Verizon decided this week to end its support and sponsorship of Akon.

Jim Gerace

Vice President, Corporate Communications
Verizon Wireless
One Verizon Way
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

Akon’s ringtones have been removed by the Verizon Wireless website.

I just spoke with Gerace by phone, and he told me Verizon Wireless had made a “mistake” partnering with Akon.

It’s good to see some corporate responsibility here. Will others step up to the plate?

***

Update: A reader notes that Verizon is still sponsoring Gwen Stefani’s tour–with Akon as the opening act.

What will they do now?

Update II: Verizon writes that they are no longer sponsoring the Gwen Stefani tour with Akon as opening act. Jim Gerace:

“We are no longer — that was the decision we made this week. If the reader is seeing a poster or something promoting our sponsorship of the tour, it’s only because that material has not yet been destroyed.”

***
Previous:

Akon’s record company abuses DMCA to stifle criticism on YouTube
Look who’s promoting a vulgar misogynist
Rapper molests girl on stage (graphic warning)

This morning, I linked to the YouTube version of our Hot Air show exposing hip-hop misogynist Akon.

The YouTube version is no longer available.

This is the message you will now see: “This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Universal Music Group.”

We believe our commentary and criticism of UMG “artist” Akon falls fully under fair use. We believe UMG, with YouTube’s cooperation, is abusing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to stifle constitutionally protected speech. As the Electronic Frontier Foundation has explained in similar battles:

Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), a mere allegation of copyright infringement on the Internet can result in content removal, silencing a creator before any misuse is proven. This “shoot first, ask questions later” system can silence online artists and critics, creating unfair hurdles to free speech.

“Online sites like YouTube have revolutionized political expression and can give the little guy an audience of millions for a political point of view. An entertainment powerhouse like Viacom must not be allowed to muzzle independent video creators and their free speech,” said Eli Pariser, Executive Director of MoveOn.org Civic Action. “Copyright owners need to double-check their claims and think about free speech rights before erasing political content from sites like YouTube and misusing the DMCA.”

More info at Chilling Effects.

We are contacting EFF for help in fighting UMG’s attempt to erase criticism of rapper Akon on YouTube.

Readers/viewers can still access the video files of our report here. New developments and audio on the corporate responsibility campaign by Laura Ingraham, Hot Air, and MM.com here.

What is UMG trying to hide? Here’s the full script of our show with links:

Welcome to Vent with Michelle Malkin.

On the front burner today: Mainstreaming a hip-hop misogynist.

Take a close look at this vulgar and degrading video…

…The girl is 15-year-old Danah Alleyne, the daughter of a prominent preacher in Trinidad. She was reportedly tricked into a dance contest on stage and then groped and sexually molested in front of the standing room only crowd. “This whole hip hop thing is a guise and I don’t want any part of it,”the humiliated Alleyne told the Trinidad Express. The incident is being investigated by police authorities in Trinidad and the country’s prime minister has condemned the performer and his posse.

Who is the out of control animal? The man dragging around the young girl is Senagalese-American rapper Akon—one of the most popular and successful rappers on the airwaves right now…

Last week the Universal Music Group rapper was at the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 Airplay charts.

He recently appeared on American Idol to perform one of his hit singles…

…He has teamed up on sexually explicit and exploitative duets with rappers Snoop Dog and Eminem…

…and he’ll be performing next week in Denver, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, and Dallas as part of pop singer Gwen Stefani’s tour…

Akon is currently a featured artist and partner with Verizon Wireless, where you can download his foul-mouthed ringtones…

Yes, this same thug who served jail time for armed robbery and drug distribution……who claims to have three wives sanctioned by his Islamic faith…and who dry-humped 15 year old Danah Alleyne on stage in Trinidad in April and then sandwiched her along with his DJ…

…is raking in the big bucks degrading women…

Akon is now working on a movie about his life, has his own clothing line, and also has a lucrative South African diamond mining and wholesale distribution company.

Trinidad government officials are in an uproar over Akon’s assault on Danah Alleyne.

But where are all of the chest-pounders who came to the rescue of the Rutgers women’s basketball team after Don Imus called them nappy headed hos?

How about you Hillary Clinton?

And how about Akon’s enablers in the press? No mainstream media outlet has covered the developing scandal in Trinidad. But they have plenty to say in praise of Akon’s “music:”

“Grand,” says the NYTimes.

