Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam (; born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of " Locked Up" (featuring Styles P), the first single from his debut album '' Trouble'' (2004), followed by the second single " Lonely". His second album, '' Konvicted'' (2006), received three Grammy Award nominations for Best Contemporary R&B Album, and for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for " Smack That" (featuring

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

) and " I Wanna Love You" (featuring

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

). Both singles became ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top ten hits, followed up by " Don't Matter" and " Sorry, Blame It on Me". His third studio album ''

Freedom Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...

'' (2008) was led by the single " Right Now (Na Na Na)". Akon 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 Award nominations. He is the first solo artist to hold both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 charts twice. 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 by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. He was listed by '' Guinness World Records'' as the number-one selling artist for master ringtones in the world. Along with his own musical career, Akon later founded two record labels, Konvict Muzik and

KonLive Distribution KonLive Distribution (or simply KonLive) was a record label founded by R&B singer Akon. The label served as a joint-venture deal between Jimmy Iovine and Interscope Records. Notable artists briefly signed to the label include Lady Gaga, Kardinal ...

. A multitude of successful acts, including Lady Gaga, T-Pain, R. City, Kardinal Offishall, Jeffree Star, and

French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Arabic: æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he emigrated to the United States with his family when he was 13. ...

have been signed to Akon through these labels. Akon sports a concurrent career in producing and songwriting records mainly for artists on his respective labels, as well as for other mainstream artists including Michael Jackson,

Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recordi ...

, Leona Lewis,

Sean Paul Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques OD (born 9 January 1973) is a Jamaican rapper and singer who is regarded as one of dancehall's most prolific artists. Paul's singles "Get Busy" and "Temperature" topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in the ...

, and Whitney Houston. ''Forbes'' ranked Akon 80th (Power Rank) in the ''Forbes'' Celebrity 100 in 2010 and 5th in the 40 Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa list, in 2011. ''Billboard'' ranked Akon No. 6 on the list of Top Digital Songs Artists of the decade.

Early life

Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam was born on April 16, 1973, in St. Louis, Missouri, to a

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

family. His mother is dancer Kine Gueye Thiam (''née'' Gueye), and his father is percussionist

Mor Thiam Mor Dogo Thiam (born May 22, 1941) is a Senegalese drummer, cultural historian, and entertainment consultant. His surname is pronounced "Chahm". Career Thiam recorded his first album, ''Ndende Safarra'', in 1974 with B.B. King and Nancy Wilson ...

.Goldsmith, Melissa Ursula Dawn; Fonseca, Anthony J.
''Hip Hop around the World: An Encyclopedia''
volumes ABC-CLIO (2018), p. 300, . Retrieved March 14, 2020. Mor Thiam was born to a Toucouleur family of Quranic scholars in Kaolack, Senegal. Akon spent a significant part of his childhood in Senegal, which he described as his "hometown". Akon learned to play five instruments, including drums, guitar and

djembe A djembe or jembe ( ; from Maninka language, Malinke ''jembe'' , N'Ko script, N'Ko: ) is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa. According to the Bambara people in Mali, the name of the djembe ...

. At age seven, he and his family relocated to Union City, New Jersey, splitting his time between the United States and Senegal until settling in Newark. Growing up in New Jersey, Akon had difficulties getting along with other children. When he and his older brother reached high school, his parents left them on their own in

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Atlanta, Georgia. Akon attended

William L. Dickinson High School William L. Dickinson High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school located in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Jersey City Public Sch ...

in Jersey City.

Music career

2003–2005: Discovery and ''Trouble''

Music mogul Devyne Stephens, the president of Upfront Megatainment, first heard about Akon when rapper Lil Zane brought him along to Stephens' rehearsal hall, a place that at the time saw talents such as

Usher Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** Fiel ...

and TLC being developed. 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. The songs Akon recorded with Stephens were brought to the attention of Universal's imprint SRC Records. In an interview with

HitQuarters HitQuarters was an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It was noted for its in-depth interviews with industry figures, as well as its A&R and manager contact directory, free artist promo pages and song ...

