Akon Is Not a Rapper

Neither is T-Pain. Neither is Usher. They sing, sometimes with computerized AutoTune software, and at varying levels of goodness, but they do sing.

Now I realize that, as black males who sometimes wear jewelry, the largely middle-aged white media can't possibly be expected to distinguish. And really, why should they? Personally, every time I see a black person I naturally assume they're one of four people depending on their age and height: Will Smith, Dwayne Wade, Bill Russell, or Morgan Freeman. So while it troubles me, I accept that when I hear about Akon molesting a 15 year-old fan on stage, "rapper" will precede his name and not "singer" or "R&B star."