“Polished…irresistibly slick,” according to Usa Today.

“Swaggering gangster soul,” writes Entertainment Weekly.

“An artist of vision and versatility,” says the Boston Globe.

Tell that to Danah Alleyne.

‘Til next Vent, I’m Michelle Malkin for Hot Air.

Stay tuned…

Calling Verizon Wireless exec John Harrobin…anyone home?

***

Check this out. Rapper/singer/whatever Akon is a “featured artist” at Verizon Wireless:

Yes, thanks to Verizon, you can download the explicit version of such classic Akon hits as “Bananza:”

Hey ladies drop it down
Just want to see you touch the ground
Don’t be shy girl go Bananza
Shake ya body like a belly dancer

Hey ladies drop it down
Just want to see you touch the ground
Don’t be shy girl go Bananza
Shake ya body like a belly dancer

Is Verizon Wireless out of its mind? As we reported at Hot Air yesterday, Akon is in deep doo-doo in Trinidad over his vulgar sexual molestation of a 15-year-old girl during one of his trademark “performances.” The incident is being investigated by police authorities in Trinidad and the country’s prime minister has condemned the performer and his posse. I suggest Verizon Wireless executives watch the video, which was a hot topic on The Laura Ingraham radio show this morning:

Will Hillary apply her “Rutgers Pledge” to Verizon Wireless?

Where’s Obama?

Will Al Sharpton name names and target Akon in his march against hip-hop today?

***

Verizon is just one of Akon’s many corporate enablers. As I note in the Hot Air report, Akon appeared on Fox’s American Idol recently and he’s currently on tour with Gwen Stefani. It’s the decision by Verizon Wireless to market his explicit lyrics and songs–and quotes like this one from a top Verizon Wireless exec–that put the company at the top of the pressure list:

“Akon has emerged as one of the world’s most compelling and exciting stars,” stated Vice President of Marketing and New Media for Verizon, John Harrobin. “His commitment to his artistry and the community enables us to take our partnership with music industry innovators in yet another direction by collaborating on this unique TV advertising campaign.”

“Artistry?!”

Are you a Verizon Wireless customer wondering why the company is promoting vulgar, misoygnist trash? The customer relations phone number is 1-800-483-7988. [Update: that's the land service. The right number is 866-673-9561.] Ask the company to do the right thing.

***

MM.com reader and Laura Ingraham listener Irma e-mails Verizon’s code of conduct:

Verizon’s Code of Conduct

Verizon is proud of its leadership and reputation as a world-class company that is committed to the highest ethical standards. Our Verizon roots have a long history of commitment to integrity and respect. The corporation’s commitment to those standards and values is defined in Verizon’s Code of Conduct.

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The site Media Take Out writes:

A video of Akon dancing provocatively with a young lady has begun making its way around the internet. But not [all is] fun and games in the video.

MediaTakeOut.com has learned that the girl getting “freaked” in the video may only be 14 years old.

And that’s not all. MediaTakeOut.com spoke to a person claiming to be the child’s guardian – and she’s furious. According to the woman, the young girl was plucked from the audience by Akon’s security and pushed up on stage.

The woman explains, “When she went up [on stage], Akon started throwing her around like a doll … and made all kinds of sexual gestures to her. That’s not for a grown man to do to a child.” The lady continues, “The man could have killed her – you should have seen her when she [came] home. She was covered in bruises.”

The woman claims to have contacted the authorities in Trinidad, where the concert took place. No word on what, if any, other actions they plan on taking against Akon

Gossip site Hollywood Grind added:

Akon told the audience that he was holding a “contest” with the winner getting a trip to Africa. He said that although they had held the contest in London, and Atlanta, that Trinidad’s contest would be his favorite. Akon managed to get seven girls onstage, and to compete they had to dance like whores. The winner had to compete with Akon, and one got molested by him.

And here is the account from the Trinidad Express:

International superstar Akon lived up to his name as he conned seven ladies into dancing onstage during his performance on Thursday night at the Zen nightclub in Port of Spain.

The star from Senegal managed to convince the ladies, who made their way onstage, that they were taking part in a global contest and that they could earn a fabulous grand prize trip to Africa if they won.

