Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam (; born April 16, 1973), known

mononymously A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. In some cases, a mononym selected by an individual may have originally been from a polynym, a word which refers to one o ...

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 David R. Styles (born November 28, 1974), better known by his stage name Styles P (also known mononymously as Styles), is an American rapper, best known as a member of hip hop group the Lox, alongside childhood friends Sheek Louch and Jadakiss ...

), the first single from his debut album '' Trouble'' (2004), followed by the second single " Lonely". His second album, ''

Konvicted ''Konvicted'' is the second studio album by American singer Akon. It was released on November 14, 2006. The album features collaborations with rappers Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Styles P and T-Pain. Background ''Konvicted'' is Akon's most successful ...

'' (2006), received three

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

nominations for

Best Contemporary R&B Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the contemporary ...

, and for

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration The Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance (awarded as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration until 2017, and Best Rap/Sung Performance from 2018 to 2020) is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and original ...

for "

Smack That "Smack That" is a song by American singer and songwriter Akon featuring American rapper Eminem from the former's second studio album '' Konvicted'' (2006). Produced by the latter, it was written by the artists alongside Mike Strange and Luis Res ...

" (featuring Eminem) and " I Wanna Love You" (featuring Snoop Dogg). Both singles became ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top ten hits, followed up by "

Don't Matter "Don't Matter" is a reggae fusion– R&B song by American singer Akon from his second studio album, ''Konvicted'' (2006). The song was released as the album's third single in January 2007. In April of that year, it became Akon's first solo U.S. ...

" and "

Sorry, Blame It on Me "Sorry, Blame It on Me" is the fifth single from R&B singer/songwriter Akon's second studio album, ''Konvicted'' (Deluxe Edition). The song was co-written and produced by Clinton Sparks Clinton Charls Sparks (born September 18, 1975) is an ...

". His third studio album '' Freedom'' (2008) was led by the single "

Right Now (Na Na Na) "Right Now (Na Na Na)" is the lead single from Akon's third studio album, ''Freedom.'' The song contains elements from "Remember" by Summer Love. The song was added to the U.S. Mainstream Top 40 radio airing on September 23, 2008, and also became ...

". Akon often provides

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

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. He was listed by ''

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

'' 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 Konvict Muzik is a record label founded by R&B singer Akon.Melvin Brown: Konvict Business ...

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 Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

, T-Pain,

R. City R. City (short for Rock City; and formerly Planet VI) is a Virgin Islands musical duo formed in 2003, from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The duo is composed of brothers Theron "Uptown AP" Thomas and Timothy "A.I." Thomas. Primarily known ...

Kardinal Offishall Jason Drew Harrow (born May 11, 1976), better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall (), is a Canadian rapper, record producer, DJ, and record executive. Often credited as Canada's " hip hop ambassador", he is regarded as one of the countr ...

Jeffree Star Jeffree Star (born Jeffrey Lynn Steininger Jr., November 15, 1985) is an American YouTuber, makeup artist, and former singer-songwriter. He is the founder and owner of Jeffree Star Cosmetics. In 2009, Star released a studio album, '' Beauty Ki ...

, and French Montana 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 Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

, Snoop Dogg, Lionel Richie,

Leona Lewis Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress and activist. Born and raised in the London Borough of Islington, she attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieved nationa ...

, Sean Paul, and

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed " The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston i ...

. ''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 St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, to a Muslim family. His mother is dancer Kine Gueye Thiam (''née'' Gueye), and his father is percussionist Mor Thiam.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 Kaolack ( ar, كاولاك; wo, Kawlax) is a town of 172,305 people (2002 census) on the north bank of the Saloum River and the N1 road in Senegal. It is the capital of the Kaolack Region, which borders The Gambia to the south. Kaolack is an i ...

