Akon Reportedly Avoids Ebola at Africa Show by Crowdsurfing Inside a Giant Bubble

All we know for sure is that Akon was in a giant bubble while crowdsurfing during an Africa show Sept. 21.

After photos leaked from the Congo, the quick conclusion most people jumped to was that he was trying to avoid Ebola. This could be true.

But The Independent gave us some great food for thought in its story titled, "Akon didn't perform in a bubble in DR Congo because of Ebola, he was just having a fun time for himself."

There is no way to know if this is true unless someone actually gets the chance to ask the man himself, but there is plenty of evidence to back up that claim.

For one, Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne has been bouncing around crowds in a similar fashion for years, and other artists have followed suit. In fact, Akon has used the bubble multiple times in places not stricken with Ebola or any other fear-inducing malady.

The Independent also pointed out that this particular Congo show was part of International Peace Day celebrations in Goma. How could Akon possibly have sold an image of unity if it was apparent to the crowd he was trying to avoid contact with them?

You cannot dispute this, however: Well-intentioned or not, the bubble made certain that Akon would not contract ebola from the crowd.

We have not heard much from the St. Louis-born pop star in the past couple years — still waiting for his follow-up to 2008's Freedom — but he did manage to help the world out with some insight on Jay Z and Beyoncé this summer:

"Their relationship has been more of a business to the outside world than an actual relationship," he said. "Now, to them, it may be a relationship, but it was presented to the world ... and it feels more corporate ...

"If you become a public figure and you have a relationship, your relationship also becomes public, so if you don't open up to the public and let people understand what this is, they will naturally speculate, and those speculations are going to be completely opposite, completely wrong of what really be happening.

"So now you gotta come back to answer or reply ... Sure, it's no one's business, but it becomes a business of the public when you're a person of public interest."

Tags

Akon, Ebola