Akon Says T-Pain's Career Went Awry Because He Stayed "Urban"

by HHL JT

Once, T-Pain was on top of the music world.

Then he went broke.

Akon, who signed T-Pain back in the day, thinks he knows why radios stopped playing T-Pain.

 "I think one of the major reasons is that T-Pain never left the hood. He just confined his music to urban music. That was it. I saw T-Pain as another me, to be able to cross outside of urban. Go into pop, go into EDM, go into Latin, like—I still think 'til this day he still can do it.  I would do the Latin side.

"You and I know better than anybody, urban audiences aren't loyal," he continued. "Every year there's a new n*gga. Every year. So, you gotta take full advantage, maximize your urban presence, and then right as that side n*gga come in, you exit.  Give them the space.  Some people try so hard to hang on. Hip hop, it's a stick and move. It don't stick around long enough unless you continue to reinvent yourself."

Agree?