Black Eyed Peas, Akon head downunder

The Black Eyed Peas are to play Christchurch and Wellington.

Lay that cardboard down on the lounge floor and start practising those backspins because the Black Eyed Peas are back. And as their new album Monkey Business might suggest, they're ready to party.

When they play the Westpac Centre in Christchurch on October 6 and the Supertop in Auckland two days later, it will be almost a year to the day since they last played in New Zealand, in support of their 2003 album Elephunk, which has sold more than 75,000 copies in New Zealand.

Only six weeks after its release, Monkey Business has already sold more than 30,000 copies in New Zealand and is sitting at No 8 in the album charts.

Original members Will.I.Am, Taboo and apl.de.ap started out in 1995, sharing a love of breakdancing and hip-hop culture. Since Fergie joined in 2003 the Black Eyed Peas have become one of the biggest hip-hop groups on the planet - and easily New Zealand's favourite.

"Monkey Business is very much about the types of songs we play live," Will.I.Am. says. "It's about a party ... very much about us and the crowd."

Joining the Peas in support will be R&B's hottest new star John Legend who - after making his name writing songs for Kanye West, Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys and Twista - is rated one of the best voices in the music business.

Meanwhile, since appearing on albums by P-Money and Savage, American hip-hop star Akon has gone on to big things. His chipmunk-style single Lonely has spent eight weeks at No 1 here, the debut album Trouble selling double platinum.

The album also made the top 10 US Billboard charts and entered the British charts at No 1.

We'd like to think New Zealand can take some of the credit for Akon's success so it makes sense he's on his way here, joining Nelly and St Lunatics on their Get Derrty tour at Auckland's Supertop, Ericsson Stadium, July 28.

Local support is from Savage, Fast Crew, Player Park and DJ Logikal.

Akon, aka Aliaune Thiam, grew up in Senegal where his father, Mor Thiam, was a master percussionist and friend of James Brown and Michael Jackson. Akon discovered hip-hop when the family moved to New Jersey, although he has said of the genre: "I thought it was rubbish because I didn't understand the concept of people talking over music. But as I started growing up, living a little and listening to the lyrics, I realised that I was going through a lot of stuff these rappers were talking about and I could relate."

One of those themes would eventually lead to his downfall.

After dabbling in petty street crime, Akon started a car-theft operation. He was jailed in the late 90s for three years.

During his time inside he worked on his musical ideas - Locked Up, anyone? - and when he was freed he began writing and recording tracks in a home studio until signing a record deal with Universal.

Now he's lonely no more.