Akon

Occupation: Singer

Aliaune Damala Dakha Bouga(AKON) was born in 16 April 1973. Akon is the son of Mor Thiam, a well-known Sengalese percussionist, so Akon was raised in a musically inclined household and was taught how to play different instruments. At age 15, he created his first song entitled "Operations of Nature". AKon was said to have spent time in jail for several years, but that was also the time when he realized that he had the talent in music and began to take interest in it. When he got out of prison, he started composing and recording his songs in the home studio he had built, and those tapes were discovered by SRC/Universal, the label responsible for launching Akon's very first LP in 2004: "Trouble". The LP consisted of singles like "Locked Up", "Ghetto", etc. "Locked Up" was included in the US Top Ten chart as well as held the 5th spot in the UK chart.

In 2006, Akon released a follow-up album:"Konvicted" which was collaboration with famous artists like Snoop Dog, Styles P., and Eminem. The album's lead single was called "Smack That" and featured Eminem, holding the 2nd spot on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for a period of 5 weeks. "Smack That" also gave Akon a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" in December 2006. The next single: "I Wanna Love You" featured Snoop Dog and became Akon's very first chart-topping single on the Billboard Hot 100.


In the last quarter of 2007, Akon worked with Michael Jackson and remixed "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin". In February of the following year (2008), the said remix was made available on "Michael Jackson's Thriller" and was introduced as a single, being enlisted in the Top 10 charts in many countries. Just last December 2nd of the previous year (2008), Akon's third album "Freedom" was released. It spawned the singles: "I'm So Paid", "Beautiful", and "Right Now (Na Na Na). "Freedom" has sold more than 600,000 copies, thus, it was certified Gold. Akon is also rumored to be collaborating with Jackson on a new album to be released in the present year '09.
In an interview, Akon admitted that he has a total of five kids born to three different ladies and that as a Muslim, he has never smoked or drank alcohol. Akon also has a life mission to help underprivileged children living in Africa so he founded his charity: Konfidence Foundation.

Akon released his new album Freedom on December 2, which spawned four singles: "Right Now (Na Na Na)", "I'm So Paid" (featuring Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy), "Beautiful" (featuring Kardinal Offishall and Colby O'Donis) and "We Don't Care". "We Don't Care" has failed to chart significantly in many countries, only reaching 61 in the UK and 91 in Australia. After the unexpected death of The King Of Pop Michael Jackson, who Akon was working with in Jackson's last years, Akon released a tribute song called "Cry Out Of Joy". Akon & Michael Jackson were close friends near the end of Jackson's life.
Speaking of his relationship with Michael Jackson to noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning 'Blues & Soul' in October 2008, Akon stated: "Mike is the King Of Pop, and I think that it's a dream come true for ANY major artist/songwriter/producer to be able to work with the best in the business! You know, to work with someone like Mike – who's created opportunities, opened doors for so many people, and achieved so much in the music world, period – is just an experience which would be enough to take home for ANYONE! I mean, when I first flew up to Vegas and met him it was almost like we'd known each other for YEARS! LITERALLY! 'Cause musically we were on the same exact page! The chemistry was just INCREDIBLE! And, as a person, he was the most cool, humble dude I've ever met! I mean, we even actually got to go to the movies together – in broad daylight! Which was an experience in itself!"
David Guetta collaborated with Akon in Sexy Bitch, a first house track by Akon, and has been a "summer anthem" across the globe. Reaching #1 in more than 6 countries, and charting at 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, it is featured on Guetta's One Love album. Which has made it his 19th Top 20 hit worldwide.Freedoms frist week sales were 110,900 copies and it has sold 510,000 copies in the US.
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, girls and free things. Akon has claimed that people have mistaken his brothers for him many times in Atlanta which is what the show is based on.
Akon is planning to work on a full-length movie titled Illegal Alien. The film is based on some of the events of his life and actor Mekhi Phifer is set to play him. Besides Akon confirmed in August 2007, in the interview with Polish website INTERIA.PL, that he works on a movie "Cocaine Cowboys," which tells the story of Jon Roberts, the main pilot of Medellin Cartel (Colombian drug traffickers). He was also featured on a verzion Wireless commercial and singing Snitch along with Obie Trice on a CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode named "Poppin' Tags."
On November 30, 2007, Akon entered the Big Brother house in Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition 2 as a guest so the housemates can meet him for only 100 seconds. He also appeared on November 17, 2008 edition of WWE Raw, with Santino Marella citing him in his speech. Because of Santino's Italian Stereotyping, he mispronounced Akon's name to "Akorn".
On April 27, 2008, Akon appeared with Colby O'Donis in Dance on Sunset. On January 27, 2010, Akon performed on the Brazilian reality show Big Brother Brasil.He has also been rumored to have three wives, however he has since revealed that he only has one, named Tomeka. Akon claims he has six children with three different women in an interview with Blender. Akon claims to have great relationships with all his children, and that he wishes to keep his family protected from the public eye. He also states that his religion made him a better person, and provides guidance to how he acts among others in life.
He also has his own charity for underprivileged children in Africa called Konfidence Foundation. 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 use of blood diamonds while also donating profits to local communities.
"The Smoking Gun" reported in April 2008 that much of Akon's purported criminal and incarceration history has been dramatically embellished. In particular, Akon's claims to be part of an auto-theft ring and his claim to have spent three years in prison were challenged with court records and interviews with detectives involved in Akon's case. According to "The Smoking Gun's" article, Akon was not convicted of any crime and did not serve any time in prison from 1999 to 2002 as previously claimed. He stated that "The Smoking Gun's" attempt to “discredit” him “makes no sense as it is something he is trying to forget.” Akon retorted that he never spent 3 years in prison consecutively, but many shorter sentences that add up to three years, and cites that as the mis-understanding by The Smoking Gun's article.