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. 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. Akon's solo debut album, '' Trouble'', was released on June 29, 2004. It spawned the singles " Locked Up", " Lonely", "

Belly Dancer (Bananza) "Belly Dancer (Bananza)" is the fourth single from R&B singer Akon's debut studio album, ''Trouble''. "Belly Dancer (Banaza)" peaked at number 30 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Outside of the United States, "Belly Dancer (Bananza)" peaked withi ...

", " Pot of Gold" and " Ghetto". "Locked Up" reached the number 8 position in the U.S. and number 5 in the UK. "Ghetto" became a radio hit when it was

remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

ed by DJ Green Lantern to include verses from rappers

2Pac Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...

and The Notorious B.I.G. 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's door with him uttering the word "Konvict". In 2005, he released the single "Lonely" (which samples Bobby Vinton's " Mr. Lonely"). The song reached the top five on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and topped the charts in Australia, the UK and Germany. His album also climbed to number one in the UK in April 2005. When music channel The Box had a top ten weekly chart, which was calculated by the number of video requests, Akon's "Lonely" became the longest-running single on the top of the chart, spanning over fifteen weeks. Akon was then featured on two other singles, P-Money's "Keep on Callin'" off the album '' Magic City'', and the other with New Zealand rapper Savage with the single "

Moonshine Moonshine is high-proof liquor that is usually produced illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of creating the alcohol during the nighttime, thereby avoiding detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial dist ...

", which had become a success in both New Zealand and Australia, reaching number one in the New Zealand charts. A year later in 2005, he made his first critically acclaimed guest appearance on Young Jeezy's debut album, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', with the song " Soul Survivor". In December the same year, his manager Robert Montanez was killed in a shooting after a dispute in New Jersey. In 2006, Akon and Young Jeezy suggested plans for a collaborative album.

2006–2008: ''Konvicted''

Akon started his new record label

under

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...

. His second album, '' Konvicted'', was released in November 2006 and debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 286,000 copies in its first week. After only six weeks, ''Konvicted'' sold more than one million records in the U.S. The album was certified platinum after seven weeks, and after sixteen weeks it was certified double platinum. It stayed in the top twenty of the ''Billboard'' 200 for 28 consecutive weeks and peaked at number two on four occasions. On November 20, 2007, the RIAA certified the album 'triple platinum' with 3 million units sold in the US. The album included collaborations with

, and Styles P. The first single " Smack That" (featuring Eminem) was released in August 2006 and peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks. On October 5, 2006, Akon broke a record on the Hot 100, as he achieved the largest climb in the chart's 48-year-history with "Smack That" jumping from number 95 to 7. The leap was fueled by its number six debut on Hot Digital Songs with 67,000 downloads. The record has since been broken several times. "Smack That" was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the

49th Annual Grammy Awards The 49th Annual Grammy Awards was a ceremony honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2005 and ending September 30, 2006 in the United States. The awards were handed out on Sunday, February 11, 2007 at the Staples Ce ...

, but lost to

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

and T.I.'s " My Love". " I Wanna Love You", featuring

, was the second single released in September, it would go on to earn Akon his first number-one single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and Snoop's second. "I Wanna Love You" topped the U.S. charts for two consecutive weeks. In January 2007, a third single " Don't Matter" which earned him his first solo number one and second consecutive Hot 100 chart-topper was released. " Mama Africa" was released as a European single in July 2007, making it the fourth overall single from the album. To coincide with the release of the deluxe edition of the album " Sorry, Blame It on Me" debuted in August 2007 on the Hot 100 at number seven. In February 2007, Akon launched his clothing line ''Konvict Clothing''. It features urban streetwear including denim jeans, hoodies, T-shirts and hats. ''Aliaune'' is the upscale version, or high-end line, for males and females, which includes blazers, denim jeans and other items. GwenStefaniAndAkon

He produced and featured on

Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs ...

