Akon: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Senegalese-American singer-songwriter (born 1973)}}

* Singer-songwriter

| years_active = 1993–present1996–present

'''Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam''' (born April 16, 1973), known [[mononym]]ously as '''Akon''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|eɪ|k|ɒ|n}}), is a Senegalese-American singer-songwriter, record producerrapper, businessmansongwriter, and philanthropistrecord producer. An influential figure in [[world music]], he rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of his debut single "[[Locked Up (song)|Locked Up]]" (featuring [[Styles P]]). Styled in [[hip hop music|hip hop]], it preceded the release of his debut studio album ''[[Trouble (Akon album)|Trouble]]'' (2004), which became his commercial breakthrough and spawned the [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]]-styled follow-up, "[[Lonely (Akon song)|Lonely]]" the following year.

His second album, ''[[Konvicted]]'' (2006), was met with continued success and was nominated for [[Best Contemporary R&B Album]] at the [[50th Annual Grammy Awards]], while its lead singles, "[[I Wanna Love You (Akon song)|I Wanna Love You]]" (featuring [[Snoop Dogg]]) and "[[Smack That]]" (featuring [[Eminem]]), both received nominations for [[Best Rap/Sung Collaboration]]. The songs simultaneously peaked at numbers one and two on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], respectively, along with two of his singles released the following year: "[[Don't Matter]]" and his guest performance on [[Gwen Stefani]]'s "[[The Sweet Escape (song)|The Sweet Escape]]"; this made Akon the first solo artist to concurrently hold the top two positions on the chart twice.<ref>Bronson, Fred. "[http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1053124/chart-beat Chart Beat] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140919112131/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1053124/chart-beat |date=September 19, 2014 }}", ''Billboard Magazine'', April 5, 2007.</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/chart-beat-159-1053124/ | title=Chart Beat | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=November 7, 2023 | archive-date=November 7, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107024224/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/chart-beat-159-1053124/ | url-status=live }}</ref> His third album, ''[[Freedom (Akon album)|Freedom]]'' (2008), was supported by the top ten single, "[[Right Now (Na Na Na)]]", as well as the top 40 singles "[[I'm So Paid]]" (featuring [[Lil Wayne]] and [[Jeezy]]) and "[[Beautiful (Akon song)|Beautiful]]" (featuring [[Colby O'Donis]] and [[Kardinal Offishall]]). His fourth album, ''[[El Negreeto]]'' (2019), explored [[reggaeton]] and [[Latin music]], andwhile his fifth album, ''[[Akonda]]'' (also 2019), explored [[Afrobeats]]; both of which failed to chart.

Akon has since been prolific in charitable and philanthropic endeavors. He launched the non-profit [[Akon Lighting Africa]] in 2014 and has begun development on [[Akon City, Senegal|his own city]] in Senegal, which is scheduled for competitioncompletion in 2028. ''[[Forbes]]'' ranked Akon 80th (Power Rank) in the [[Forbes Celebrity 100|''Forbes'' Celebrity 100]] in 2010<ref name="forbes1">{{Cite web |date=April 18, 2012 |title=Akon |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/akon/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417173650/http://www.forbes.com/profile/akon/ |archive-date=April 17, 2012 |access-date=April 30, 2012 |website=Forbes}}</ref> and 5th in the 40 Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa list, in 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 17, 2011 |title=Forbes releases "40 Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa" list &#124; Channel O TV Online |url=http://channelo.dstv.com/2011/10/forbes-releases-40-most-powerful-celebrities-in-africa-list/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102232317/http://channelo.dstv.com/2011/10/forbes-releases-40-most-powerful-celebrities-in-africa-list/ |archive-date=January 2, 2013 |access-date=April 30, 2012 |publisher=Channelo.dstv.com}}</ref> ''Billboard'' ranked Akon number 6 on the list of Top Digital Songs Artists of the decade.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Billboard – Music Charts, Music News, Artist Photo Gallery & Free Video |url=http://www.billboard.com/#/charts-decade-end/digital-songs-artists?year=2009 |url-status=live |magazine=Billboard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804233042/https://www.billboard.com/#/charts-decade-end/digital-songs-artists?year=2009 |archive-date=August 4, 2018 |access-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref> He was listed by ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' as the number-one selling artist for master ringtones in the world, with 11 million sold by December 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/86827-best-selling-mastertones-act |title=Best-selling mastertones act &#124; Guinness World Records |access-date=November 7, 2023 |archive-date=November 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107031153/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/86827-best-selling-mastertones-act |url-status=live }}</ref>