The competition was then filmed by Akon’s crew and later revealed to be a mere sham for the entertainment of the audience present, and an even greater potential global audience, as he promised to upload the footage onto the popular Internet video website www.youtube.com.

After performing his string of hit singles, including “Ghetto”, “Locked Up”, “Soul Survivor” and “I Wanna Love You”, Akon requested and secured seven volunteers “to represent Trinidad” in the contest. He claimed that he had done this “everywhere he went”, and that “Africa was currently ranked number one”, with “Atlanta” and “London” coming in second and third, respectively…

…The crowd roared their approval of the eventual winner, who was then taken two short steps “to Africa” by Akon and promised that she could name her prize herself, if she defeated the best of Africa: none other than Akon himself.

Later on, Akon would have his way with the petite young lady: turning, twisting and even flipping her body, while mimicking sexual positions and acts all over the stage for three consecutive rounds.

His DJ, Virgin Islands native Benny D, even joined in during the second round and together they sandwiched the young lady on the floor of the stage. In the end, Akon declared himself the winner, even though the crowd adjudged that his female volunteer had won the contest.

A prolonged chant from the audience for a soca selection to settle the dispute went unheeded, although the singer did perform a soca-esque version of his latest single.

The African phenomenon, whose latest single, “Don’t Matter”, is currently ranked number one on the Billboard World Singles Chart, thrilled the capacity audience for just over 40 minutes, but left many patrons disappointed and wanting more of the star from Senegal.

Akon’s record label is Universal Music Group.

Contact UMG:

E-mail: communications@umusic.com

Headquarters:

2220 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404

1755 Broadway, New York, NY 10019

***

Akon currently has the number two song on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart.

Fun Fact: According to various reports, Akon is a Muslim with three wives–a biographical tidbit that he says UMG has banned him from discussing after mentioning it in a radio interview.

Flashback: Here’s Akon pulling the same routine on actress Tara Reid.

Here are the “lyrics” to “Smack That:”

feat. Eminem

[ Akon: ]

Shady
Convict
Upfront
Akon
Slim Shady

I see the one, she be that lady! Oh!
I feel you creeping, I can see you from my shadow
Wanna jump up in my Lamborghini Gallardo
Maybe go to my place and just kick it like taebo
and possibly bend you over look back and watch me

[ Chorus (2X) ]

Smack that all on the floor
Smack that give me some more
Smack that ’till you get sore
Smack that oh-oooh!

Upfront style ready to attack now
pull in the parking lot slow with the lack down
Konvicts got the whole thing packed down
Step in the club the wardrobe intact now!
I feel it go’on and crack now (ooh)
I see it dont let back now
I’ma call her, than I’ll put the mack down
Money no problem, pocket full of that now!

I feel you creeping, I can see you from my shadow
Wanna jump up in my Lamborghini Gallardo
Maybe go to my place and just kick it like taebo
and posibbly bend you over look back and watch me

[ Chorus (2x) ]
Smack that all on the floor
Smack that give me some more
Smack that ’till you get sore
Smack that oh-oooh!

[ Eminem: ]

Ooh…Looks like another club banger
They better hang on when they throw this thing on
Get a lil drink on
They goin flip for this Akon shit
You can bank on it!
Pedicure manicure kitty-cat claws
The way she climbs up and down them poles
Looking like one of them pretty-cat dolls
Trying to hold my woody back through my draws
Steps offstage didn’t think I saw her
Creeps up behind me and shes like “you’re”
I’m like I know lets cut to the chase
No time to waste back to my place
Plus from the club to the cribs like a mile away
Or more like a palace shall I say
And plus I got pal if your gal is game
In fact he’s the one singing the song that’s playing
“Akon!”

[ Akon: ]

I feel you creeping, I can see you from my shadow
Wanna jump up in my Lamborghini Gallardo
Maybe go to my place and just kick it like taebo
and posibbly bend you over look back and watch me

[ Chorus ]

Eminem’s rollin’, D and them rollin’
Ooh marvelous and all them rolling
Women just hoin big booty rollin’
Soon I’ll be on them and goin “D!”
Hittin no less than “Three!”
Block will style like “Whee!”
Girl I can tell you want me because lately

I feel you creeping, I can see you from my shadow
Wanna jump up in my Lamborghini Gallardo
Maybe go to my place and just kick it like taebo
and posibbly bend you over look back and watch me

[ Chorus ]

***

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