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

. 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. At age seven, he and his family relocated to

Union City, New Jersey Union City is a city in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2020 United States Census the city had a total population of 68,589, 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 and moved the rest of the family to

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. Akon attended William L. Dickinson High School 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 Zane Copeland, Jr. (born July 11, 1982), better known as Lil' Zane or simply Zane, is an American rapper. He is perhaps best known for his single " Callin' Me" (featuring 112) from his debut studio album '' Young World: The Future'' (2000). E ...

brought him along to Stephens' rehearsal hall, a place that at the time saw talents such as Usher and

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...

being developed. The relationship between Stephens and Akon began as a friendship and

mentorship Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...

, 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 Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

's imprint SRC Records. In an interview with HitQuarters 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 Jerome Foster, better known as Knobody, is an American music producer and A&R. Knobody has produced records across different genres including soul, R&B, hip hop and rock for several multi-platinum artists including Jay-Z, Ne-Yo, Akon, The Game, ...

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)", " Pot of Gold" and "

Ghetto A ghetto, often called ''the'' ghetto, is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially as a result of political, social, legal, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished t ...

". "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 remixed by

DJ Green Lantern James Christopher D'Agostino (born July 7, 1975), professionally known as DJ Green Lantern, is an American hip hop DJ and producer from Rochester, New York. In 2002, D'Agostino was signed by American rapper Eminem, to become the official DJ for S ...

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. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

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 Stanley Robert "Bobby" Vinton (born April 16, 1935) is a American former singer and occasional actor, who also hosted his own self-titled TV show in the late 1970s. As a teen idol, he became known as "The Polish Prince", as his music paid trib ...

'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 Peter Wadams, better known by his stage name P-Money, is a New Zealand hip-hop DJ and producer. One of his best-known works is "Everything", featuring New Zealand R&B singer Vince Harder, which reached number one on the New Zealand Singles ...

's "Keep on Callin'" off the album '' Magic City'', and the other with

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

rapper Savage with the single " Moonshine", 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 Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. Signing to Def Jam Recordings in 2004, his major label debut, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released the followin ...

'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 New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. In 2006, Akon and Young Jeezy suggested plans for a collaborative album.

2006–2008: ''Konvicted''

Akon started his new record label

under Interscope Records. His second album, ''

'', 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 Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and

. The first single "

" (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 The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally starte ...

with 67,000 downloads. The record has since been broken several times. "Smack That" was nominated for

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 C ...

, but lost to Justin Timberlake and T.I.'s " My Love". " I Wanna Love You", featuring Snoop Dogg, 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 "

" 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 "

" 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's " The Sweet Escape" which has reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Akon performed at the American leg of

Live Earth Live Earth was an event developed to increase environmental awareness through entertainment. Background Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, ''Live Earth'' was built upon the be ...

. He later recorded a remix of "

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson recorded for his sixth studio album '' Thriller'' (1982). It is the opening track of the album and was released as its fourth single on May 8, 1983, by Epic Records. It wa ...

" by

for the 25th-anniversary rerelease of Jackson's '' Thriller''. He also worked with bachata group Aventura and

Reggaeton Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico. It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American hip hop, ...

duo

Wisin & Yandel Wisin & Yandel is a Puerto Rican reggaeton duo consisting of Wisin and Yandel. They started their career in the late 1990s and have been together since, winning several awards including a Grammy Award in 2009. They became the first and the onl ...

All Up 2 You ''All Up 2 You'' is the second single by Aventura from their album '' The Last''. The song features Akon and Wisin & Yandel. On April 23, they performed the song at the 2009 Latin Billboard Music Awards. Aventura member Romeo uses the auto-tune ...

. 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

artist, to his label.

2008–2009: ''Freedom''

Akon released his third album '' Freedom'' on December 2, 2008, which spawned four singles: "

", "

I'm So Paid "I'm So Paid" is the second single from American singer Akon's third studio album, ''Freedom (Akon album), Freedom''. The song features additional vocals from rappers Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy, and was released as a digital download worldwide and ...

