Biography

Although he was born in St. Louis, Aliaune Thiam -- aka Akon -- grew up in Senegal before he and his family (including his father, jazz percussionist Mor Thiam) returned to the United States and settled in New Jersey when he was seven. There he discovered hip-hop for the first time, as well as crime. He was eventually jailed, but he used the time to work on his musical ideas. Upon release, Akon began writing and recording tracks in a home studio. The tapes found their way to SRC/Universal, which eventually released Trouble, Akon's debut LP, in June 2004. The album was an interesting hybrid of Akon's raps and silky, West African-styled vocals with East Coast- and Southern-styled beats. The success of the song "Locked Up" raised Akon's profile, and he followed up in the fa ll of 2006 with Konvicted. Soon enough, two of the album's singles, "I Wanna Love You" and "Smack That," had made their way to the upper regions of the Billboard charts.

Background

Akon’s full name is, Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, as announced by himself. However he is often c

redited as Aliaune Thiam. Some sources have written his name as Aliaune Badara Thiam or Alioune Badara Thiam.About.com claims that this middle name has never been independently verified.In addition, some media institutions have incorrectly reported that he was born in 1981. Sources such as the AP have indicated he was born in 1973. Legal documents released by The Smoking Gun list his name as Aliaune Damala Thiam and date of birth as 1973-04-30 or 1973-04-16. According to the Smoki

ng Gun article, "By all indications, he was born April 16, 1973." When asked his age during an interview with VIBE, Akon reportedly responded, "The only thing I hide is my age... before I lie to you, I'd rather say nothing." It has since been confirmed that his birth certificate says he was born in 1977.

Early life

As the son of famed Senegalese percussionist

Mor Thiam, Akon was raised in a musical setting and taught to play several instruments. At the age of 7, he spent time between America and Senegal until he was 15, then he moved permanently to Jersey City, New Jersey. He recorded his first song, "Operations of Nature", at the age of fifteen.

During Akon’s alleged time in jail for 12 years, he began to understand his music abilities and developed an appreciation for his musical background. Akon's unique blend of West African-style, skills and moves eventually caught the ears of exec utives at Universal. 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's door with him uttering the word "Konvict"

Personal life

Akon is a Muslim, as he explains he has never drunk alcohol or smoked due to his faith. He has also been rumored to have three wives, however the actual figure is unknown. 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 (Otherwise casually referred to as 'blood 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 allegedly 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 alleged criminal history, he proclaims that he has turned his life around.

Career

2004–05: Debut: Trouble Era

2006–08: The Konvicted Era

2008-present: The Freedom Era