Michael hits stores and iTunes Dec. 14.

A collaboration between Senegalese singer-producer Akon and the late King of Pop Michael Jackson recorded three years ago will go on sale on Monday, Nov. 15 as the first single off an album of new music from Jackson, Sony Records confirmed on Thursday.

“The world was not ready to hear ‘Hold My Hand’ when it leaked a couple years ago. We were devastated about it,” says Akon, who worked with Michael before his death of a propofol overdose in June 2009. “But its time has definitely come; now in its final state, it has become an incredible, beautiful, anthemic song. I’m so proud to have had the chance to work with Michael, one of my all time idols.”

The self-titled project also features collaborations with 50 Cent and Lenny Kravitz.

Michael — the first album of new material from the singer since 2001′s Invincible — drops Dec. 14.

R&B star Akon has been banned from performing at hip-hop music festival Melbourne next month after his 2009 concert in the city erupted in violence.

The “Smack That” singer had been set to play The Summerbeatz Festival in the Rod Laver Arena Nov 25, but the venue has forbidden the star from going ahead with the show following last year’s brawl. In Oct. 2009, Akon was performing at Melbourne’s HiSense Arena — Laver’s sister arena — as part of a co-headlining show with T-Pain when rival gangs began fighting in the audience. Akon jumped off the stage to break up a fight in the audience between two rival gangs. At least 18 people, including two security guards, received medical treatment following the riots.

The Melbourne show will go ahead with headliners Ciara, Jay Sean, Travis MCCoy, and Soulja Boy still set to perform.

“Akon will not be performing in Melbourne on the Summerbeatz 2010 Tour. This is due to restrictions put on us by the Melbourne venue Rod Laver Arena. We have toured Akon in Australia many times before and we are extremely disappointed that Melbourne misses out on seeing such an amazing and popular performer, however, this situation is completely out of our hands,” a promoter for the show said in a statement this week.

Akon gets catty as he teams up with Dominican pop tart Kat De Luna on the songbird’s new uptempo single, “Push Push.”

Akon has been denied a visa to perform in Sri Lanka next month. On Tuesday, government officials in the conservative nation said it would deny a visa to the Senegalese singer after his planned April concert in the island nation sparked rock-throwing protests earlier this week by Buddhists offended by his video “Sexy Chick.”

Locals in the capital city of Colombo were outraged by the video, which features groups of video hoes dancing at a pool party in front of the iconic Buddha statue.

“I was not aware that the statue was even on the set of the video until now. I would never set out to offend or desecrate anyone’s religion or religious beliefs,” Akon said in a statement this week. “I myself am a spiritual man, so I can understand why they are offended, but violence is never the answer and I am disheartened to hear about what happened yesterday in Sri Lanka.”

According to CelebrityClothingLine.com: “Konvict Homme, for men, is really masculine and has touches of bergamot, lemon, sandalwood and cedar. While Konvict Femme, for women, offers a fresher and fruitier scent with fresh lemon, mandarin, vanila and almond musk. Each fragrance pack contains two bottles connected by a chain, forming a set of handcuffs, each measured at 1.7 oz eau de parfum, totaling in 3.8 oz of Konvict freshness. You can start smelling Konvict-good by shelling out $41.95, good enough a price for spicing up your daily life….”

The debut fragrance from the hitmaking singer/producer will be in stores later this year.

“I was like, ‘Yo, I want to sign that right there. She needs to be under my umbrella. Jimmy was like, ‘Yeah, whatever you want. Take her. Let’s get it done.’ And she just blossomed into a super megastar, man. She’s pretty much retired me. She was definitely a blessing. She came at the right moment. I’m glad I believed in her, boy. That goes to show you, if you believe in something strong enough, it will pay off.”

Immigration officials in the Outback have previously refused the Smack That star entry into the country over his past run-ins with the law.

“It took me almost two years for Australia to let me back in the country. And I’m not going to let them fuck up my concert tonight!”