Akon

At 51 years old, Akon has this physical status:

Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam (born April 16, 1973) is a Senegalese-American singer, songwriter, record producer, philanthropist, and actor.

Following the introduction of "Locked Up," his debut album, Trouble, he rose to fame in 2004. Konvict Muzik and KonLive Distribution have since founded two hit record labels, Konvict Muzik and KonLive Distribution.

The labels were used to launch many of Lady Gaga's, T-Pain, R. City, Kardinall Offishall, and Red Café, among other soon-to-becoming performers.

Konvicted's second album, Best Contemporary R&B Album for Konvicted Album, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Smack That" and "I Wanna Love You" received three Grammy Awards in two categories, including Best Contemporary R&B Album for Konvicted Album and Best Contemporary R&B Album for Konvicted Album. He is the first solo artist to have both the top and two positions on the Billboard Hot 100 charts simultaneously.

Four songs have been released as platinum, three songs have been named platinum, three songs have been certified as 2 platinum, and more than ten songs have been listed as gold in digital sales.

Akon has performed songs in other languages, including Tamil, Hindi, and Spanish.

He was ranked by Guinness Book of World Records as the world's top master ringtones master ringtones artist. Akon has performed as a featured artist on several television shows and more than 35 Billboard Hot 100 hits, earning five Grammy Awards nominations in a row.

He has produced six solo albums and has directed the bulk of production on his solo projects and guest appearances.

In addition, this, he made recordings for musicians on his own labels, as well as for other artists such as Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Lionel Richie, Leona Lewis, and Whitney Houston. In 2010, Forbes ranked Akon 80th (Power Rank) in Forbes' Top 100 in 2010 and 5th in Africa's Top 40 Most Influential Celebrities list in 2011.

Akon was ranked No. 1 on Billboard's list of the top companies in the world by Billboard. On the list of the Top Digital Songs Artists of the tenth Century, 6 of them appear.

Early life

Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 16, 1973, to a Muslim family. Kine Gueye Thiam (née Gueye), a dancer, and Mor Thiam, a percussionist, was born in Kaolack, Senegal, to a Toucouleur family of Quranic scholars. Akon spent a large portion of his childhood in Senegal, which he referred to as his "hometown." Akon learned to play five instruments, including drums, guitar, and djembe. He and his family migrated to Union City, New Jersey, dividing his time between the United States and Senegal before settling in Newark at the age of 7. Akon had trouble integrating with other children while growing up in New Jersey. When he and his older brother were in high school, their parents escaped Jersey City and moved the majority of the family to Atlanta, Georgia. Akon attended William L. Dickinson High School in Jersey City.

Personal life

In an interview with Blender, Akon claims he has six children with three women, all of whom he has close friendships with. He says he needs to keep his family safe from the public eye.

Akon owns a diamond mine in South Africa and denies the existence of blood diamonds (also known as "conflict diamonds) because, "I don't believe in conflict diamonds." That's just a movie. Consider it. Before Blood Diamond was announced, no one knew or cared about conflict diamonds." However, he has since confirmed that blood diamonds exist and that he is partial-owner of an African mine committed to avoiding the use of blood diamonds while also giving local charities.

On the ITV2 show The Hot Desk, Akon appeared. On the program, he confessed that he is a fan of Chelsea F.C.'s English Premier League club Chelsea F.C.

Akon has stated that he was a member of an auto-theft conspiracy and spent four years in prison from 1999 to 2002. However, The Smoking Gun website challenged his assertion with court documents and interviews with detectives involved in Akon's lawsuit, finding that he was not guilty of any unlawful conduct and did not serve time in jail. Akon responded to the study by saying he never served 3 years in jail, but he had many shorter sentences that ran up to three years.

