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Akon says he doesn't regret not signing Drake at the start, fans say it's the 'biggest mistake he made'

Akon admitted that the reason he didn't sign Drake before 'Best I Ever Had' blew up was because he sounded like Eminem

New details have surfaced about Drake's rejection from the record label Konvict Muzik. Singer-songwriter and entrepreneur Akon admitted recently that he never signed Drake because he sounded like Eminem. 

Considering Drake is one of the most popular artists of our time who has won a multitude of awards, including four Grammies and a rapper with the coveted diamond certification, Akon may have made one of the biggest mistakes of his career, but he does not regret it. 

In a new interview with VladTV, Akon spent a few minutes discussing his decision to pass on recruiting Drake before Drake's 'Best I Ever Had' became a mega-hit. He explained that the demo tape that Drake sent his way didn't really grab his attention and had more of an Eminem feel to it. He said, “Kardinal Offishall brought him to me back in like 2005 I think it was. Or was it ’04?" He explained, "It was right before ‘Best I Ever Had’ blew up because it was like more mixtape-ish. And at the time, believe it or not, Drake sounded more like Eminem. With that demo that I heard? He was sounding more like Em. But I think that was around the time when… That’s every artist developing. You can see the difference between that demo and ‘Best I Ever Had.’ It was completely different.”

In 2009 when 'Best I Ever Had' (off Drake's debut EP 'So Far Gone') entered the musical arena, it peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Drake's first top-ten single. Furthermore, it remained his highest-charting single as a lead artist in the United States until 'One Dance' (2016) peaked at No. 1. A huge label war also surrounded Drake around the time to further example his impact.

Akon recalls, “That’s when Kardi was like, ‘Nigga, I told you this nigga was gon’ be the shit.' I said, ‘Well shit, reach out!’ He said you can but the slowest bid right now is a million.’ I said, ‘Shit, I ain’t got a million dollars.'”

Fans reacting to the YouTube video haven't been holding back on pointing out Akon's mistake. "Drake would’ve been still underground or a one hit wonder if he signed with Akon," says a fan while another wrote, "Signing to Young Money was the best decision Drake has ever made in his music career to date. CHANGE MY MIND!"

Over on Twitter, fans are being just as critical. "That n***a f**ked up cause now he realizes that Drake has had one of the best decades in music history," wrote a fan.

One fan asked, "Sounds like Em? Wtf was Akon listening too?"

Another fan said, "Biggest mistake he made Drake is out of this world if you ask me."