's " The Sweet Escape" which has reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Akon performed at the American leg of Live Earth. He later recorded a remix of " Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" by Michael Jackson for the 25th-anniversary rerelease of Jackson's ''

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

''. He also worked with bachata group Aventura and Reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel on All Up 2 You. The song received two nominations at the Premios Lo Nuestro 2010 for "Urban Song of the Year" and "Video Collaboration of the Year". He signed Jayko, a Hispanic R&B and Reggaeton artist, to his label.

2008–2009: ''Freedom''

Akon released his third album ''

'' on December 2, 2008, which spawned 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". ''Freedom'' was certified platinum in the US. Rap singer Nelly suggested that Akon, Pharrell, and T-Pain had talked about forming a rap supergroup in 2009. Akon and Konvict Muzik produced hip hop/rock group Flipsyde's 2009 release, ''State of Survival'', released via

and Cherrytree Records. He was also the executive producer of Kardinal Offishall's fourth solo album '' Not 4 Sale''. The first single " Dangerous", which featured Akon peaked at No. 5 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. He co-wrote Kon Live artist Lady Gaga's hit " Just Dance", and which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording at the

51st Annual Grammy Awards The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on February 8, 2009, honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2008. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the b ...

. After the unexpected death of Michael Jackson, who Akon was working with, Akon released a tribute song called "Cry Out of Joy". Akon said he was close friends with Jackson near the end of Jackson's life in an interview with UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning 'Blues & Soul' in October 2008. In July 2008, a song called " Hold My Hand", an R&B duet/collaboration between Michael Jackson and Akon, circulated the internet. It was not included in the tracklist for ''Freedom'' as Akon previously stated. During an interview with Tavis Smiley, Akon said that Jackson had planned on a high-profile release including a music video until the track had leaked. This is Jackson's last known song before he died on June 25, 2009. Akon finished work on the song for Jackson's posthumous album, ''Michael'', and it was released as a single in November 2010. Akon co-wrote and recorded "Put It on My Tab" with New Kids on the Block for their 2008 reunion album '' The Block''. He also co-wrote and produced Leona Lewis' single " Forgive Me" and worked with X Factor 2008 winner

Alexandra Burke Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke (born 25 August 1988) is a British singer, songwriter and actress. She won the fifth series of the British television series ''The X Factor'' in 2008, and has been signed to Epic Records, RCA Records and Syc ...

on her debut album. He later worked with Whitney Houston for her 2009 comeback album '' I Look to You'', appearing on the track "Like I Never Left". Akon collaborated with

Pitbull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...

on the single " Shut It Down" from the album " Rebelution" and worked with Matisyahu to remix his single " One Day" on his album Light. He also co-produced singer Natalia Kills' debut single, " Mirrors", from her debut album, '' Perfectionist''. IsThereSomethingICanDo.com, launched On March 25, 2009, The social action collaboration project between the artists Peter Buffett and Akon has partnered with DoSomething.org, to coincide with the release of "Blood Into Gold". The song focused on

human trafficking Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extrac ...

and featured both artists. David Guetta collaborated with Akon in " Sexy Bitch", the first

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

track by Akon. The song reached number 1 in more than six countries and charted at 5 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. He produced and recorded " Oh Africa" for the 2010 World Cup with Pepsi. According to '' Forbes'', Akon grossed $13 million in 2011, $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008.

2010–2018: Unreleased ''Stadium'' album and hiatus

A single, " Angel", produced by Guetta, was released in September 2010, which peaked at number 56 on the US ''Billboard'' charts, significantly lower than his previous outings. Akon performed the song during the 2010 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Akon travelled to Jamaica to work with Damian,

Julian Julian may refer to: People * Julian (emperor) (331–363), Roman emperor from 361 to 363 * Julian (Rome), referring to the Roman gens Julia, with imperial dynasty offshoots * Saint Julian (disambiguation), several Christian saints * Julian (give ...

and

Stephen Marley Stephen Robert Nesta Marley (born April 20, 1972) is a Jamaican-American musician. The son of Bob Marley, Marley is an eight-time Grammy Award winner, three times as a solo artist, twice as a producer of his younger paternal half-brother Dam ...

