My ideas come when I least expect it, so I've always got to have a studio nearby or close by somewhere.

The moment artists can just do what they love to do then music will go right back to where it used to be. I mean back in the '60s and '70s and '80s, that's what it was.

Any album that you pick up of mine, you know it's an Akon album. The guests are very limited and you get to really feel the experience. You get the Akon experience when you get the albums. I always want to make sure that stays the way it is. I don't want to flood the album to where you lose focus on why you bought it.

As long as you're giving up quality records and you're makin' hit records, people are always gonna want to hear a hit and they'll always want to be attached to something that's doin' great.

The Difference Between Dreams & Success Is, Dreams Need Effortless Sleep & Success Needs Sleepless Efforts

I always feel like 'as long as I'm doin' what I love to do, the money's naturally gonna come.' When you start thinkin' business and you start thinkin' 'What's hot? What's the wave? Who is hot? Let's get at that person,' it becomes a point where you're tryin' to strategize to make money. And that's always a gamble.

When I first heard hip-hop I thought it was rubbish because I didn't understand the concept of people talking over music.