Akon Acquires 50% African Music Download Posted on JULY 15, 2017 Senegalese-American rapper Akon announced Saturday he would purchase 50 percent of African music download service Musik Bi, as the platform struggles to gain a foothold after its launch 18 months ago. Africa’s first home-grown platform for legal music downloads, Musik Bi launched in Senegal in February 2016 with a mission to promote African artists, pay them properly, and fight internet piracy. Akon, whose real name is Aliaune Badara Thiam, announced in Dakar he would become the majority shareholder in the service, describing Musik Bi as “the platform of the future”. “It’s not just a platform for Senegal but for Africa,” he added, refusing to be drawn on what he had paid for the transaction. Best known for his singles “Locked Up” and “Smack That”, Akon has devoted more of his time in recent years to his Lighting Africa solar energy initiative and other charitable pursuits. He launched his latest...
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