The Senegalese government has officially abandoned Akon's proposal to build a futuristic, cryptocurrency-powered city, which he has previously compared to a “real-life Wakanda.” The rapper originally announced the project back in 2018. They committed 550 hectares of land near the coastal village of Mbodiene to the idea.
According to a new report from the North Africa Post, local residents are furious that the site remains undeveloped seven years after the initial proposal. In turn, the government has reclaimed the land. Bloomberg reports that Sapco-Senegal, a state-owned entity that develops coastal and tourism areas, will begin work on providing the site with new hotels, apartments, a marina and a promenade.
When the news made its way to Reddit, fans were hardly surprised. "You're telling me the $6B futuristic utopia run on Akon's very own cryptocurrency, Akoin, isn't coming to fruition!?!? I think I'm gonna need another source," one user wrote. Another added: "This was easy money. We don't have to just believe stuff is going to happen because a scam likely person says it."
Last year, Akon admitted he didn't handle the project as well as he could have during an interview with Chuck Creekmur of AllHipHop. “My biggest thing was I promoted it way, way, way too early,” Akon told the outlet. "Of course, anything that exciting that would change a culture, people will naturally want to know what’s happening right now, assuming that it’s already happening. But it was in a process of creating."
Akon's Country Remixes
As for why he chose Senegal, he spoke about the decision during an appearance on the Assets Over Liabilities show in 2023. “Senegal is home to my family and heritage,” he said at the time. "I want to make a lasting impact that bridges the gap between the people of Senegal and the rest of the world. It’s a process."
In other news, Akon revealed that he has a plan to remix his entire catalog with country artists earlier this year. Speaking with TMZ in New York City in April, he confirmed that hits like "Locked Up," "Smack That," and “Lonely," could all be getting reworked.
“I’m actually redoing my whole catalog in country,” Akon said. “I’m not even joking… This has been an idea for years like forever. The project has been in motion for the last five years. But starting next month, y’all gonna start seeing all the releases.”
