STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

[Watch] Akon Blasts Louis Farrakhan, Doesn't Think Athletes Are 'Locked Up'

Singer isn't having the sports draft / modern slavery comparison.

Minister Louis Farrakhan had zero chill recently, comparing major sports leagues' draft system to a form of modern-day slavery.

"We got bought and sold just like that... and that's what you do in sports," Farrakhan said during a Saviours Day event speech in Detroit, as reported by TMZ. "You run up and down the field, you show them how swift you are, how clever you are. And they’re sitting there watching you, timing you. 'That’s a good one, I’ll get him, I’m drafting him.'"

His controversial opinion has had social media lit with reaction the past few days.

Well, when TMZ stopped Akon and caught him up with the Minister's opinions, the singer wasn't having it. The hitmaker doesn't view LeBron James or other athletes taking part in a form of modern-day slavery, at all. 

"To me, that's all bull****," the singer said. "It's bull****. Listen — LeBron is chasing an opportunity to better his self, his family and the people he influences. We're all slaves in that case."

Akon also scoffed at the Minister's notion that basketball courts popping up in Black communities are "a training ground for a basketball plantation."

In fact, the "Locked Up" singer feels quite the opposite.

"You are doing people a favor because it gives 'em a curricular activity away from gun violence and gangs," Akon said. "That's Farrakhan's personal opinion. I don't think because he says something, that's every Black person or minority's idea or trend of thought. That's his personal opinion. That's how Farrakhan feels.

"Me personally," he continued, "the more activites you have in the community, it helps to keep kids away from the basic stuff that's getting them in trouble."

Who do you agree with?

BET Sports News — Get the latest news and information about African-Americans in sports, including weekly recaps, celebrity news and photos of your favorite Black athletes.

To me, that's all bullshit. It's bullshit. Listen - LeBron is chasing an opportunity to better his self, his family and the people he influences. We're all slaves in that case. I'm a slave. If you look at it.

To me, that's all bullshit. It's bullshit. Listen - LeBron is chasing an opportunity to better his self, his family and the people he influences. We're all slaves in that case. I'm a slave. If you look at it.

To me, that's all bullshit. It's bullshit. Listen - LeBron is chasing an opportunity to better his self, his family and the people he influences. We're all slaves in that case. I'm a slave. If you look at it.

(Photos from left: Splash News, Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for Drai's Beachclub-Nightclub)

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.