Piece by: Maureen Waruinge

29 January 2023

• His comments on gender equality sparked criticsms.

• He has told women to support men.

Singer Akon is trending online after commenting that 'men are kings'. He was a guest on The Joe Budden Podcast where he gave his thoughts on gender roles in Africa compared to America.

The “Lonely” singer appeared on the podcast in December but the video resurfaced recently.

In the podcast, the singer said that men are 'the divine kings of the universe'.

The singer also claimed that while women need a man to create life, men do not, and could have a child by putting their sperm in an “incubator”.

"Let me tell you the science of it,” he said. “A man right now can create life without a woman, but a woman cannot create life without a man. If I wanted to do it right now, I would shoot my sperm and put it in an incubator and give it nine months, even maybe less with today’s science, and a baby will be born."

The singer said women in Africa treat their men like Kings compared to other countries. He said: “We're gods, the ones that create life. The women [there] treat you like a man, like a king."

Akon, who is Senegalese-American added, "They aren’t competing with you or fighting for equality because they understand that men and women could never be equal. They understand their roles."

"The roles there are very defined and very clean, here [the US] even if I say, ‘play your role and you play mine’, they say, ‘What the f**k you mean play my role? what role?’...In Africa it’s very clear, the woman plays the role of the woman. As a woman, her role is to support the man.

The men are the kings and the divine of this universe, a woman can never compare to the man."

He then explained that women were created to endure more emotional labour throughout their lives. He explained that, “God instilled love, emotions, and compassion in a woman.”

“This is why women catch feelings so quick, this is why they can endure so much pain and still be there, that loyalty comes naturally,” Akon added. At this point of the interview, he explained that the “role of a woman is to support the man".

His advice from his observation of gender roles? “The men, we are the kings and the divine of this universe, a woman can never to compare to the man,” he added, insisting that America could benefit from this knowledge.

"They have to understand that here in America,” he continued. “Here in America the men are afraid of their power....”

In 2022, Akon defended Nick Cannon and said the father of 12 was right to impregnate multiple women and revealed that he himself is in a polygamous relationship.