Akon became really good friends with Michael Jackson toward the end of the King of Pop‘s life, and saw first hand how dedicated he was to his craft. During the time spent with Jackson, the “Smack That” singer watched on as he would stay up for weeks at a time, gearing up for what turned out to be his final concert residency, This Is It. In a recent interview with The Sun, Akon alluded to Michael’s dedication to his work being the reason why the pop star started taking pills in the first place.
Michael Jackson in London 2009- Tim Whitby/Getty Images
Jackson died in 2009 from an overdose of anesthetic Propofol and benzodiazepines. The “Mr. Lonely” singer told the site, “He was so happy and excited that he was about to go to London and lock these 50 dates in and remind the world who he was and what his value was to pop music. He didn’t even sleep. That is why he was taking sleeping pills because he was too damn excited.”
Akon also shared that the Thriller star wanted to give fans the experience of a lifetime with his final show, adding, “He would be up for weeks at a time thinking about how he wanted everybody to have the most amazing experience, he wanted to create something that was going to be talked about for centuries.” The Grammy Award winning singer added that when you love your craft like Michael did, it’s hard to get any rest. “You are going to need help to get sleep,” he shared. “Because your mind is constantly moving and your energy and your flow [are] electric to the point where you cannot turn it off.”
This isn’t the first time Akon spoke out in defense of his peers. Last month, he defended Kanye West after he received backlash for selling Yeezy clothes in trash bags. “personally, I would tell those same people to take the clothes they’re not wearing, and go give it to the homeless,” he shared. You do something.”
[Via]