Akon Sides With NFL in Kaepernick Super Bowl Debate | TMZ

Akon's got a hot take on African-American singers and rappers blowing off the Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show, and it sounds like he's NOT exactly down with the boycott in support of Colin Kaepernick.

SUBSCRIBE:

About TMZ:
TMZ has consistently been credited for breaking the biggest stories dominating the entertainment news landscape and changed the way the public gets their news. Regularly referenced by the media, TMZ is one of the most cited entertainment news sources in the world.

Subscribe to TMZ on YouTube for breaking celebrity news/ gossip and insight from the newsroom staff (TMZ Chatter & TMZ News), the best clips from TMZ on TV, Raw & Uncut TMZ paparazzi video (from TMZ.com) and the latest video from TMZ Sports and TMZ Live!

Keeping Up with Our YouTube Exclusive Content:
TMZ Chatter: TMZ newsroom staff insight and commentary from stories/ photos/ videos on TMZ.com
TMZ News: The latest news you need to know from TMZ.com
Raq Rants: Raquel Harper talks to a celebrity guest with ties to the hip hop and R&B communities.
Behind The Bar Podcast: TMZ's lawyers Jason Beckerman and Derek Kaufman loiter at the intersection of law and entertainment, where they look closely at the personalities, events and trends driving the world of celebrity — and how the law affects it all.

We love Hollywood, we just have a funny way of showing it.

Need More TMZ?
TMZ Website:
LIKE TMZ on Facebook!
FOLLOW TMZ on Twitter!
FOLLOW TMZ on Instagram!
TMZ on TV & TMZ Sports on FS1 Tune In Info:
TMZ is on iOS!
TMZ is on Android!

Got a Tip?
Contact TMZ:

Check out TMZ Live, TMZ Sports and toofab!
TMZ Live:
Subscribe! TMZ Live:
TMZ Sports:
Subscribe! TMZ Sports:
Toofab:
Subscribe! toofab:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47L8bhUSoZs

65 Comments

  1. I expected an intelligent & rational response from Akon, and i’m not dissapointed. Well said.

    • Christian Jefferson nah when he said black people need him to be on that big stage made absolutely no sense if anything it’s the other way around.

    • j r No, said the dude who‘s black.
      I guess there aren‘t any black people with hispanic heritage now…

    • j r Explain how it doesn‘t make any sense?
      Protesting at work at the NFL isn‘t working obviously so what do you think it‘s best solution?
      Black people giving up jobs and dreams that they fought for years???
      Akon is building a city and producing his own crypto currency in the motherland of every african american.
      I wanna know what you got going on for black people lately…

  2. Okay but almost every Super Bowl half time show ever has had black performers and _that_ has never helped us so that logic doesn’t make any sense

    • Michael Jackson Prince and Beyonce all have had a major cultural impact on the world i can only say from a white perspective from europe that it can’t do any harm in changing people’s perspective growing up as a kid euro-dance would mostly have black female vocalist and it made me want a black girlfriend as corny as that sounds even before i understood was race even was so it can have an impact.

    • E Bak well once black peoples start spending money on building their own businesses Then they’ll be in a position to help themselves

    • Empower our race by going to a fucking library and getting an education, not by criticizing performers who’s job was never to serve our community anyway

  3. Akon for president, sheet, totally underrated as a person of interest after all he’s done outside of music

  4. He sounds stupid they want us on the stage to entertain but don’t want us to speak up outside the music people were being shot down and Colin risked his career to bring more light to it but that point he was making was manipulated by idiots who could never understand

    • Guessing the statistics that show a white person is more likely to be shot by police than blacks is irrelevant? Why did he divide to put his career on the line as soon as he wasnt a starter in the league?

    • Turd Furgeson He spoke to a vet who found it disrespectful to sit so he took a knee that’s what happens when a player is hurt as a sign of respectful take a knee so for people who died for that flag he took a knee out of respect but refused to stand for a country who doesn’t acknowledge there is a huge problem

    • +Little Flower What huge problem? Blacks committing crimes at at rate way higher than their % of population? That is a huge problem.

