Akon was one of Lady Gaga’s earliest supporters, even signing her to his KonLive Distribution label back in 2007. Though Gaga’s final release with the label was her A Very Gaga Holiday EP in 2011, Akon shared memories about his time with the pop superstar—and her unique fashion sense—during an appearance on the daytime talk show Sherri this week.
Around the 3:50 mark in the video below, host Sherri Shepherd mentioned Gaga’s knockout Coachella performance and asked Akon about the “It Factor” he spotted in the 14-time Grammy winner.
“You don’t really know until you see it,” Akon started before explaining he’d signed producer RedOne shortly before encountering Gaga.
“Soon as she walked in, it was like, ‘What is that?'” he continued. “I mean she looked like she was coming straight from the ’80s but she’s a classical pianist. And it was like, how do you mix that and create a sound that the world can actually gravitate to without it sounding too eclectic?”
Akon described blending those different elements as the “biggest challenge” he faced with Gaga, though they eventually struck gold with her 2008 breakthrough hit, “Just Dance.”
“I think that was the problem she probably had before she signed to me,” Akon added.
Though they’ve gone separate ways since, Akon expressed nothing but gratitude for his former artist, whom he signed alongside other future superstars like T-Pain and WizKid.
“I just thank God every day that he allowed me to be a part of that legacy,” said Akon, who’s now planning a country remake of his hits. “I think what she’s created in pop music… Just to be attached to that is a blessing in itself.”
Akon has plenty to be thankful for in signing Gaga, as the superstar has moved a massive 170 million records worldwide. Her first three albums, The Fame, The Fame Monster and Born This Way–all distributed through KonLive–have reached multiplatinum status.