Despite Akon's boast to have a 21-year-and-over age policy, the club received flak over an onstage performance involving fake sex with Danah Alleyne, a 15-year-old girl at the time when she is the niece of a pastor and sister of Crime Watch host Ian Alleyne, at the Zen Nightclub in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Tobago. Akon's crew filmed the incident and later posted it on the internet. The video clip was broadcast on local media, channel CCN TV6, on April 20, 2007. Verizon Wireless removed ringtones based on Akon's songs from radio, television, and blogging, prompting criticism on the radio, television, and blogosphere. In addition, Verizon decided not to sponsor The Sweet Escape Tour, where Akon would be the opening act for Gwen Stefani. Universal Music Group did not take steps against Akon, but rather ordered that the video clip be taken down from YouTube due to copyright violation. Brent Bozell, a Conservative commentator and founder of the Parents Television Council, referred to this as "corporate irresponsibility."

Michelle Malkin, Laura Ingraham, and Bill O'Reilly, right-wing political commentators, slammed Akon for "degrading women." Malkin brought a commentary about Akon to YouTube, using a video from music videos and the Trinidad concert, and Universal Music Group later compelled its removal by issuing a DMCA takedown notice. The Electronic Frontier Foundation joined Malkin in contesting the removal as a violation of copyright legislation, citing fair use. UMG rescinded its link to the film in May 2007, and the video was reblogged to YouTube.

On June 3, 2007, a concert attendee at WSPK's KFEST concert in Fishkill, New York, threw an object toward Akon on stage. Akon begged the audience to determine who hurled the object and that he be brought on stage. The teen was grabbed by security forces and led him up to the stage. Akon was then escorted from the crowd and escorted across his shoulders by him. The attendee was then escorted back into the audience by the singer. Fishkill police released a video of the shooting. Akon has denied that the incident was staged and that he in fact used the act to prepare for the next record. According to police Chief Donald F. Williams, Akon was charged with endangering the welfare of a minor, a misdemeanor, and second-degree assault, which was a felony.

Buddhist groups in Sri Lanka vehemently opposed a proposed concert by Akon, arguing that his music video with Guetta for "Sex Chick" insulted Buddhism because of the Buddha statue, which can be seen several times in the background. Given the allegations surrounding Akon, the Sri Lankan government decided not to provide him with a visa to enter Sri Lanka.

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Music career

When rapper Lil Zane brought him along to Stephens' rehearsal hall, a place where talents such as Usher and TLC were still being developed at the time, music mogul Devyne Stephens, the president of Upfront Megatainment, first heard about it. Stephens and Akon's relationship began as a friendship and mentorship, with the young artist coming by to ask for help, with Stephens eventually directing him to his production company and then grooming him professionally. Universal's imprint SRC Records, which attracted Stephens' attention. "This kid is official," Foster said in an interview with HitQuarters SRC A&R. "This kid is official." Foster and SRC CEO Steve Rifkind arrived in Atlanta to speak with the young artist. Foster knew of his work as a producer Knobody, so there was a mutual admiration for one another and the pair hit it off.

On June 29, 2004, Akon's solo debut album, Trouble, was released. "Locked Up," "Lonely," "Belly Dancer (Bananza)," "Pot of Gold" and "Ghetto" were among the singles. In the United States and the UK, "Locked Up" ranked at number 8 in the United States and number five in the UK. When DJ Green Lantern remixed "Ghetto" to include excerpts from rappers 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G., it became a radio hit. The album is a mash-up of Akon's silky, West African-styled vocals mixed with East Coast and Southern beats. The bulk of Akon's songs begin with the sound of a prison cell's door, with him yelling the word "konvict."

He released "Lonely" in 2005 (which samples Bobby Vinton's "Mr. Lonely") on DVD. The album debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, and in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Germany, it topped the charts. In April 2005, his album climbed to the top of the UK charts. When The Box's weekly chart, which was determined by the number of video requests, Akon's "Lonely" became the longest-running single on the chart, spanning over fifteen weeks. Akon was also featured on two other singles, P-Money's "Keep On Callin'" off the album Magic City, and the other with New Zealand rapper Savage, "Moonshine," which had a huge success in both New Zealand and Australia, achieving number one in the New Zealand charts. With the song "Soul Survivor," he made his first critically acclaimed guest appearance on Young Jeezy's debut album, Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101. Robert Montanez, his boss, was killed in a shooting in December after a confrontation in New Jersey.

