Akon Won't Release Unfinished Michael Jackson Tracks

'Hold My Hand' was done, but the rest are 'just ideas, concepts, harmonies,' Akon tells MTV News.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Kelly Marino

Akon
Photo: MTV News

Akon's inspirational track with Michael Jackson, "Hold My Hand," was released as the official first single from Jackson's posthumous album, Michael. It is a track that was completely finished before Jackson's death.

However, many of the tracks on the album are pieced-together parts of songs Jackson was working on before his death. Akon told MTV News he has no plans to release any unfinished business he and Jackson worked on.

"I'm definitely excited about our single, because that was finished, complete, and I'm happy with the outcome," Akon explained. "And I know [Jackson] was [happy] 'cause we were there finishing the song together, so I'm really happy about what we accomplished on that record 'Hold My Hand.' "

So, what was the concept Akon and Jackson tried to deliver on the song? "We was trying to find the unity, like what can we possibly translate that can bring the world together?" he remembered. "It was a song I was previously working on that I eventually let [Jackson] hear, and when he heard it, he fell in love with it. ... We clicked instantly when it came to it. That was the main concept: Let's figure out something we can leave behind, in 20,000 years later it can still be relevant."

It's an idea Akon and Jackson thought a lot about and can be found on many of their unfinished songs, not that anyone will ever get the chance to hear them.

"Me and Mike worked on a lot of concepts before he passed. 'Hold My Hand' was one of the records that was actually fully complete; the rest of the records are incomplete. They're just ideas, concepts, harmonies and stuff like that which the world will probably never see 'cause I wouldn't want to put it out unfinished," he explained. "I know at the end of the day if it wasn't fully complete, I don't think he would see it released that way.

"Majority of the concepts we worked on, they were all international, worldwide," he added. "It was always the point of which everyone has to find some kind of relativity in it. That was always a challenge, and we found concepts that would do it. We just never got the chance to finish the songs, but 'Hold My Hand' was a prime example."

Do you think Akon should release the other music he worked on with Michael Jackson? Sound off in the comments below!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1652607/20101118/akon.jhtml

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