Akon Age, Height, Wife & Biography

Akon is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and entrepreneur who became one of the biggest-selling artists of the 2000s. Born in Missouri in 1973 to Senegalese parents, he released his debut album Trouble in 2004 and went on to top the charts with the singles I Wanna Love You and Don’t Matter. He is also known for signing Lady Gaga to his label and for his solar power initiative in Africa.

Quick Facts

Who Is Akon?

Akon is an American singer, songwriter and record producer known for his distinctive voice and his blend of R&B, hip-hop and African music. He is best known for the songs Locked Up, Lonely, Smack That, I Wanna Love You and Don’t Matter, and he has sold tens of millions of records worldwide. He has also worked as a businessman, founding the record label Konvict Muzik and the solar power initiative Akon Lighting Africa.

Akon was born in the United States to Senegalese parents and spent part of his childhood in Senegal, where he learned to speak Wolof. He is known for his philanthropy in Africa, for signing Lady Gaga to his label in 2007, and for his plans to build a futuristic city in Senegal, announced as Akon City.

Early Life & Background

Akon was born Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam on 16 April 1973 in St. Louis, Missouri. His father, Mor Thiam, was a Senegalese percussionist, and his mother was a dancer. He spent much of his childhood in Dakar, Senegal, before the family returned to the United States when he was seven years old. He grew up in New Jersey and began making music as a teenager.

After moving to New Jersey, Akon began recording his own songs and working as a producer. He was signed to SRC Records and Universal, and he released his debut album, Trouble, in 2004. The album featured the singles Locked Up and Lonely, the latter of which sampled Bobby Vinton’s Mr. Lonely, and it became a hit in the United States and the UK.

Career

Akon’s second album, Konvicted, was released in 2006 and became his biggest-selling album. It featured the singles Smack That with Eminem, which was nominated for a Grammy Award, I Wanna Love You with Snoop Dogg, which topped the Billboard Hot 100, and Don’t Matter, which also reached number one. The album sold millions of copies and made Akon one of the biggest stars in music.

He followed Konvicted with Freedom in 2008, featuring the singles Right Now (Na Na Na) and Beautiful with Colby O’Donis and Kardinal Offishall. He also featured on Gwen Stefani’s hit The Sweet Escape in 2006 and on many other artists’ records. In 2007 he signed the singer Lady Gaga to his Kon Live Distribution label, helping to launch her career.

Alongside music, Akon founded the initiative Akon Lighting Africa in 2014, which aimed to bring solar power to communities across Africa, and he announced plans for Akon City in Senegal in 2018. He released the Latin-influenced album El Negreeto in 2019 and has continued to record and perform. He is married to Tomeka Thiam and is the father of six children, and he remains one of the most successful African-American artists to have crossed over into global pop.

Facts About Akon

• He spent much of his childhood in Dakar, Senegal, before the family returned to the United States when he was seven.
• His father, Mor Thiam, was a Senegalese percussionist.
• I Wanna Love You and Don’t Matter both topped the Billboard Hot 100.
• He signed Lady Gaga to his Kon Live Distribution label in 2007.
• He founded the solar power initiative Akon Lighting Africa in 2014.

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