Akon commonly known as Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam is a well-known name in the American music industry as a singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was shortlisted for the Grammy Award three times in the category of Best Contemporary R&B Album.
According to Guinness World Records, Akon is the most successful musician in the world when it comes to the sale of master ringtones. Alongside his career as a musician, he established two successful record labels, the first of which was Konvict Muzik and the second was KonLive Distribution.
He was born in Senegal and raised there. In 2004, with the release of the song “Locked Up” from his first album titled “Trouble,” he began to get widespread attention. He was born into a family of African musicians, and he has never stopped being appreciative of his family’s musical history because of the role it played in paving the road for his success in the American music business.
He went to high school in the state of New Jersey in the United States, but he was kicked out for repeatedly disobeying the regulations of the school. Akon became acquainted with hip-hop when he was in Jersey City because he was hanging out with some of the local rowdies. Because of his fearlessness and his combat abilities, he quickly rose to prominence among the gang. Even after being convicted on many counts of robbery and drug dealing, he served time in jail.
He managed to compose his own songs despite the fact that his behaviour was sometimes controversial and that he had a hard lifestyle. It was his enthusiasm and profound love for music that enabled him to do a complete about-face in his life. After getting his start in the music industry by playing a variety of percussion instruments, he gradually acquired an interest in hip-hop music and the culture that surrounds it.
Throughout the course of his career, he has been honoured with several honours for the albums that he has released. Additionally, he is responsible for the creation of a number of songs thanks to his work with internationally renowned performers such as Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, Michael Jackson, and Lionel Richie.
Akon Wiki
Akon was born on April 16, 1973, making him 49 years old as of the year 2022. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States, into a well-established Christian family, where he spent his childhood. He adheres to the teachings of Islam despite the fact that he was born in the United States of America.
In the United States state of New Jersey, he attended Bayonne High School, Henry Snyder High School, and William L. Dickinson High School for his early education, all of which he graduated from.
After that, he decided to enrol in classes at Clark Atlanta University, where he is now working toward finishing his degree. From the very beginning of his life, he was always more interested in singing and participating in a wide variety of extracurricular activities than he was in academics.
Relationships and Family
Mor and Kine Gueye Thiam are Akon’s parents. Akon is their son. Mr. Mor Thiam is the name of the individual who raised him, and he is a drummer by trade.
Mrs. Kine Gueye Thiam, who is also a dancer, is the name of the man’s performer mother.
He is the younger of two siblings. He has a sibling who goes by the name Abou Thiam, and he has a sister who goes by the name Khady Thiam Gueye.
Akon was exposed to a wide variety of musical styles at a young age by members of his family, and as a result, he has always had a deep love and appreciation for music. During the course of his youth, he became proficient on five different instruments, including the guitar, drums, and djembe.
His love and enthusiasm for music helped him get his life back on track, despite the fact that he had been associating with people who broke the law in New Jersey. When he was a teenager, he started singing and performing on stage.
After that, he went to “Clark Atlanta University” in Atlanta, Georgia, although he only stayed there for the one semester before dropping out. After graduating from college, he decided to devote all of his time and energy to his musical career.
He first began by recording in his home studio. During this period, he had a close friendship with Wyclef Jean of the band “Fugees.” Akon could not wait any longer and secured a record contract of his own in 2003.
Akon Wife
Akon’s marital status is married. He tied the knot with Tomeka Thiam. They have a total of six children between them.
He has also been romantically involved with Rosina Bruck, Nicole Bahls, Cassie Griffin, Rachel Richfield, Michaela Schaffrath, Foxy Brown, Celina Powell, Amber Rose, and Susan Owori, in addition to Tomeka Thiam.
Akon Net Worth
Akon has an estimated net worth of $80 million as of now. His net worth will increase in the coming years as well.
Career
Akon’s life completely changed when his first album, titled “Trouble,” was released in June of 2004. Almost immediately after its release, he became famous all over the world. This album was a tremendous commercial success, and it spawned a number of hit songs, including ‘Locked Up,’ ‘Bananza (Belly Dance),’ ‘Ghetto,’ and ‘Lonely.’
Following the critical and commercial success of his first studio album, he went on to launch his own record labels, notably “Kon Live Distribution” and “Konvict Muzic.” In November of 2006, he released his second studio album, titled “Konvicted,” under his own record company.
His fame soared as a result of the success of the hits included on the album ‘Konvicted.’ The album won many platinum certifications, which led to the breaking of various records. The album includes cameos by a number of well-known singers, including Eminem and Snoop Dogg, who both appeared on the song “I Wanna Love You.”
In 2008, he released his third studio album, titled “Freedom.” The album resulted in the release of four singles, titled “Right Now -Na Na Na,” “I’m So Paid,” “Beautiful,” and “We Don’t Care,” respectively. In the United States, the album was given the platinum certification.
Akon has worked with a number of well-known musicians, including Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, and Gwen Stefani, among others. He is credited for co-writing the hit song “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga.
In addition, he collaborated with the iconic pop musician Michael Jackson on a song named “Hold My Hand,” which the two of them performed together. Following Jackson’s passing in 2009, the music was made public for the first time. In addition to this, he collaborated with the well-known house music artist David Guetta on the production of his song titled “Sexy Bitch.”
Akon contributed to the score of the Hindi film Ra.One, in which he starred with Kareena Kapoor and Shahrukh Khan, with his rendition of the song “Chammak Challo.” In 2011, he worked on the song in tandem with Vishal-Shekhar, one of the most well-known music directing duos in India.
Akon is well-known not just for his exceptional singing abilities but also for the work he has done in the world of acting. In the year 2012, he made his first appearance on screen in the Nigerian-American film titled “Black November.” In addition, he collaborated with actors Hayden Christensen and Adrien Brody on the production of the action film American Heist, which was released in 2014.
Akon came out with his fourth studio album, titled “Stadium,” in the year 2015. In the latter half of 2015 and the beginning of 2016, the album was also made available in five distinct musical styles, including euro, pop, urban, island, and world. In April of 2016, he made an appearance on the Chinese version of the reality TV programme titled “I Am an Artist,” with the Taiwanese singer Jeff Chang.
In the latter half of 2017, he released a joint mixtape under the name “Konvict Kartel Vol. 2.”
The year 2019 saw the release of his first Latin track, titled “Get Money,” which featured the Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA. Another song he put out that year was titled “Cómo No,” and it featured the Mexican-American singer Becky G.
His achievements are not only restricted to the film and music industries. He has also developed into a highly successful businessman throughout the course of his life. He is the owner of two well-known apparel brands, notably ‘Aliaune’ and ‘Konvict,’ in addition to having a number of stakes in the real estate market.
In addition to it, he established the “Konfidence Foundation.” The primary goal of the foundation is to improve the quality of life for underprivileged young people in both the United States and Africa.
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