Akon's July 4 concert at the Araneta Coliseum, Manila, Philippines has been rescheduled to October 23 at the same venue amid flu (H1N1) fears. In a taped message aired on on SNN, Akon apologize saying, "Due to unforeseen circumstances, our concert has been postponed for the 23rd of October. Make sure you will come and we apologize for the changes that we have to make but remember those tickets that were purchased are still valid for the concert. You can bring the same tickets to the concert on the 23rd of October. Thank you all and we will see you there."

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Akon has delayed his concert at Sunway Lagoon, Kuala Lumpur from July 2 to October 24, due to an urgent family matter, according to the show promoter.

In the meantime, Datuk Mohammad Mohammad Daud, deputy secretary-general of the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry held a private meeting with the show promoter over the ministry's concern that a prominent liquor brand was the official sponsor for Akon. "We expect every show promoter in this country to abide by our rules and regulations," said Mohammad Daud. "We have not relaxed our restrictions on cigarette and liquor sponsorship for public events like concerts."

Meanwhile, the show promoter for Akon has given an assurance that it would adhere to the ministry's rules. The spokesman said, "With the new date, we've managed to find a new sponsor, we're also planning to give out T-shirts to concert goers who do not observe the dress code. It may be a beach party, but we do not want people to be skimpily dressed."

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Akon was very surprised over Michael Jackson's unexpected death. Both had already got to work closely recorded preliminary material for Jackson's next album. Akon spoke to Billboard.com about his immediate reaction to the news, Jackson's health, and what he'd like to see happen to their work in the studio.

What was your first thought when you heard the news yesterday?
I couldn't believe it. Even now, I'm completely confused, because Michael is just one of the healthiest people that I know. He was pressuring me to stay healthy, like, "Akon eat right. What are you doing out there on the road? Are you eating? Are you exercising? Are you drinking a lot of water?" He felt like nothing could be accomplished in life if you're not healthy.

Many people have said that they were concerned about his health. It sounds like that that's something that you were not concerned about.
Absolutely not. I thought he was completely healthy from what I've seen, just a lot of people never got close enough to Mike to even know. It's always speculation. It was never them actually knowing.

What did Michael Jackson mean to you, personally and professionally?
Personally, he was a mentor; he was like a big brother. He always kept me focused. If I had issues, he would console me through them. Like a lot of the controversial shit that I was going through, Mike was really the one that really taught me how to deal with them, because no one deals with controversy better than Mike. He's been through it; he knows how to deal with it. He would say, "You've got to make sure you stay focused on the music. Don't let it de-focus you from your creation."

How did you meet and start working together?
He was working on a new album, and at the same time doing his re-release [of "Thriller"]. The connection was just instant. It felt like we'd known each other for years. I knew everything about Mike, and it was really surprising that he knew everything about me. The first three months I met him, his first gift to me was a $250,000 watch; it was all diamonds. That's how giving he was. He just wanted everyone around him happy, you know? He was an incredible guy.

What did you end up recording together?
We were working on a lot of ideas. A lot of the songs that were done were all ideas; they weren't really complete songs. He was the kind of person that wanted to lay all the ideas down [first].
He had put everything aside just so he could focus on this tour over at the O2 in Europe. That was his main priority, and he was so excited about it. He was like, "Man. We sold this out in a minute. My fans are still there. They still love me. They're alive." That motivated him more than anything. The main reason he had even accepted these dates was because he wanted his kids to see his legacy -- they never got to see Dad up close and personal, doing it. They've seen videotapes and concert footage. He was trying to create the most incredible show so his kids could witness it.

When were you last in the studio with him?
It's been almost a year since we've been in the studio, 'cause shortly after the re-release of "Thriller," he had to go out and promote it, and then I was on the road. Every time he was in L.A. or Vegas, I probably stopped off for two hour, three hour visits, hung out with him and the kids...then I would go back out on the road or to the studio, but he would always keep me updated on what was going on.

Would you want any of the material you laid down with him to see the light of day?
Right now they're pretty much all ideas, but if there is anything to be done to them, of course I would let the family make all those decisions. I think it's their right to figure out how they want his music distributed or finish these records before we move on with it. I wouldn't ever take it upon myself to try to release any of his music without working with the family.

When was the last time you talked to him?
We probably talked about three months ago, before I went on this European run. The last we spoke he was in L.A. working on and rehearsing for the tour, and I was actually going to go check out a couple of those rehearsals, see where he was at. He was eating healthy, working out, getting ready for this show.

