After winning music fans over with his 2003 multi-platinum debut Trouble, Senegalese singer Akon returns with more stories from his personal journey via his sophomore CD Konvicted. If Trouble was Akon's ode to redemption (before his music career took off he served time for car theft), Konvicted picks up at rebirth. His mission now is to reinvent himself through his salvation - music.

Although the hit single "Locked Up" earned him street credibility, the artist's multifaceted sensibilities are evident on his second album. Akon produced and wrote all but one song on Konvicted. The album features tracks recorded with Eminem (the first single, "Smack That"), Snoop Dogg ("I Want to Love You") and Styles P. (who laced Akon's debut hit single, "Locked Up"). Konvicted balances streetwise swagger, studio originality and common sense to create one of the most honest releases of 2006.

"Smack That," is a deliriously energetic song that has all the ingredients of a masterful club banger and features the aggressive rhymes of eight-mile wordsmith Eminem. Having met Em soon after working with Obie Trice on "Snitch", the two became fast friends. "I knew I wanted Eminem to be on the track, but he is very careful about appearing on too many other people's songs. When he called and said he was ready to go into the studio, I knew it was a blessing. I was on the first flight to Detroit," says Akon.

Another stand-out song on Konvicted is the anti-gangsta track "Runnin'." Recalling the sincerity of soul legend Curtis Mayfield's timeless Super Fly soundtrack, Akon neo-blues recalls the struggle of stepping away from the game, when he sings, "I'm tired of running from the law." Ironically, the melodic piece was written while Akon was still doing jail time. "This is a song you can feel, because it's real," Akon shares. " I meant every word of it."

Working in the tradition of pioneer R. Kelly, Akon moves deftly from hard-knock stories to the dance-floor to inspirational ballads; the verses are full of nimble sing-rapping...with Akon multi-tracking his voice to sing his own backing vocals."My goal is not to glorify street life, but gangstas are people too. They have families and children, and I'm trying to shed some light on that. I can't tell people what not to do, but I can be a role model."

Still, while Akon's lyrics are tight, he proves to be innovative on a production level as well. Unafraid of lacing pop music elements like live piano and the zigzag of violins, the haunting ballad "Never Took the Time" is a winner. "When I'm composing songs, I try to be more to the left musically," Akon reveals. "In music right now, it's up to the producers to push for diverse styles."

Working out of his own Koncast Studios in Atlanta, perhaps the crowning jewel on Konvicted is the powerful "Africa." A percussion heavy anthem "dedicated to his homeland," Akon's lyrics are on point as he discusses various issues from slavery to skin color. One of my goals with the song "Africa" is to make people more aware of the continent.

With the brilliance of Konvicted, label owner, singer, songwriter and producer Akon breaks down musical barriers while also validating his importance as a soul man for the new millennium. Like fine wine, Konvicted proves that Akon only gets better with time.