"A lot of our memories in the studio is a lot about work, because he was so focused on trying to get the right material out that we didn't really play around. Like, we talked, but we rarely joked, because at that moment, regardless of what we were doing it's like, 'Lets get serious and really do what we came here to do.' He was never satisfied. Like, we might have passed up ideas that I know for a fact were smashes. He'd be like, 'Nah, nah — we got to come up with something better.' We can never do better 'cause his expectation was so high."

-Singer, producer and songwriter Akon, on working with Michael Jackson in the studio. Akon spent a great deal of time in the studio with Jackson, working on both new songs and "Wanna Be Startin' Something' 2008" (which appeared on the reissue of the 25th anniversary edition of Thriller). Despite the fact that Akon was convinced that the pair had hits on their hands, nothing ever seemed to be good enough for Jackson, a notorious perfectionist. "It was almost to a point where we would have to get a record and I would believe in it and just put it out, 'cause it would never come out 'cause he always believed we could do better," Akon told MTV News. It remains unclear when (or even if) the music that Akon and Jackson created will ever see the light of day, but Akon is certainly proud of the work that he did. "It was all about the melody, because we're both melody guys," he said. "And no matter how incredible the record was, he believed that it could get more incredible."

"She's definitely paid her dues. She's been through all kinds of strings and ropes. She's jumped through all kinds of hoops. It was just a matter of time for her. You can't stop true talent. And you can't stop the truth. If that's what it is, that's what it is. At the end of the day, she's one of those rare finds. A diamond in the rough that you just have to polish out and let shine, and that's exactly what she's doing."

-Akon on Lady Gaga, the artist he signed to his Kon Live Distribution label back in 2008. In addition to his own success in music, Akon has also helped jumpstart the careers of T-Pain, Rock City and Kat DeLuna. But he calls Gaga his "franchise player" and credits her sweeping success with lots of hard work.

In the past few days, much has been made of the size of Madonna's biceps. Are they too big? Is that healthy? How did they get like that? No matter what the solution, one thing is for certain: Madonna could probably throw a pretty good chokehold on a would-be assailant.

But Madonna is hardly the only musician walking around with VIP tickets to the gun show. In fact, a number of rockers and rappers have committed themselves to keeping themselves jacked up — some more dramatic than others. 50 Cent kept himself ripped and his shirt off for most of his early career, making his muscles a part of his persona. But some people sneak up on you — remember when Timbaland all of a sudden got into weightlifting, or when you realized that Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails had become gigantic? Seriously, that guy could use his triceps to smash open walnuts.

Sometimes it makes sense when you consider the genre (the fact that Pete Steele of Type O Negative and Glenn Danzig are all jacked up isn't surprising considering their metal roots) and D'Angelo's muscles certainly became a part of his personality once the video for "Untitled (How Does It Feel)."

But who has the biggest arms among the muscular musicians? Click below for a sampling of buff musical bods, featuring Reznor, Akon and Busta Rhymes.

(Click here for more photos of ripped rockers, from Akon to Danzig!)

By Lindsay Wallace

MTV News caught up with the Barbados-born artist Shontelle just after her return from Japan's Spring Groove. The talent-filled show was a landmark in her very quick rise to stardom, as she performed with John Legend, T-Pain, Akon and TLC. This wasn't her first star-studded collaboration, however, as she has previously performed with both Akon and her fellow Barbados-born pop-star friend, Rihanna.

Her relationship with Rihanna began in Barbados, where they went to different schools but were involved in friendly competition in the cadets. She admits that her friend was especially influential on her in many ways since Rihanna made it in the music industry first. Her fellow former cadet, who she refers to as "Rih," gave her advice on the ins and outs of the music industry. "I definitely got a lot of tips from her," Shontelle said. "I tend to pay attention to successful artists and she's certainly one of the most successful artists in the last few years."
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Akon will most likely face a jury in December on charges stemming from an incident in which he allegedly threw a 15-year-old fan off the stage during a concert in June 2007. If found guilty of all charges, he could spend up to a year and 15 days in jail, Read the latest news in Akon's fan-tossing case here.

Could Whitney Houston be the Rocky of the music world? It's been a long time since the singer was in her prime, and "Like I Never Left," her first new song in nearly five years, has leaked. She worked with Akon on it and proclaims she's coming back — but will her fans be there? What do you think?

· We’re still waiting for a call back from our personal sommelier about which vintage flows best from a bejeweled pimp cup, but in the meantime we might just unleash the latest to flow from the mind of Lil Jon. The rapper is about to get into the wine business, launching a label, Little Jonathan Winery, that will release "upscale" Chardonnays and Merlots. He promises these wines are “not no ghetto Boone’s Farm.” No, why would they be?

· More Radiohead news! (It never stops). The band has launched their own social network. Really, we don't see this being a very good idea for many artists. Can you imagine having to join a different social network for each of your favorite bands?

· One of the reasons we love Akon (but only from a safe distance) is because the dude is mad unpredictable. Whether it’s tossing kids off the stage or claiming to have a harem, ‘Kon brings the crazy like nobody else. Like this one: he recently claimed in an interview on British radio that he’s completed a country album and he plans to storm the genre, though he wouldn’t cop to his alter ego’s name or the alleged hit he’s about to score under the mysterious moniker.