Akon is happily joining the country music boom … but unlike other rappers, he plans on re-recording his whole discography — and giving people that honky-tonk twang!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Akon in NYC this week out signing autographs, and he tells us with a straight face he’s been lining up country features for the last 5 years to remake his tracks — and claims it’s happening soon!!!

Akon is one of the rare artists who’s achieved mega success on both the artist and executive fronts … a compilation of his classics could totally be a Billboard winner.

Just imagine Morgan Wallen filling in on “Locked Up” or Jelly Roll added to “Smack That” … the possibilities are endless!!!

Snoop Dogg is preparing his 2nd gospel album but still dropped a country collab with ERNEST this week … and BigXthaPlug just hit his biggest Billboard milestone to date thanks to his duet with Bailey Zimmerman.