. Around the same time, Akon collaborated with Dr. Dre and

on " Kush", charting on number 36 on the ''Billboard'' charts. The single was first intended to from Dr. Dre's forthcoming album '' Detox''; however, it was removed from the final album track list, with the album eventually being unreleased. He also contributed " We Are the World: 25 for Haiti", a charity single in aid of the

2010 Haiti earthquake A disaster, catastrophic Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest (department), Ouest department, a ...

. After an almost three-year hiatus from solo work, Akon released the promotional single "Dirty Work", featuring Wiz Khalifa, which was released in February 2013, peaking at number 31 on the Rhythmic ''Billboard'' charts. Later that year, on November 11, 2013, Akon released a standalone single titled " So Blue". On January 1, 2015, Akon released five singles from ''Stadium''. He also announced that the album would be a quintuple album, broken up into five genres (Euro, Pop, Urban, Island & World). All singles failed to chart. In November 2015, Akon announced via his official website that he was planning to release his fourth album ''Stadium'' in four versions: ''Stadium-Island'', ''Stadium-Urban'', ''Stadium-World'' and ''Stadium-House''. These editions of the album will be available exclusively via the ''Stadium'' mobile app which is supported by ads but allows fans to stream the albums. The album was indefinitely postponed, and might get released in the near future. In late 2015 and early 2016, Akon released the singles "Want Some", "Hypnotized" and "Good Girls Lie", upon striking a new record deal with

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

. In April 2016, Akon appeared in the Chinese reality TV show '' I Am a Singer'' along with the Taiwanese singer Jeff Chang. Later that year, he was featured on the remix of Joey Montana's single " Picky", and featured alongside

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...

on Gucci Mane's Michael Jackson tribute single "Moonwalk". In late 2017, he released a collaborative mixtape with Konvict signees entitled ''Konvict Kartel Vol. 2''. In 2018, he collaborated with reggaeton singer Ozuna on the bilingual single "

Coméntale ''Aura'' is the second studio album by Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Ozuna. It was released on August 24, 2018 through VP Records, Dimelo VI Distribution and Sony Music Latin. It features collaborations with J Balvin, Akon, R.K.M & Ken-Y, Nicky ...

", the first time that Akon sang in Spanish in a Latin song. At the time, he stated he had adopted the nickname "El Negreeto" and would be pursuing collaborations with other Spanish-language artists.

2019–present: Return to music, Akonik Label Group, ''El Negreeto'', ''Akonda'', and ''Konnect''

Akon has announced his new record label Akonik Label Group and will release four studio albums in different genres. In May 2019, Akon released his first Latin single "Get Money", featuring Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA. It was intended to be the lead single for his fourth album ''

El Negreeto ''El Negreeto'' is the fourth studio album by Senegalese American singer, songwriter and record producer Akon, released on October 4, 2019, under his new independent record label Akonik Label Group, in association with BMG Rights Management. It i ...

'' but didn't appear on the final version of the album. The album was expected to be released on August 30, 2019, but was pushed back and released on October 4, 2019. On September 6, 2019, Akon released "

Cómo No "Cómo No" () is a song by Senegalese American singer Akon, featuring American singer Becky G. It was released by Akonik Label Group on September 6, 2019. It is the lead single from Akon's fourth studio album and Latin debut album ''El Negreeto' ...

" featuring Mexican-American singer Becky G, as the lead single from ''El Negreeto''. He released the album '' Akonda'' on October 25, 2019, and his sixth album, ''Konnect'', in December of the same year.

