In 2005, he released the single "Lonely" (which samples Bobby Vinton's "Mr. Most of Akon's songs begin with the sound of the clank of a jail cell's door with him uttering the word "Konvict". The album is a hybrid of Akon's silky, West African-styled vocals mixed with East Coast and Southern beats. "Ghetto" became a radio hit when it was remixed by DJ Green Lantern to include verses from rappers 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. "Locked Up" reached the number 8 position in the U.S. It spawned the singles "Locked Up", "Lonely", "Belly Dancer (Bananza)", "Pot of Gold" and "Ghetto". Akon knew of Foster's work as producer Knobody and so there was a mutual respect for one another and the pair hit it off.Īkon's solo debut album, Trouble, was released on June 29, 2004.
In an interview with HitQuarters SRC A&R Jerome "Knobody" Foster said, "What caught my attention right away was "Lonely", and I said, 'this kid is official – this is a huge record." Foster and SRC CEO Steve Rifkind immediately boarded a private plane to Atlanta to meet the young artist. The songs Akon recorded with Stephens were brought to the attention of Universal's imprint SRC Records. The relationship between Stephens and Akon began as a friendship and mentorship, with the young artist regularly stopping by to ask for advice, with Stephens eventually signing him to his production company and began grooming him professionally. Music mogul Devyne Stephens, the president of Upfront Megatainment, first heard about Akon when the rapper Lil' Zane brought him along to Stephens' rehearsal hall, a place that at the time saw talents such as Usher and TLC being developed. Music career 2003–05: Discovery and Trouble When he and his older brother reached high school, his parents left them on their own in Jersey City and moved the rest of the family to Atlanta, Georgia. Growing up in New Jersey, Akon had difficulties getting along with other children. At age seven, he moved with his family to Union City, New Jersey, splitting his time between the United States and Senegal until settling in Newark, New Jersey.
A child of a dancer mother-Kine Gueye Thiam ( née Gueye), and a percussionist father, Mor Thiam, Akon learned to play five instruments, including drums, guitar and djembe. He spent a significant part of his childhood in Senegal, which he described as his "hometown". Through his father Mor Thiam, he is part Dogon, an ethnic group of Mali.
He was listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the number-one selling artist for master ringtones in the world.Īkon often provides vocals as a featured artist and is currently credited with over 300 guest appearances and more than 35 Billboard Hot 100 songs, resulting in five Grammy Awards nominations. Akon has sung songs in other languages including Hindi and Spanish. Akon has had four songs certified as 3× platinum, three songs certified as 2× platinum, more than ten songs certified as 1× platinum and more than ten songs certified as gold in digital sales. He is the first solo artist to hold both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice. The album spawned four top-ten hits in the US, "Smack That," "I Wanna Love You," "Don't Matter," and "Sorry, Blame It on Me." His third studio album Freedom (2008) was lead by the single "Right Now (Na Na Na)." His second album, Konvicted (2006), received three nominations for the Grammy Awards, Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Smack That" and "I Wanna Love You". City, Kardinal Offishall, Jeffree Star, and Red Café, among others. The labels served as vital for many soon-to-be successful acts, such as Lady Gaga, T-Pain, R. He later founded two successful record labels, Konvict Muzik and KonLive Distribution. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first single from his debut album Trouble (2004), followed by the second single "Lonely." Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam (/ˈeɪkɒn/ born April 16, 1973), also known mononymously as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and actor from New Jersey.
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