Akon

Akon, (born Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam on April 30, 1973) is a Senegalese-American hip hop and R&B singer, songwriter, occasional rapper and record producer. Akon rose to fame in 2004 following the release of his single "Locked Up" from his debut album Trouble. His second album, Konvicted, earned him a Grammy Award nomination for the single "Smack That". He is the founder of Konvict Muzik and Kon Liv Distribution. He is well known for singing hooks and has over 130 guest appearances and 21 Billboard Hot 100 songs to his credit. He is the only artist to ever accomplish the feat of holding both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice.

Akon often goes by the shorter, Aliaune Thiam, though other sources have said his name is Alioune Badara Thiam, and About.com says the long form of his name, "Lu Lu Lu," has not been independently verified. His age has also been under scrutiny recently. Some media institutions reported that he was born in 1981. However the AP has since reported he was born in 1973 and is 35 years old. In a September 2007 interview for an Israeli magazine Akon hinted that he was around 25 or 26.

Background

He is the son of the Senegalese percussionist Mor Thiam. He is a Muslim born in St. Louis, Missouri, but grew up in Senegal until he was 7, split time between Senegal and America until he was 15, and then permanently moved to Jersey City, New Jersey. He recorded his first song, "Operations of Nature," at the age of fifteen. He was then subsequently jailed for armed robbery and drug distribution charges, and used his time in prison to work on his music. Upon release, Akon began writing and recording tracks in his home studio. The tapes found their way to SRC/Universal, which released Akon's debut LP Trouble in June 2004. The album is a hybrid of Akon's silky, West African-styled vocals mixed with East Coast and Southern beats. Most of Akon's songs begin with the sound of the clank of a jail cell with him uttering the word "Konvict."

Personal life

Akon was born in St. Louis, Missouri instead of Senegal because his family didn't want him to go through the immigration process. Part of the reason for Akon moving to America was for Akon to pursue a career in basketball, but he injured his knee and was forced to quit. He still enjoys basketball and soccer. He currently splits time residing between Atlanta, Georgia and Dakar, Senegal .

In late 2005, his long time friend and manager Robert Montanez, who Akon referred to as a brother, was killed in a drive-by shooting; the album Konvicted is dedicated to him. Akon was also in the car and was shot in the shoulder, however he made a full recovery.
Akon is of the Muslim faith, it has been reported that he is both a believer and practitioner of polygamy, though such reports are unconfirmed, as Akon has not given a straight answer to questions about the matter. Polygamy is illegal in the United States of America. He claims to have five children with three different women in an interview with Blender.

He also has his own charity for underprivileged children in Africa called Konfidence Foundation. Akon owns a diamond mine in South Africa and denies the existence of conflict diamonds, saying, "I don't even believe in conflict diamonds. That's just a movie. Think about it. Ain't nobody thought about nothing about no conflict diamonds until the movie came out." He also had a previous occupation as a drug dealer but has stated in interviews that he's never used drugs, though some of his lyrics would suggest otherwise. Despite his criminal history, he proclaims that he has turned his life around.
In 2006, he ventured to Africa to play a concert in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.