Music career 2003–05: Discovery and Trouble 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, Georgia. Growing up in New Jersey, Akon had difficulties getting along with other children. At age seven, he moved with his family to Union City, New Jersey, splitting his time between the United States and Senegal until settling in Newark, New Jersey. A child of a dancer mother-Kine Gueye Thiam ( née Gueye), and a percussionist father, Mor Thiam, Akon learned to play five instruments, including drums, guitar and djembe. He spent a significant part of his childhood in Senegal, which he described as his 'hometown'. His father Mor Thiam was born to a Toucouleur family of Quranic scholars in Kaolack, Senegal. 2.5 2019–present: Return to music, Akonik Label Group, El Negreeto, Akonda and KonnectĪliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam was born on April 16, 1973, in St.6 on the list of Top Digital Songs Artists of the decade.

Alongside his recording career, Akon has a concurrent career in producing records mainly for artists on his respective labels, as well as for other mainstream acts such as Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Lionel Richie, Leona Lewis, Sean Paul, and Whitney Houston.įorbes 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. He has released six solo albums and has handled the majority of production on his solo work and guest features.

He was listed by Guinness World Records as the number-one selling artist for master ringtones in the world.Īkon often provides vocals 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. Akon has sung songs in other languages including Hindi and Spanish. 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 in digital sales. He is the first solo artist to hold both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice. His third studio album Freedom (2008) was led by the single ' Right Now (Na Na Na)'. Both singles became Billboard Hot 100 top ten hits, followed up by ' Don't Matter' and ' Sorry, Blame It on Me'. His second album, Konvicted (2006), received three Grammy Award nominations for Best Contemporary R&B Album, and for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for ' Smack That' (featuring Eminem) and ' I Wanna Love You' (featuring Snoop Dogg). City, Kardinal Offishall, Jeffree Star and Red Café, among others. The labels served as home for many successful acts, such as Lady Gaga, T-Pain, R. He later founded two successful record labels, Konvict Muzik and KonLive Distribution.

Akon right now na na na spanish remix