How would you like people to remember Michael Jackson?
I really want people to remember Mike as the entertainer, the creator. He was really the totem pole of what success was in the industry. When it comes to breaking records and selling records and creating concepts and ideas and high-performance concerts and shows, he set the standard for it. Not only that but he was an incredible father, a great dad. He treated his kids like kings and queens. He was a philanthropist, gave millions and millions of dollars to charity, always wanted to find new ways to change the world. He was really funny, like just an ordinary, all out great guy. I wish the world could have seen him outside of the entertainment, just seen Mike the person.

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Akon talks about his admiration for Whitney Houston and working with Michael Jackson in the Summer 2009 issue of "Rap-Up." On the Whitney, he expressed his admiration, "That's my girl right there, she's straight 'hood, but at the same time she can switch it up," he says. "I love Whitney, man. She's really down-to-earth. That I can say. She hasn't lost her roots," he adds. Both of them have recorded two songs, one of those songs, "Like I Never Felt," leaked to the Internet last year then pulled back.

In an about hung up with Michael Jackson, Akon reveals in an interview below:

A few years ago, Rolling Stone magazine called you hip-hop's top R&B singer. What do you think?
I think the people will always be the judge. I always measure my success by how long they allow me to keep putting records out. If I put out a record and it bombs, then I know, OK, they tired of listening to me.

You've sung the hook on 100-some tracks by other artists, including some really big hits. What do you think people are expecting when they call you in to sing a hook?
I think they're probably lookin' for the same results that the last artist got (laughs). But it really depends on the artist themselves. They need to have a basic concept. I don't think I make a record. The artist should already have some kind of identity and then just add me as a bonus.

How did you hook up with Michael Jackson for that new version of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' "?
An attorney friend of mine named Peter Lopez, he called out to me with Michael on a three-way because Mike wanted to reach out to me and work on some new records. So when Peter called me with him on the phone, I thought it was a prank. I actually hung up on him, 'cause he's a guy that jokes around like that sometimes, and I thought he was kidding. Then he called me back, and I couldn't believe it.

What was Michael like to work with?
Mad cool, man. Real funny. He's a stand-up dude, a really hard worker. He takes the music very seriously but at the same time has a lot of fun with it. And that's a side of him a lot of people never really get a chance to see. Recording with him was a fun process. It wasn't like work. Out of every artist I've worked with, he's probably the easiest I've ever worked with. He tries different things. If I'm like, "Change this, change that," he won't even question. He just does it. And that made it so much easier, to work with an artist like that, that's willing to try different things and just do it.

What happened to that other track you did together, "Hold My Hand."
It got leaked. It was originally for his album. If it was for my album, I would have put it out anyway. But Mike, he's more of an exclusive type of guy. So when that record leaked, it kind of killed the whole idea of what he was trying to do.

You told MTV last summer that you had the follow-up to "Freedom" mapped out.
I'm actually about four songs away from finishing the album now. I'm trying to create a December release.

So what's it like?
This one is really a collage of all of the albums. The "Trouble" album was more of a street record, more underground. Then you had "Konvicted," which was street and pop at the same time, where I had one half geared towards urban and the other half more pop. "Freedom" was more straight pop, Euro. And this album is gonna be pretty much all hits, literally a mixture of everything from every genre.

I know you grew up in a musical family. Did something in particular inspire you to launch your own career in music?
Yeah, actually, when I got locked up. That became the only thing that I could do that I was great at that I could actually make a living at and enjoy at the same time, 'cause you know, once you get locked up, all your opportunities and everything is cut off. It's not like I could have gone out and found a great Fortune 500 position or anything.

Did you expect the song "Locked Up" to be as big a breakthrough as it was?
Absolutely not. That song was an experience I sang about and put out just to pay some bills. And it just turned into my whole career.

What do you think it was about that song that people were responding to?
I think it was the subject matter. You would be surprised how many people can relate to that. A lot of them may not have gotten locked up but they knew someone who did. I just wanted to express the experience, what I had to go through and kind of describe it for people that never been there, more so they can think about what needs to be done so they don't have to be in that same position. And the people that was locked up at the time the record came out, it was something for them to reflect on, which was great, because I got a lot of support from the jail community on that record. That's one of the reasons why it was so big.

Do you feel like you've moved beyond drawing on that time in your life.
Oh yeah, definitely. I'm on a whole 'nother level now. I think those were all just stages I had to go through to become who I am today.

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Bangalore based Radio Indigo is airing a contest in association with Universal Music to meet the international R & B singer Akon in Kuala Lumpur and watch him live on 2nd July. The Bengalureans have to answer questions on Akon quizzed on the station throughout the day. Callers with correct answers would be shortlisted and the selected two winners of the finale will also get to interact with Akon personally apart from watching his live gig.

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