In 2006, Akon and Young Jeezy suggested that a joint album be produced.

Akon's latest record label, KonLive Distribution, was released by Interscope Records. Konvicted, his second album, was released in November 2006 and debuted on the Billboard 200 in second week, selling 286,000 copies in the first week. Konvicted has sold more than 100,000 units in the United States after only six weeks. After seven weeks, the album was certified platinum and after sixteen weeks it was declared double platinum. It remained in the top ten of the Billboard 200 for 28 weeks in a row, and it hit number two on four occasions. The RIAA declared the album as a 'triple platinum' on November 20, 2007, with 3 million units sold in the United States.

The album featured collaborations with Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Styles P. The first single "Smack That" (featuring Eminem) was released in August 2006 and debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks in a row. Akon set a new record on the Hot 100 in 2006, when he went from number 95 to 7. With 67,000 downloads, the climb was fueled by the country's number six debut on Hot Digital Songs. The record has since been broken several times. At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, "Smack That" was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, but Justin Timberlake and T.I. were unable to win. "My Love" is a movie that takes place in the United States.

"I Wanna Love You" by Snoop Dogg, the second single to be released in September, and Snoop's second. For two weeks in a row, "I Wanna Love You" topped the charts. In January 2007, he became his first solo number one and second straight Hot 100 chart top was released, with his third single "Don't Matter" earning him his first solo number one and second consecutive Hot 100 chart top. "Mama Africa" was released as a European single in July 2007, making it the album's fourth top single. "Sorry, Blame It On Me" deluxe edition of the album "Sorry, Blame It On Me" debuted on the Hot 100 in August 2007, ranking number seven.

Akon's clothing line Konvict Clothing was launched in February 2007. It features urban streetwear such as denim jeans, hoodies, T-shirts, and hats. Aliaune is the more expensive, or high-end line for males and females, and it comes with blazers, denim jeans, and other accessories.

He created and appeared on Gwen Stefani's "The Sweet Escape" which has reached No. 1 on the charts. Billboard Hot 100: 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Akon appeared on Live Earth's American leg. For the 25th anniversary of Jackson's Thriller's reissue, he did a remix of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" by Michael Jackson. On All Up 2 You, he worked with bachata firm Aventura and Reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel. The song received two accolades at the Premios Lo Nuestro 2010 for "Urban Song of the Year" and "Video Collaboration of the Year" respectively. Jayko, a Hispanic R&B and Reggaeton singer, was signed to his label by the artist.

Akon's third album Freedom debuted on December 2, 2008, which resulted in four singles: "Right Now (Na Na Na), "I'm So Paid" (featuring Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy), "Beautiful" (featuring Colby O'Donis and Kardinal Offishall) and "We Don't Care" (featuring Usher and Young Jeezy) and "We Don't Care" (fam So Paidoutput: Freedom in the United States had been rated platinum. Nelly, a rap musician, and T-Pain had discussed forming a rap supergroup in 2009. State of Survival, a hip hop/rock band formed by Akon and Konvict Muzik, was released in 2009 by KonLive Distribution and Cherrytree Records. He was also the executive producer of Kardinal Offishall's fourth solo album Not 4 Sale. Akon's debut single "Dangerous," which starred Akon, debuted at No. 1. Billboard Hot 100 ranks 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. He co-wrote "Just Dance," a Kon Live artist Lady Gaga's hit "Just Dance" that received a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.

Akon released "Cry Out of Joy" after Michael Jackson's unexpected death while Akon was performing with Akon. In an interview with UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning 'Blues & Soul' in October 2008, Akon claimed to be close friends with Jackson near the end of Jackson's life. A song called "Hold My Hand," a R&B duet/collaboration between Michael Jackson and Akon, circulated on the internet in July 2008. As Akon had stated, it was not included in the Freedom tracker. During a Tavis Smiley interview, Jackson said he had planned on a high-profile release with a music video before the track leaked. This is Jackson's last known song before he died on June 25, 2009. Akon completed work on Jackson's posthumous album Michael, which was released as a single in November 2010.