Philanthropy

Akon also started a project

Akon Lighting Africa Akon Lighting Africa is a project started in 2014 by music artist Akon with Samba Bathily and Thione Niang which aims to provide electricity by solar energy in Africa. Their initial technique is to install solar street lights and small energy ...

in 2014 which provides electricity in 15 countries of Africa. He also launched his own charity for underprivileged children in Africa called Konfidence Foundation. Akon was included as a guest appearance in

's "I Believe That We Will Win (World Anthem)" official music video, in which all proceeds from the song's sales, streaming and views are being donated to Feeding America and the

Anthony Robbins Foundation The Anthony Robbins Foundation is a charitable organization created and chaired by motivational speaker, Tony Robbins. The foundation was created in 1991 with the belief system that "regardless of stature, only those who have learned the power of s ...

as relief to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Akon City

, native_name = , nickname = , settlement_type = Planned City , motto = TBC , image_skyline = , imagesize = , image_caption = , image_flag = , flag_size = , image_seal = , seal_size = , image_shield = , shield_size = , image_blank_emblem = , blank_emblem_type = , blank_emblem_size = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = , mapsize1 = , map_caption1 = , image_dot_map = , dot_mapsize = , dot_map_caption = , dot_x = , dot_y = , pushpin_map = Senegal , pushpin_label_position = , pushpin_map_caption = , pushpin_mapsize = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Region , subdivision_name1 = Thiès Region , subdivision_type2 =

Department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

, subdivision_name2 = M'bour Department , founder = Akon (creatively)
Senegalese government (fiscally) , government_footnotes = , government_type = TBC , leader_title = TBC , leader_name = TBC , leader_title1 = , leader_name1 = , established_title = Announcement , established_date = June 26, 2018 , established_title1 = Approval by the Senegalese government , established_date1 = January 13, 2020 , established_title2 = Establishment , established_date2 = 2023 (planned first phrase) , area_magnitude = , unit_pref = , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = , area_land_km2 = , area_water_km2 = , area_total_sq_mi = , area_land_sq_mi = , area_water_sq_mi = , area_water_percent = , population_as_of = , population_footnotes = , population_note = , population_total = , population_density_km2 = , population_density_sq_mi = , timezone = GMT , utc_offset = +0 , timezone_DST = , utc_offset_DST = , coordinates = , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = , elevation_ft = , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , area_code = , website
Akon City official website
, footnotes = In 2018, Akon announced he was working with the Senegalese government to build a tourist city with a

cryptocurrency A cryptocurrency, crypto-currency, or crypto is a digital currency designed to work as a medium of exchange through a computer network that is not reliant on any central authority, such as a government or bank, to uphold or maintain it. It i ...

-based economy named Akon City, using Akon's own cryptocurrency, Akoin, at the transactional center. On January 13, 2020, Akon shared on Twitter that the agreements for the city have been finalized and the project is underway. He captioned a photo of himself with Senegal president Macky Sall "Looking forward to hosting you there in the future." In June 2020, it was announced that the engineering and consulting firm KE International (the same firm responsible for building

Mwale Medical and Technology City Mwale Medical and Technology City (commonly abbreviated as MMTC) is a community-owned sustainable metropolis located in Butere Sub-county, Kakamega, Kenya. It is centered around a large medical complex with a 5,000-patient capacity Hamptons Hospi ...

) had been awarded a $6 billion contract to build the city. Phase 1 of construction, which is to be completed in 2023, is to include roads, a hospital, residences, hotels, a police station, a waste facility, a school, and a solar power plant. The project has not begun construction, well past schedule; locals are concerned about a lack of progress. On September 1, 2020, Akon told a news conference that he had laid the first stone of the $6 billion city. "The stone itself sits at the bottom of a dirt track in a field; a small placard advertising the megaproject has fallen off it." A suit has been brought against Akon in the United States by Devyne Stephens for a debt of almost 4 million dollars borrowed as part of the implementation of his futuristic city project. Stephens said that Akon City and Akoin are part of a fraudulent scheme.

