MANILA - International performer Billy Crawford couldn't help but bubble over with excitement since he is set to perform at the upcoming concert of hit international RnB singer and songwriter Akon.

Crawford will be the special guest in Akon's concert at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City this coming July 4. This will be Akon's second concert in the country.

"Yeah, I will welcome (him). Excited ako to be on the same stage and to do my set. And I'm sure he is also excited to be back in the Philippines," Crawford said.

Crawford said this won't be his first time to work with Akon since the two already had a show in France. However, he said that he would still love to perform with Akon again  despite recent controversies surrounding the Sengalese-American RnB artist.

Akon caught media attention when he threw a 15-year-old boy off the stage during a New York performance and when he danced "aggressively" against an underaged girl at a concert in Trinidad and Tobago.

Crawford refused to lay blame, and instead praised Akon for being a great performer.

"Despite what happened there, that's his life, that's his choice. So I don't know the truth. Hindi ko pa siya nakakausap. So I don't know the whole story, so I cannot really judge him. Siguro kapag nagkita kami itatanong ko kung ano ang nangyari doon," Crawford said.

"I'd performed with him before. So performing with him out of all the circumstances, kung anuman ang nangyari sa kanya sa stage recently, about all the controversial stuff, Akon is a great  performer. He is a good guy to be with. He is fun to be with," he added.

The two even have a mutual friend, Divine, who was Crawford's first choreographer in the United States and now Akon's manager.

Billy Crawford or Billy Joe Crawford in real life, is a 26-year-old Filipino-American, born to a Filipino mother.

Crawford became well-known around Europe and Asia with his hit songs like "When You Think About Me", "Never My Love", "Steamy Nights" and "Bright Lights."

Just recently, Crawford released his album "Groove" under Universal Records. Crawford is a mainstay of weekly variety show "ASAP '09."