Akon is currently in the process of building his $6 billion Akon City in Senegal and gave some insight into the history of slavery.

He claims Africa has moved on from the ugly past, unlike Americans. “In Senegal, we’ve kind of overcome the thought of slavery. We don’t even think about it,” said Akon. “The only time we think about it, honestly, is when we’re doing tours at Goree Island. Outside of that, people have lived and moved way beyond the slavery concept …”

The “Don’t Matter” rapper says Black Americans will benefit just by letting it go. “I think it’s the art of just letting the past go and moving towards the future,” he continued. “And I think, in the U.S., they have this stigma of just not letting go of the past and blaming the past on every mishap or, you know, disappointment. I think as long as you hold onto that past, there’s a lot of weight that you carry with you everywhere you go. It’s hard to move forward and move fast when you got a weight on your back. You just gotta let it go.”

Akon went on to say African-Americans need to “understand their worth” and realize that America will never give reparations. “They’re not sorry. They don’t care. It’s obvious,” he said, before encouraging Black people to move to Africa. “Do you want to stay here and continued to be treated this way? Or just go back home, where you’re not no longer the minority. You actually are the majority, and you control your destiny, your future, and your land … They just need to go … America did a good job at brainwashing. The moment you mention Africa, they start shaking. They don’t even know why.”

Check out the full interview below:

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