    • Because a large segment of Africans actually favor and cater to white supremacist ideals look how they worship whites

    • +rj c I think it’s more that they dont buy into the victimhood mentality that many African Americans do. They haven’t been taught that their failures are someone else’s fault. Self accountability. Something the black community has a major problem with. Single mothers +70%?

  5. Title is MEGA misleading. Akon’s answer isn’t about Kaepernick, just the Super Bowl. Yes Kapernick by association because his situation is why this is happening, but Akon’s speaking on people barring others from performing.

    • I have the right not to support the music of any artist who does not stand against dehumanization discrimination and police brutality against black people which by the way is an epidemic in this country

    • +Sarpong Sarpong Yes, you do have that right. How does your comment relate to mine, though? I didn’t pick a side, just pointing out that the TMZ’s title doesn’t reflect the content of this video.

    • As far as I’m concerned black people are just as into the super bowl as white people.

  6. United, we stand, divided, we fall. It’s that simple. The puppetmasters win because of attitudes like his.

  7. First of all Akon is Senegalese Not African American, secondly He’s not the Voice Leader of Asiatic Melanated People inside what is called Now called the The United States of America, And 3rdly TMZ is an European Gossip Organization that is owned by someone who is An Dedicated Trump Supporter Harvey Levin A European who brings Hollywood gossip fabrication to the world with false imagery with the help of others to manipulate the opinions and not facts to the world!

    • +AlliouaganaQueen I know American is not a race Duh! But look at the Title of TMZ Video Post?, why are you not commenting nothing to TMZ? People like yourself probably wouldn’t understand anything I’m saying to you anyway….

    • First of all Akon he is African american Senegalese descent he was born Saint Louis Missouri so get your facts straight

  8. Before you judge Akon… Remember… He has done more for Africans than anyone who is loud about this subject…

    • +thembeni masanganye RESPECT THE ONES WHO YOU NEVER CAME FOR AFTER THEY WAS TAKEN OR GIVEN BY MOTHER AFRICA

    • +Willie Smith yo… I’m done with you… You honestly hurt me… Like in my heart bro…

      Please read those words and never @me again… That’s honestly disgusting….

      I have an entire page of words, but I’m not an internet gangster…. So I’m done responding….

      TO everyone.

    • +thembeni masanganye IF YOU DON’T KNOW NOW YOU KNOW SOMETIMES THE TRUTH HURTS..FACTS MY BROTHER

    • +Willie Smith after they took slaves they colonised, lol you’ve actually been free longer than most of Africa my country has been free for 24 years, I’m a year younger than my country’s freedom…

      I am hurt by your ignorance, by your coonery and genuinely I’m hurt that you used all caps to write that nonsense… I didn’t wanna respond because I genuinely think you believe what you wrote.

  9. Making decisions purely based on money and helping your own self interests is selling out

  10. Karpernicks view and choices r his and how HE chooses to voice it. No one should be forced or feel like they r betraying anyone for not taking the SAME stance as him. Everyone has THEIR way to help fight against injustices. I would really love to know, what did he do prior to the NFL. There has ALWAYS been injustices to POC especially from our own in our communities and he always had vocal chords. So, what did he do before this? I don’t believe he did this SOLELY for the “cause” just my opinion of course. And I know that the NFL for all of us is a sport, a great pass time & the Super-bowl, a BIG event but, in reality, it’s a business, his employer & and place of work and you NEED to oblige by your employers guidelines. Period. If ur not in line with their guidelines, get another job. Don’t mix ur personal grievances, politics & beliefs i to ur workspace. UNLESS, it directly interferes with your job/performance. EXCUSE ALL GRAMMATICAL ERRORS AS IM NOT IN THE MOOD TO CORRECT THEM:) thnx

  11. The thing is the artists that are boycotting it are giving and getting publicity too.🤷🏽‍♀️

  12. Akon missing the point. and thinking about money and business. Te question they should’ve asked him “If a slave Owner of a coal company asked him to perform for the slaves and families knowing there were some disgruntled slaves talking about mistreatment” would he still perform? Just because we don’t live in the 17 and 1800’s anymore doesn’t mean old obligations aren’t being upheld by the “Superior” culture.

    • Wow! Well said! I didn’t even think of it like that but more people need to read this! It’s the truth!

Comments are closed.