NEW YORK (Top40 Charts/ Universal Motown Records) - Upfront/ Konvict/ SRC/ Universal Motown multi-platinum selling artist, producer and entrepreneur, Akon, announced today that his third album - 'Freedom' - will be available on slotMusic, a new form of DRM-free MP3 music on a microSD card beginning Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008 - the same date his album will be released digitally and on CD.
The new slotMusic card will give fans a chance to enjoy Akon's album in a variety of ways and on a host of devices - from their microSD-enabled mobile phones to their computers and MP3 players.
Going beyond the original thirteen songs that are on the CD version of the album, the slotMusic Freedom card will carry a mini-documentary video on Akon's life and influences, the new video for 'Right Now (Na Na Na),' and exclusive hi-res images and songs including fellow SRC artist Tami Chynn's debut single 'Frozen' featuring Akon.
'When I went into the studio to put together 'Freedom', I focused on making more than just a collection of songs; I made an album that tells a story from the first track to the last,' said Akon. 'To me, slotMusic is the return of the album in all its glory, but updated for today's mobile world.'
Steve Rifkind, Chairman of SRC Records and SRC Marketing, who was instrumental in establishing the slotMusic and Akon partnership stated 'SRC has always offered its artists the freedom to share their music through new technology. slotMusic will allow Akon's fans to listen to his new record on their phones, MP3 players and PCs that support the microSD format,' he added.
'The release of Freedom on the slotMusic card is a chance for me to give my fans a full entertainment experience using devices they already have in hand,' added Akon.
slotMusic is an innovative physical format for music with a pre-existing install base for DRM-free music. The plug-and-play slotMusic card eliminates the compatibility questions and the hassles of managing files, downloading here, transferring there by offering music in a physical format that is simple to use, works well with many different devices.
The near ubiquity of microSD slots makes slotMusic cards the ultimate format for creating a true portable music experience. SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), inventor of the microSD format, is leading the technology development and standardization behind slotMusic.
An internationally recognized Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum selling artist, producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Akon is one of the most influential voices in music today. In addition to having two multi-platinum albums, 21 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and over 145 guest appearances with artists such as Michael Jackson and Gwen Stefani to his credit, Akon is the only artist to ever accomplish the feat of holding both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice.
In addition to the anticipated December 2nd release of his third album Freedom, 2009 is shaping up to be the biggest year of Akon's career as the Konvict CEO is prepping releases for T-Pain, Lady Gaga, Kardinal Offishal, Flipsyde Dolla and Colby O'Donis. His fashion line, Konvict Clothing is set to launch in January with an upscale line, aptly named Aliuane, is set for release in the Fall. Finally, Konfidence Foundation, the charity Akon has personally funded for four years, has teamed up with songwriter/philanthropist Peter Buffett to launch Is There Something I Can Do?, a Google of sorts for charitable foundations.