Television and film

Akon has confirmed that a reality television show is in the works. It will be called ''My Brother's Keeper'', and the point is that Akon's two nearly identical brothers will go around in Atlanta posing as him fooling people into thinking that it is in fact, Akon. They will try to get VIP treatment and freebies. Akon has said that people have mistaken his brothers for him many times in Atlanta, which is what the show is based on.Sawjani, Archna
Akon: Real Talk
, AllHipHop.com, August 6, 2007. In 2006, it was announced that Akon is planning to work on a full-length movie titled ''Illegal Alien'', which will be based on his life. Several sources have reported that actor Mekhi Phifer will portray Akon in the film. Akon confirmed in an August 2007 interview with the Polish website INTERIA.PL that he worked on a movie called "Cocaine Cowboys", which tells the story of Jon Roberts, the main pilot of the Medellín Cartel. On November 30, 2007, Akon entered the Big Brother house in '' Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition 2'' as a guest. He also appeared on the edition of November 17, 2008, of '' WWE Raw'', with Santino Marella citing him in his speech. He collaborated with music director duo Vishal–Shekhar and the English and Hindi lyrics of " Chammak Challo" as a part of the soundtrack for the 2011 Bollywood film '' Ra.One''. Akon made his acting debut appearing alongside an ensemble cast in the 2012 Nigerian-American film '' Black November''. In 2014, he starred alongside Hayden Christensen and Adrien Brody in the action movie, ''

American Heist ''American Heist'' is a 2014 action drama film directed by Russian director Sarik Andreasyan, based on the 1959 film ''The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery'' directed by Charles Guggenheim and John Stix. The film stars Hayden Christensen, Jordana Bre ...

'', directed by

Sarik Andreasyan Sarik Garnikovich Andreasyan (russian: Сарик Гарникович Андреасян; hy, Սարիկ Գառնիկի Անդրեասյան; born 1984) is a Russian- Armenian director, producer and screenwriter who has worked on films and co ...

Personal life

Akon claims that he has six children with three women in an interview with '' Blender'',Who Does Akon Think He Is?
''Blender'', September 19, 2007. all of whom he has great relationships with. He says he wishes to keep his family protected from the public eye. Akon owns a diamond mine in South Africa and denies the existence of

blood diamond ''Blood Diamond'' is a 2006 American political war action thriller film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly, and Djimon Hounsou. The title refers to blood diamonds, which are diamonds min ...

s (also known as "conflict diamonds") saying, "I don't believe in conflict diamonds. That's just a movie. Think about it. Nobody thought or cared about conflict diamonds until ''

Blood Diamond ''Blood Diamond'' is a 2006 American political war action thriller film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly, and Djimon Hounsou. The title refers to blood diamonds, which are diamonds min ...

'' was released." However, he has since stated that he does accept that blood diamonds exist and that he is partial-owner of an African mine that is dedicated to avoiding the use of blood diamonds while also donating profits to local communities. Akon appeared on the

ITV2 ITV2 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the five analogue terrestrial stations, a ...

show '' The Hot Desk''. He stated on the show that he is a fan of the English Premier League club Chelsea F.C.

Legal issues

Akon has stated that he was part of an auto-theft ring and spent four years in prison from 1999 to 2002. However, in April 2008, The Smoking Gun website challenged his claim with court records and interviews with detectives involved in Akon's case, concluding that he was not convicted of any crime and did not serve time in prison. Akon responded to the report by saying that he never spent 3 years in prison, but had many shorter sentences that add up to three years. In April 2007, Akon drew criticism for an onstage act which included simulated sex with Danah Alleyne — a 15-year-old girl at the time who is the daughter of a pastor and sister of '' Crime Watch'' host Ian Alleyne — at the Zen Nightclub in

Port of Spain Port of Spain (Spanish: ''Puerto España''), officially the City of Port of Spain (also stylized Port-of-Spain), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a municip ...

, Trinidad and Tobago as part of a fake contest, despite the club's statement to have a 21-years-and-over age requirement. The incident was filmed by Akon's crew and later uploaded to the Internet. On April 20, 2007, local media, channel CCN TV6, aired the video clip publicly. Amid criticism on the radio, television, and from the blogosphere, Verizon Wireless removed ringtones featuring Akon's songs. Verizon also decided not to sponsor The Sweet Escape Tour where Akon was to be the opening act for

. However, Universal Music Group did not take action against Akon, but rather simply ordered the video clip be removed from video-sharing site YouTube due to copyright infringement. Conservative commentator and Parents Television Council founder Brent Bozell called this "corporate irresponsibility". Right wing political commentators Michelle Malkin, Laura Ingraham, and Bill O'Reilly criticized Akon for "degrading women". Malkin uploaded commentary about Akon to YouTube, using footage from music videos and the Trinidad concert, and Universal Music Group then forced its removal by issuing a DMCA takedown notice. The