" (featuring

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining ...

and

), "

Beautiful Beautiful, an adjective used to describe things as possessing beauty, may refer to: Film and theater * ''Beautiful'' (2000 film), an American film directed by Sally Field * ''Beautiful'' (2008 film), a South Korean film directed by Juhn Jai-h ...

" (featuring

Colby O'Donis Colby O'Donis Colón (; born March 14, 1989) is an American singer. He is best known as the featured artist in Lady Gaga's 2008 single " Just Dance", which spent more than eleven months on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. He is also known for his le ...

and

) and " We Don't Care". ''Freedom'' was certified platinum in the US. Rap singer Nelly suggested that Akon,

Pharrell Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom h ...

, and T-Pain had talked about forming a rap supergroup in 2009. Akon and

Konvict Muzik Konvict Muzik is a record label founded by R&B singer Akon.Melvin Brown: Konvict Business ...

produced hip hop/rock group

Flipsyde Flipsyde is an American alternative hip hop group from Oakland, California. Career Flipsyde currently consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Steve Knight, lead guitarist Dave Lopez, and rapper The Piper (Jinho Ferreira). Their 2005 debut alb ...

's 2009 release, ''State of Survival'', released via

and

Cherrytree Records Martin Kierszenbaum, also known by his pseudonym Cherry Cherry Boom Boom, is an American music personality. As a songwriter and producer he worked with Lady Gaga, Sting, Madonna, Mylène Farmer, Keane, Tokio Hotel, Far East Movement, Robyn, Fei ...

. 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

'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

, 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 Tavis Smiley (; born September 13, 1964) is an American talk show host and author. Smiley was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, and grew up in Bunker Hill, Indiana. After attending Indiana University, he worked during the late 1980s as an aide to ...

, 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 New Kids on the Block (also initialized as NKOTB) is an American boy band from Dorchester, Massachusetts. The band consists of brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood. New Kids on the Block enjoy ...

for their 2008 reunion album '' The Block''. He also co-wrote and produced

' single " Forgive Me" and worked with

X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003) ...

2008 winner Alexandra Burke on her debut album. He later worked with

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 Matthew Paul Miller (born June 30, 1979), known by his stage name Matisyahu (; ), is an American reggae singer, rapper, beatboxer, and alternative rock musician. Known for blending spiritual themes with reggae, rock and hip hop beatboxing soun ...

to remix his single " One Day" on his album

Light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 te ...

. He also co-produced singer

Natalia Kills Natalia Noemi "Teddy" Sinclair (née Cappuccini; born 15 August 1986), is an English singer, songwriter and actress. She has recorded music under various aliases, most famously as Natalia Kills and Verbalicious. She is currently the lead vocali ...

' debut single, "

Mirrors A mirror or looking glass is an object that reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the direction of the ima ...

", from her debut album, '' Perfectionist''. IsThereSomethingICanDo.com, launched On March 25, 2009, The social action collaboration project between the artists

Peter Buffett Peter Andrew Buffett (born May 4, 1958) is an American musician, composer, author and philanthropist. With a career that spans more than 30 years, Buffett is an Regional Emmy Award winner, New York Times best-selling author and co-chair of the ...

and Akon has partnered with DoSomething.org, to coincide with the release of "Blood Into Gold". The song focused on human trafficking and featured both artists.

David Guetta Pierre David Guetta ( , ; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and music producer. He has over 10 million album and 65 million single sales globally, with more than 10 billion streams. In 2011, 2020 and 2021, Guetta was voted the number one D ...

collaborated with Akon in "

Sexy Bitch "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 ...

", the first house 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 "Oh Africa" is a song performed by the artist Akon featuring Keri Hilson from the compilation '' Listen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album''. The song is a charity single and was released to raise funds for Akon's charity 'Konfidence' to ...

" for the 2010 World Cup with Pepsi. According to ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

'', 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 In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inclu ...

