Akon recently revealed that the latest artist to be signed to his Kon Live label possesses the artistic capabilities of Lady Gaga. Akon had a hand in bringing Gaga to the limelight, and signed her to the label in 2007.

“I just signed a kid named Jeffree Star. He will be the next biggest thing,” Akon assured. “To me he’s like the male version of Gaga in the aspect of you have to see it to understand it..he’s literally that. You can’t critique it, you gotta just let it be.”

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While Akon continues to venture into different forms of music, former label mate David Banner talked to Vibe magazine about why Rap is losing its lucrative edge.

“There is no more money in Rap because we allowed it to be downgraded to a download. So it’s virtually impossible to be successful as a young black man except for sports and slanging crack. This is our fault. We have the power to make our music important again. But because we want to be cool and famous and not smart and rich, this is going to be the result of it if we don’t change it.”

Banner’s album Death of a Pop Star is slated for release next month.

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In other news, NBC New York spoke to the late Jam Master Jay’s son Jason Mizell Jr., who shared how the loss of his father has impacted him.

“It’s really strange to lose a parent, in that form or in any manner,” he said. “It was certain lessons I never got taught losing my father at a young age. It’s certain things you tend to tell your son as he gets older. I had to go and search for things in the world on my own.”

Mizell, following in his father’s footsteps as a deejay, goes by the name of JMJ-Son, or J-Son.