Akon was born Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Bongo Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam on April 16, 1973, in St. Working with famous artists including Eminem, Snoop Dogg, musical parodists The Lonely Island and Gwen Stefani, among others, Akon affixed himself to the center of the hip hop scene, becoming one of the most popular artists of his era. The hip hop singer, songwriter, and producer broke out in the years surrounding the inception of his relationship with SRC Records, going on to release popular and acclaimed albums Trouble (2004), Konvicted (2006), and Freedom. Akon has the discography and the voice to make one hell of a comeback so keep checking back for the upcoming album.It only took music artist Akon a few years to leap from total obscurity to certified platinum status. Of course he returns to his mid-00 hits to wrap up the show and allow the crowds the opportunity to get suitably excited for the likes of 'Right Now (Na Na Na)' 'Beautiful' and of course his international collaboration with David Guetta, 'Sexy Bitch'. On the eve of a new album release, he intermingles a hit laden setlist with some new songs which show a maturity in songwriting and a further emphasis on a surprisingly soulful vocal. He also often removes his shirt to reveal a ripped torso which evokes cheers from the largely female crowd. The performer and producer really does understand the need for showmanship as he keeps the audience continually at the centre of his show. Recently Aliaune Thiam has dusted himself off and returned to the live circuit to perform to the loyal following and showcase some new music. Unfortunately though the music industry is a cruel mistress and as rapidly as you rise, you fall with equal velocity. Akon was great, everyone should go check him out next time he is in town!Ī decade ago Akon was one of the biggest names in R & B and pop. "Lonely" however pretty much stole the show, despite that song being over 10 years old now, everyone loved it and still seemed to remember all the words. He also covered The Lonely Island’s “I Just had Sex” and that made everyone go crazy. “I’m in Love With a Stripper” was a hilarious song by T-Pain originally and he was super funny before the song talking about strippers and himself stripping as well. It’s not often an artist as big as Akon is that personable in the middle of a big show. He interacted nicely with the audience too, at one point it seemed like it was almost a Question and Answer session which was kind of cool to see. Of course his classic “Lonely” was the highlight but the audience really loved "Smack That" and I did too. He’s very nice to look at and has moves and sings quite well too. It certainly helped that he was shirtless basically the entire time. However, Akon was awesome.įor it being a fairly empty arena, Akon sure put on a heck of a show. "Lonely, I’m so lonely." That’s how I felt at this show, it was pretty empty. In 2009 the singer worked alongside David Guetta to create the track “Sexy Bitch”, which topped the charts in over 6 countries, and has since released the singles “Angel”, “Kush”, and “So Blue”. Following the release Akon began collaborating with Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, New Kids on the Block, Leona Lews and Alexandra Burke. “Konvicted” was followed in December 2008 by Akon’s third full-length “Freedom”, which spanwed the singles “Right Now (Na Na Na)”, “I’m So Paid”, “Beautiful”, and “We Don’t Care”. Featuring the likes of Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Styles P, the record was led by the single “Smack That” and went on to sell over three million units. The singer and rapper’s sophomore album “Konvicted” appeared in November 2006 and peaked at No. Akon subsequently collaborated with rapper Young Jeezy on his album “Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101”, before forming his own record label Kon Live Distribution. The following year Akon issued the single “Lonely” which became his first worldwide hit, rising to No. Led by the single “Locked Up”, the record topped the charts in the UK, going on to sell over 2.8 million copies. From inside the prison walls the singer and rapper was able to focus on what was important and started generating musical ideas.Īfter being introduced to Devyne Stephens, the rapper signed with Universal’s SRC Records who issued his debut full-length “Trouble” in June 2004. Upon discovering hip-hop Akon began immersing himself in its culture however later ended up in jail serving a three year sentence. Influenced by his percussionist father, Akon learned to play the drums, guitar and djembe from a young age before settling in New Jersey at the age of seven. Louis, Missouri, however raised largely in Senegal, Akon is the stage name of Ailaune Damala Bouga Time Bongo Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam.