Akon says he risked his label on Lady Gaga by giving her “Just Dance” instead of the Pussycat Dolls
“Lady Gaga was already at Interscope when I got there. She was an artist there. But at the time, I don’t know what Interscope was going to do with her because she was there for a minute. She walks in with these all gold leotards and stuff, looking like she’s from the ’80s. And I was like, ‘Damn.’ She was already different. Then after speaking with her and talking to her, I’m like this bitch is mad talented. So we write the record. She goes in to demo the song out. I’m looking like, ‘Yo, this bitch is a star’”
“She comes out. I was like, ‘What’s the situation.’ She’s like, ‘Well, I’m at Interscope. I’m not quite sure.’ I said, ‘Okay, give me a second.’ So I called Jimmy. I said, ‘What’s up with this Lady Gaga chick?’ He’s like, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘I think I want to sign her.’ He said, ‘Take her.’ I said, ‘I could have her?’ He said, ‘Yeah, she’s all yours.’ Then, mind you, we’ve got a smash-hit record. I said, ‘Yo, Jimmy, we’ve got the record.’ I’m going back in. He’s thinking we’re playing the record for the Pussycat Dolls, but at that point, when he told me I could have Gaga, I’m like we working on her album”
“We go in there, and we’re playing this record, ‘Just Dance.’ He’s going crazy. He’s like, ‘Oh my God, this is it. We got the fucking one. We got it.’ The whole time, he’s thinking this record is the perfect record for the Pussycat Dolls. The music stops. He said, ‘Thank you man. The Pussycat Dolls are going to love this record.’ I said, ‘Jimmy, this record is for Gaga.’ He said, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Yes, it’s for Gaga.’ He said, ‘Okay, make me understand this.’ I said, ‘Jimmy, listen. The Pussycat Dolls are already a global smash art. They’re a piece of art. All they need is one record. I’ll make a million of them. I’ll make another one for them”
“He said, ‘It’s not good enough.’ I said, ‘Listen to this record again one more time.’ We played the record. I said, ‘This record will make you another Pussycat Doll, or possibly even bigger. This is a record that breaks a new artist, not keeps a new artist popping.’ He thought about it. He said, ‘Would you put your label on that?’ I said, ‘Yeah. If this record doesn’t work, you can drop me.’ And you let me go with it. That was probably the best decision we collectively made together”
Lady Gaga and Doechii have teamed up for a new original song, “Runway,” featured in the newly released trailer for "The Devil Wears Prada 2."
Listen now: https://t.co/iJ0UQPcT4o