", 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 The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was an annual promotional event sponsored by and featuring Victoria's Secret, a brand of lingerie. From 1995 to 2018, Victoria's Secret used the show to market its goods in high-profile settings. Models unde ...

. Akon travelled to Jamaica to work with

Damian Damian ( la, links=no, Damianus) may refer to: *Damian (given name) *Damian (surname) *Damian Subdistrict, in Longquanyi District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China See also *Damiani, an Italian surname *Damiano (disambiguation) *Damien (disambiguation) *Dam ...

, Julian and Stephen Marley. Around the same time, Akon collaborated with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg on "

Kush Kush or Cush may refer to: Bible * Cush (Bible), two people and one or more places in the Hebrew Bible Places * Kush (mountain), a mountain near Kalat, Pakistan Balochistan * Kush (satrapy), a satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire * Hindu Kush, a ...

", charting on number 36 on the ''Billboard'' charts. The single was first intended to from Dr. Dre's forthcoming album ''

Detox Detoxification or detoxication (detox for short) is the physiological or medicinal removal of toxic substances from a living organism, including the human body, which is mainly carried out by the liver. Additionally, it can refer to the period of ...

''; 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 A charity record or charity single is a song released by musicians with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity. George Harrison's "Bangla Desh" single in 1971 is commonly acknowledged as the first ever purpose-made ...

in aid of the

2010 Haiti earthquake A catastrophic 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, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's c ...

. After an almost three-year hiatus from solo work, Akon released the promotional single "Dirty Work", featuring

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 20 ...

, 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 A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...

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. In April 2016, Akon appeared in the Chinese reality TV show ''

I Am a Singer ''I Am a Singer'' () is a popular South Korean singing competition program; a part of MBC's '' Sunday Night'' lineup. Seven talented, veteran Korean singers perform for a selected audience, which votes to eliminate one singer after each week's ...

'' along with the Taiwanese singer Jeff Chang. Later that year, he was featured on the remix of

Joey Montana Edgardo Antonio Miranda Beiro (born May 3, 1982), better known as Joey Montana, is a Panamanian reggaeton singer. He is best known for the hit singles " Picky" and his collaboration with Sebastián Yatra, " Suena El Dembow". Biography After f ...

's single " Picky", and featured alongside Chris Brown on

Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...

'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 Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado (; born March 13, 1992), known simply by his surname Ozuna, is a Puerto Rican singer. Five of his studio albums have topped the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart, with ''Aura'' (2018) charting at number seven on ...

on the bilingual single " Coméntale", 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 Emmanuel Gazmey Santiago (born November 26, 1992), known professionally as Anuel AA, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer. His music often contains samples and interpolations of songs that were popular during his youth. He is seen as a controv ...

. It was intended to be the lead single for his fourth album '' El Negreeto'' 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" featuring Mexican-American singer

Becky G Rebbeca Marie Gomez (born March 2, 1997), known professionally as Becky G, is an American singer and actress. She first gained recognition in 2011 when she began posting videos of herself covering popular songs online. One of her videos caught t ...

, as the lead single from ''El Negreeto''. He released the album ''

Akonda 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) ...

'' 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 Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. 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 Feeding America is a United States–based nonprofit organization that is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies. ...

and the Anthony Robbins Foundation as relief to those affected by the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

Akon City

, native_name = , nickname = , settlement_type =

Planned City A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...

, 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 In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

, subdivision_name1 =

Thiès Region Thiès is a region of western Senegal. The capital is also called Thiès. Geography Thiès has two coastlines, one in the north with the Grande Côte housing the Niayes vegetable market, one to the south with the Petite Côte, one of the tour ...

, subdivision_type2 = Department , 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 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, counted from midnight. At different times in the past, it has been calculated in different ways, including being calculated from noon; as a cons ...

, 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 Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

city with a cryptocurrency-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 Macky Sall (, wo, Maki Sàll, fuc, 𞤃𞤢𞤳𞤭 𞤅𞤢𞤤‎, italic=no, Maki Sal; born 11 December 1961) is a Senegalese politician who has been President of Senegal since April 2012. He was re-elected President in the first round voti ...

