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| Birth Name(s) : Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam↓ |
Date of Birth: N/A |
| Status:
Single
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Partner:
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| Profession:
Singer, songwriter, record producer |
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Full Akon Biography
Akon (IPA pronunciation: /ˈeɪ.kɑn/) (born Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam on April 30, 1973 or 1981) 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 Live 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, "Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam," 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 34 years old. Akon says he doesn't know his exact age nor does he understand the importance in releasing his age, but claims he has been "blessed to look young for a long time". In a September 2007 interview for an Israeli magazine Akon hinted that he was around 25 or 26.
He is the son of jazz percussionist, Mor Thiam. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, but grew up in Dakar, Senegal until he was seven. He split time between Senegal and the U.S. until he was fifteen, then his family permanently moved to Jersey City, New Jersey and as such he speaks English, French, and Wolof. 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."
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 is fueled by its number six debut on Hot Digital Songs with 67,000 downloads. The record was broken on April 7, 2007 by Beyoncé and Shakira's Beautiful Liar when it jumped from 94 to 3 on the Hot 100, because of their 150,000 digital downloads on the Hot Digital Songs.
From April to July Akon performed in The Sweet Escape Tour with Gwen Stefani. From July to September he will embark on his worldwide Konvicted Tour. In September, Akon will start on the Canadian leg of the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour with Rihanna.
In 2006, Akon started his new record label Kon Live Distribution under Interscope Records. His first signed artist was Earl Ray.
Akon collaborated with Chamillionaire on his mixtape, Mixtape Messiah 2. He is featured on "Ridin' Overseas", which he also produced. The mixtape became available for download on Chamillionaire's website on December 24, 2006.
Akon and Young Jeezy are doing a collaborative album together. In 2006, after their 2005 Akon-produced single, "Soul Survivor", the duo said that there is a lot more to expect from them in the future.
Akon will be the executive producer of Not 4 Sale, Kardinal Offishall's fourth solo album, which will be released in fall or winter 2007. The first single "Graveyard Shift" features Akon, and Akon also makes his rapping debut in the song.
Akon holds the record for most guest performances on popular television show American Idol with two. He once sung "The Sweet Escape" with Gwen Stefani and three weeks later he sung "Don't Matter" on the show while it was number one on the Billboard charts.
Akon is planning to work on a full-length movie titled Illegal Alien. The film is based on some of the events of his life and actor Mekhi Phifer is set to play him. He was featured on a Verizon Wireless commercial. He was also featured singing Snitch along with Obie Trice on a CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode named "Poppin' Tags."
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. Akon has recently said in an interview with an Israeli magazine that he only has one main wife whose name is Tomeka and claims to have five children with three different women in an interview with Blender.
He owns eleven cars including an orange Lamborghini Gallardo, as mentioned in "Smack That". He also admits to owning over 4000 pairs of shoes. |
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