For their 2008 reunion album The Block, Akon co-wrote and recorded "Put It on My Tab" with New Kids on the Block. Leona Lewis co-wrote and produced his Leona Lewis' "Forgive Me" and worked with X Factor 2008 champion Alexandra Burke on her debut album. She appeared on the track "Like I Never Left" in 2009, later on her Comeback album I Look to You. Akon collaborated with Pitbull on the single "Shut It Down" from his album "Rebelution" and worked with Matisyahu to remix his single "One Day" on his album Light. "Mirrors," Natalia Kills' debut album, Perfectionist, was also co-produced. "IsThereSomethingICanDo.com" was launched on March 25, 2009, the artist Peter Buffett and Akon's social action partnership effort coincided with DoSomething.org's DoSomething.org campaign coincided with the debut of "Blood Into Gold." Both artists were featured in the album, which was based on human trafficking.

In "Sexy Bitch," Akon's first house track, David Guetta collaborated with Akon. On the Billboard Hot 100, the song debuted at number one in more than six countries and charted at 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. For the 2010 World Cup with Pepsi, he produced and recorded "Oh Africa."

Akon made $13 million in 2011, $21 million in 2009, and $21 million in 2008.

In September 2010, Guetta's "Angel," the best single on the US Billboard charts, debuted at number 56, much less than his previous outings. During the 2010 Victoria's Secret Fashion Exhibition, Akon performed the song. Akon was sent to Jamaica to work with Damian, Julian, and Stephen Marley. Akon joined with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg on "Kush," charting on number 36 on the Billboard charts at the time, with charting on page 36. The single was first supposed to be released from Dr. Dre's forthcoming album Detox; however, it was taken from the final album track list, with the album eventually being unveiled. He also contributed to "We Are the World: 25 for Haiti," a charity single assisting the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Akon unveiled the promotional single "Dirty Work," starring Wiz Khalifa, who appeared on the Rhythmic Billboard charts, after a nearly three-year absence from solo work.

Akon released "So Blue" later this year, a year later this year.

Akon released five singles from Stadium on January 1, 2015. He also announced that the album would be a quintuple album divided into five genres (Euro, Pop, Urban, Island & World). Both singles failed to chart.

Akon revealed on his official website in November 2015 that he was planning to unveil his fourth album Stadium in four versions: Stadium-Island, Stadium-Urban, Stadium-World, and Stadium-House. These are the limited editions of the album that are exclusive to the Stadium mobile app, which is also available to fans. The album was indefinitely postponed, and it could be announced in the near future.

When Akon's latest record deal with Atlantic Records came in late 2015 and early 2016, the singles "Want Some," "Hypnotized," and "Good Girls Lie" were released. Akon and the Taiwanese singer Jeff Chang appeared on the Chinese reality television show I Am a Singer in April 2016. Later this year, he appeared on Joey Montana's album "Picky" on his remix and appeared alongside Chris Brown on Gucci Mane's Michael Jackson tribute track "Moonwalk."

Konvict Kartel Vol. was released in late 2017 by the artist in a joint mixtape with Konvict signees. 2. He coproduced with reggaeton singer Ozuna on the bilingual single "Coméntale" in 2018, the first time Akon performed in Spanish in a Latin song in Spanish. At the time, he had adopted the nickname "El Nego" and was looking for collaborations with other Spanish-language artists.

Akon has revealed the name of his new record company, Akonik Label Group, and it will debut four studio albums in various genres. Akon's first Latin song, "Get Money," stars Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA. It was supposed to be the lead single on his fourth album El Negreeto, but it didn't appear on the album's final version. The album was supposed to be released on August 30, 2019, but it was delayed and released on October 4, 2019. Becky G, a Mexican-American singer, was the lead single from El Negoeto on September 6, 2019. In December of the same year, he unveiled the album Akonda, his sixth album, Konnect, on October 25, 2019.

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