"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) 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 Mekhi Phifer (; born December 29, 1974) is an American actor. He portrayed Dr. Greg Pratt on NBC's long-running medical drama '' ER'' until 2008 and had a co-starring role opposite actor/rapper Eminem in the 2002 feature film '' 8 Mile''. He was ...

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 The Medellín Cartel ( es, Cartel de Medellín) was a powerful and highly organized Colombian drug cartel and terrorist organization originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia that was founded and led by Pablo Escobar. It is often considered ...

. 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 ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network in the United States. The show fe ...

'', with

Santino Marella Anthony Carelli (born March 14, 1974) is a Canadian judoka and semi-retired professional wrestler. He is known for his 11-year tenure with WWE where he wrestled under the ring name Santino Marella. He is the founder of and instructor at Battle Ar ...

citing him in his speech. He collaborated with music director duo

Vishal–Shekhar Vishal–Shekhar are an Indian music composer, production, singing and songwriting duo consisting of Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani from Mumbai. Known predominantly for their work as music composers in Hindi cinema, Vishal–Shekhar have a ...

and the English and

Hindi Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

lyrics of "

Chammak Challo "Chammak Challo" is a song performed by Akon and Hamsika Iyer, and composed by Akon, Giorgio Tuinfort as well as music director duo Vishal–Shekhar (Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani) and by Gobind Singh, as a part of the soundtrack for t ...

" 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 ''Black November: Struggle for the Niger Delta'' is a 2012 Nigerian-American action drama film starring an ensemble cast that includes Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Mickey Rourke, Kim Basinger, Fred Amata, Sarah Wayne Callies, Nse Ikpe Etim, OC Ukeje, Viv ...

''. In 2014, he starred alongside

Hayden Christensen Hayden Christensen (; born April 19, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader in the ''Star Wars'' media franchise. He first appeared in the prequel trilogy films, '' Star Wars: Episode ...

and

Adrien Brody Adrien Nicholas Brody (born April 14, 1973) is an American actor. He received widespread recognition and acclaim after starring as Władysław Szpilman in Roman Polanski's '' The Pianist'' (2002), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Acto ...

in the action movie, '' American Heist'', directed by Sarik Andreasyan.

Personal life

Akon claims that he has six children with three women in an interview with ''

Blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender container with a rotating me ...

'',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 diamonds (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'' 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 show ''

The Hot Desk ''The Hot Desk'' is a British music interview show that has been hosted by a number of presenters including Nicole Appleton, Melanie Blatt, Dave Berry, Emma Willis, Laura Whitmore, Sarah Jane Crawford and Alice Levine. The show was produced f ...

''. He stated on the show that he is a fan of the English

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...

club

Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club is an English professional football club based in Fulham, West London. Founded in 1905, they play their home games at Stamford Bridge. The club competes in the Premier League, the top division of English football ...

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 The Smoking Gun is a website that posts legal documents, arrest records, and police mugshots on a daily basis. The intent is to bring to the public light information that is somewhat obscure or unreported by more mainstream media sources. Most ...

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,

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

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 The Caribbean Communications Network Television 6 (CCN TV6) is a Trinidadian free-to-air television network. It operates an analog NTSC television system, broadcasting on channels 6 and 18 in the island of Trinidad and channel 19 in Tobago. Its ...

, aired the video clip publicly. Amid criticism on the radio, television, and from the

blogosphere The blogosphere is made up of all blogs and their interconnections. The term implies that blogs exist together as a connected community (or as a collection of connected communities) or as a social networking service in which everyday authors can pu ...