Akon is a [[Polygamy|polygamist]]. In 2007, Akon claimedrevealed he has six children with three women in an interview with ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'',<ref name="Blender">{{Cite web|url=http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=2811 |title=Who Does Akon Think He Is?|work=Blender|date=September 19, 2007|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930180407/http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=2811 |archivedate=September 30, 2007}}</ref> all of whomstating he has great relationships with all of them. He says he wishes to keep his family protected from the public eye.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Founders |url=http://konfidence.org/founders.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912080912/http://konfidence.org/founders.php |archive-date=September 12, 2007 |publisher=Konfidence Foundation}}</ref> As of December 2022, he has 9 children and four wives.<ref name="9 children" /><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mpasho.co.ke/entertainment/2023-04-09-akons-wife-finally-discloses-how-many-wives-he-has | title=Akon's wife finally discloses how many wives he has }}</ref>

Akon ownsowned a diamond mine in South Africa and deniesdenied the existence of [[blood diamond]]s (also known as "conflict diamonds") sayingin a 2007 interview, 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."<ref name="Cooper">Egere-Cooper, Matilda. [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/akon-so-what-if-i-own-a-diamond-mine-5332169.html Akon: So what if I own a diamond mine?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817194119/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/akon-so-what-if-i-own-a-diamond-mine-5332169.html |date=August 17, 2017 }}. ''Independent'', February 16, 2007. "'That's just a movie. Think about it. Ain't nobody thought about nothing about no conflict diamonds until the movie came out. Where was all that shit before the movie? That's the problem with people - they believe everything they read or see on TV." He slaps my knee and emits a hearty laugh. He's getting excited. "It's no different from The Blair Witch Project. Everybody thought that was real. That campaign and marketing was incredible. After that, they're getting Oscars. Unless you go to Sierra Leone and see what's going down, don't believe everything you're reading or see on TV. Trust me.' [...] Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam has spoken."</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Akon Interview with Howard Stern part 4 of 4 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpd0N4YGfJQ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151202144110/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpd0N4YGfJQ |archive-date=December 2, 2015 |access-date=October 11, 2015 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> In 2020, he revealed he bowed out due to the underlying ramifications of the business, he claimed "it's worse than the drug business".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vladtv.com/article/265025/akon-owned-an-african-diamond-mine-its-worse-than-the-drug-business | title=EXCLUSIVE: Akon Owned an African Diamond Mine: It's Worse than the Drug Business }}</ref>

Akon has stated that he was part of an auto-theft ring and spent three years in prison from 1999 to 2002. However, in April 2008, [[The Smoking Gun]] 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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sisario |first=Ben |date=April 17, 2008 |title=Akon's Rap Sheet Is Revealed |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/arts/17arts-AKONSRAPSHEE_BRF.html |url-status=live |access-date=February 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206050407/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/arts/17arts-AKONSRAPSHEE_BRF.html |archive-date=February 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=April 17, 2008 |title=Report: Akon Embellished Criminal History |publisher=Fox News |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351580,00.html |url-status=dead |access-date=January 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630223833/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351580,00.html |archive-date=June 30, 2013}}</ref><ref>[http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/0416081akon1.html Akon's Con Job] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907033459/http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/0416081akon1.html |date=September 7, 2009 }}, ''The Smoking Gun'', April 16, 2008.</ref> Akon responded to the report by saying that he never spent 3 consecutive years in prison, but had many shorter sentences that add up to three years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Chris |date=May 16, 2008 |title=Akon Responds To Smoking Gun Report That He Fabricated His Criminal Past: 'It Only Helps Me' |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1587614/20080516/akon.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320013719/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1587614/20080516/akon.jhtml |archive-date=March 20, 2009 |access-date=January 2, 2010 |publisher=MTV News}}</ref>

* ''[[Akonda]]'' (2019)