The U.S.-based rapper Akon (Aliaune Badara), who is originally from the West African country of Senegal, is in the process of buying a 50% stake in Musik Bi.
Musik Bi is a music download service based in Senegal that features over 200 internationally recognized artists. The majority of the artists being rappers and jazz musicians with music for Christian, Muslim, and secular listeners.
Musik Bi has been operational in Senegal since February 2016 and gained enough traction and success to pick the interest of an international artist like Senegal. The platform allows listeners to download music and pay for it using mobile phone credit.
Musik Bi CEO, Moustapha Diop, said the biggest challenge the company faces and hindrance its growth is the current disputes between it and telecoms. The two parties are not agreeing on how to share the cut from the purchase of the music on the platform.
With Akon on board, the CEO says it will enable the come up with a better solution to these disputes. In addition to expanding their catalog of music and services to including streaming, music festivals, and TV channel.
Musik Bi also reiterates its commitment to fighting music piracy and increasing artists’ revenues from their creativity.
Akon is an icon of social-entrepreneurship across Africa
Though based in the U.S., Akon is one of those rare Africans in the diaspora who strives to makes life better and comfortable for folks in the motherland. In 2014, he launched a very ambitious project, Akon Lighting Africa, in partnership with other stakeholders to bring solar electricity to people living off the grid.
Most countries across the continent have a perennial blackout problem, something the World Bank says costs the sub-Saharan Africa a 2.1% loss in their GDP. While some 600 million across the continent live without electricity. Akon’s solar electrification project goes a long way, in alleviating and mitigating these socioeconomic challenges that come with lack of access to grid-power.