Verizon Wireless Verizon is an American wireless network operator that previously operated as a separate division of Verizon Communications under the name Verizon Wireless. In a 2019 reorganization, Verizon moved the wireless products and services into the div ...

removed ringtones featuring Akon's songs. Verizon also decided not to sponsor

The Sweet Escape Tour The Sweet Escape Tour was the second concert tour by American recording artist Gwen Stefani. The tour began in April 2007 in support of her second solo album '' The Sweet Escape'' (2006). Performing for nearly a hundred concerts, the tour travele ...

where Akon was to be the opening act for Gwen Stefani. However,

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

did not take action against Akon, but rather simply ordered the video clip be removed from video-sharing site YouTube due to

copyright infringement Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the copyright holder, s ...

. Conservative commentator and

Parents Television Council The Parents Television and Media Council (PTMC), formerly the Parents Television Council (PTC), is an American media advocacy group founded by conservative Christian activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995, which advocates for what it considers ...

founder Brent Bozell called this "corporate irresponsibility". Right wing political commentators

Michelle Malkin Michelle Malkin (; Maglalang; born October 20, 1970) is an American conservative political commentator. She was a Fox News contributor and in May 2020 joined Newsmax TV. Malkin has written seven books and founded the conservative websites Tw ...

Laura Ingraham Laura Anne Ingraham (born June 19, 1963) is an American conservative television host. Gale Biography In Context. She has been the host of '' The Ingraham Angle'' on Fox News Channel since October 2017, and is the editor-in-chief of LifeZette ...

, and Bill O'Reilly criticized Akon for "degrading women". Malkin uploaded commentary about Akon to

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

, using footage from music videos and the Trinidad concert, and

then forced its removal by issuing a

DMCA The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a 1998 United States copyright law that implements two 1996 treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or ...

takedown notice. The Electronic Frontier Foundation joined Malkin in contesting the removal as a misuse of copyright law, citing

fair use Fair use is a doctrine in United States law that permits limited use of copyrighted material without having to first acquire permission from the copyright holder. Fair use is one of the limitations to copyright intended to balance the interests ...

. In May 2007, UMG rescinded its claim to the video, and the video returned to YouTube. On June 3, 2007, at

WSPK WSPK (104.7 FM, "K-104") is a contemporary hit radio (CHR) station licensed to Poughkeepsie, New York. Its studios are located on NY 52 Business in the town of Fishkill (with a Beacon address). It is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and transmits fr ...

's KFEST concert at the

Dutchess Stadium Dutchess Stadium is a baseball park in Wappingers Falls, New York. Opened in 1994, it holds 4,500 people. It is located on New York State Route 9D and is located across Interstate 84 from Fishkill Correctional Facility. Construction of the stadi ...

Fishkill, New York Fishkill is a village (New York), village within the Fishkill (town), New York, town of Fishkill in Dutchess County, New York, Dutchess County, New York (state), New York, United States. The village is in the eastern part of the town of Fishkill o ...

, 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" insulted

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

because of the Buddha statue that can be seen several times in the background. Considering the allegations against Akon, the

Sri Lankan Government The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) ( si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා රජය, Śrī Lankā Rajaya; ta, இலங்கை அரசாங்கம்) is a parliamentary system determined by the Sri Lankan Constitution. It administers the isl ...

decided not to issue him a

visa Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...

to enter into Sri Lanka.

Awards and nominations

Discography

* '' Trouble'' (2004) * ''

'' (2006) * '' Freedom'' (2008) * '' El Negreeto'' (2019) * ''Akonda'' (2019) * ''TT Freak (2022)

Filmography

* ''

'' (2012) * '' American Heist'' (2014) * '' Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping'' (2016)

Tours

* Dar Es Salaam, 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) *

with Gwen Stefani (April to July 2007) *

Good Girl Gone Bad Tour The Good Girl Gone Bad Tour was the second overall and first world concert tour by Barbadian singer Rihanna, in support of her third studio album '' Good Girl Gone Bad'' (2007). The setlist was composed of songs mostly from ''Good Girl Gone Bad ...

with Rihanna (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 Usher (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