Electronic Frontier Foundation The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is an international non-profit digital rights group based in San Francisco, California. The foundation was formed on 10 July 1990 by John Gilmore, John Perry Barlow and Mitch Kapor to promote Internet ci ...

joined Malkin in contesting the removal as a misuse of copyright law, citing fair use. In May 2007, UMG rescinded its claim to the video, and the video returned to YouTube. On June 3, 2007, at WSPK's KFEST concert at the Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, New York, a concert attendee threw an object towards Akon on stage. Akon asked the crowd to identify who threw the object and that he be brought on stage. Security staff grabbed the teen and took him up to the stage. Akon then pulled him up from the crowd and hoisted him across his shoulders. The singer then tossed the attendee back into the crowd from his shoulders. Video of the incident was reviewed by Fishkill police. Akon has said that the incident was staged and that he in fact used the act to set up for the next record. Charges of endangering the welfare of a minor, a misdemeanor, and second-degree harassment, a violation, were filed, according to police Chief Donald F. Williams, and Akon was arraigned on the two charges on December 3, 2007, in the town of Fishkill Court. In 2010, Buddhist groups in Sri Lanka vehemently protested a planned concert by Akon, saying his music video with Guetta for "

Sexy Chick "Sexy Bitch" (also known as "Sexy Chick" in clean versions) is a song by French DJ David Guetta recorded for his fourth studio album ''One Love'' (2009). The song features vocals from Senegalese-American recording artist Akon. It was released a ...

" insulted Buddhism because of the Buddha statue that can be seen several times in the background. Considering the allegations against Akon, the Sri Lankan Government decided not to issue him a visa to enter into

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

Awards and nominations

Discography

* '' Trouble'' (2004) * '' Konvicted'' (2006) * ''

'' (2008) * ''

'' (2019) * ''Akonda'' (2019) * ''TT Freak (2022)

Filmography

* '' Black November'' (2012) * ''

'' (2014) * '' Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping'' (2016)

Tours

Dar Es Salaam Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...

, Tanzania One-off Concert (2006).Akon comes to region
''All Africa Newswire'', May 23, 2006. * Konvicted Tour (July to September 2007, then additional dates in 2008) * The Sweet Escape Tour with

(April to July 2007) * Good Girl Gone Bad Tour with

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

(Canadian-leg only, September – December 2008) * Konvict Muzik Tour with T-Pain (Australia only, October 26–27, 2009) * Summer Tour, (Brazil-leg only, January to February 2010) * OMG Tour with

(North America Second Leg, April – June 2011)

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control 1973 births Living people 21st-century African-American male singers 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American singers 21st-century Senegalese male singers Activists from Georgia (U.S. state) Activists from Missouri Activists from New Jersey African-American male rappers African-American male singer-songwriters African-American Muslims African-American male actors African-American record producers American contemporary R&B singers Dance-pop musicians American expatriates in Senegal American hip hop record producers American hip hop singers American humanitarians American male pop singers American male rappers American male singer-songwriters American mining businesspeople American people of Senegalese descent American philanthropists American tenors Atlantic Records artists Businesspeople from Atlanta Businesspeople from Missouri Businesspeople from Newark, New Jersey Dogon Musicians from Dakar Musicians from Jersey City, New Jersey Musicians from Newark, New Jersey People from St. Louis County, Missouri People from Union City, New Jersey Rappers from Atlanta Rappers from Newark, New Jersey Rappers from St. Louis Record producers from Georgia (U.S. state) Record producers from Missouri Record producers from New Jersey Republic Records artists Senegalese hip hop musicians Senegalese Muslims Singer-songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state) Singer-songwriters from Missouri Singer-songwriters from New Jersey Sony Music Publishing artists Spanish-language singers of the United States SRC Records artists Universal Motown Records artists William L. Dickinson High School alumni World Music Awards winners