Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam was born October 14, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri. The son of celebrated jazz percussionist, Mor Thiam, Akon spent the first seven years of his life in Senegal. Even now, he admits that returning to the U.S. wasn’t easy. “I was mad black,” he says. “Dark skin wasn’t in style. My accent was crazy. I was getting teased and fighting.” Fortunately it didn’t take long for his charm to shine through and he soon won over his peers. “I ended up making crazy friends once they got to know me,” he says. “I just think it’s a lack of understanding. People stereotype you before they get to know you as a person.”
Akon goes to prison
As Akon became more immersed in American culture he developed an appreciation for hip-hop and he recorded his first song, “Operations of Nature,” at the age of 15. Unfortunately, he also became involved in a life of crime, which lead to his arrest. “I was charged for being the ringleader in a car-theft operation, like Gone in 60 Seconds,” he says. “I had multi chop-shops around the country and I was distributing luxury cars to celebrities and drug dealers.”
Akon ended up spending five years in prison, during which time he wrote dozens of songs. “If something crazy happened in my life then I would write about it in diary form,” he recalls. “That’s how the song ‘Locked Up’ on Trouble came along. That was my way to vent.”
Akon signs with src/universal motown
Upon release, Akon promptly recorded a demo that landed in the hands of Devyne Stephens, the CEO of Upfront Entertainment. Stephens liked what he heard and he used his clout to land Akon a record deal with SRC/Universal Motown. “We decided to go with Steve Rifkind and SRC/Universal Motown because Steve had the best understanding of what we were trying to achieve,” Stephens says. “Together we achieved everything we wanted and more.”
Akon releases trouble
That certainly became apparent in 2004 with the release of Trouble, Akon’s debut album. A unique hybrid of hip-hop beats and West African-influenced vocals, the record claimed the top shot on the UK charts and netted Akon a MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award for Best African Act.
Akon releases konvicted
Up next for Akon was Konvicted. Released on November 14, 2006, the stunning sophomore album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart after busting out of the gates with 284,000 copies sold. Konvicted has since sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide and has spawned three top five singles, including “I Wanna Love You,” “Don’t Matter” and “Smack That,” a huge hit that earned him a Grammy nomination.
Akon has also collaborated with a number of A-list talents, including Gwen Stefani, Chamillionaire, 50 Cent, and T.I., among many others. He is hard at work as the CEO of Konvicted Muzik, a full-service record label that represents artists such as T-Pain, Faze, Mack 10, and former TLC member Chilli.
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