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Akon

Akon (born Aliaune Badara Akon Thiam), (Template:PronEng),[1] is a Senegalese-American R&B singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, businessman, and philanthropist. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up”, the first single from his debut album Trouble. His second album, Konvicted, earned him a Grammy Award nomination of the single "Smack That". He has since found two record labels, Konvict Muzik and Kon Live Distribution. He is known as one of the most successful and versatile R&B singers of the 21st century, grossing over 30 million dollars a year according to Forbes. Akon often sings hooks for other artists and is currently accredited with over 300 guest appearances and 40 Billboard Hot 100 songs. He is the first solo artist to hold both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice.[2] He has had 6 Grammy Awards nominations and has produced many hits for artists such as Lady Gaga, Colby O'Donis and Leona Lewis. Lady Gaga and T-Pain are two artists who were given their chance at fame by Akon.

Background

Akon has claimed in interviews that his full name is Aliaune Damala Akon Thiam[3] although there is some ambiguity and debate about Akon's legal name and birth date. Akon is usually credited as Aliaune Thiam.[4][5] In addition to the longer form, Akon's full name has been reported both as Aliaune Badara Thiam and Alioune Badara Thiam [6] and About.com claims that this middle name has never been independently verified.[7] In regards to his birth date, some media institutions have reported that Akon was born in 1981. Other sources, including the AP, have indicated that Akon was born in 1973 and was delivered by Senegalese doctor Magueye Seck.

Legal documents released by The Smoking Gun list Akon's name as Aliaune Damala Thiam and his date of birth as April 30, 1973[8] or April 16, 1973,[9] however the BBC states he was born on October 14, 1981. It has since been reported by various media sources that he was born in 1977.

Early life

As the son of Senegalese percussionist Mor Thiam, Akon was raised in a musical setting and taught to play several instruments including the djembe. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., so that he would not have to go through the immigration process, but he lived in Dakar, Senegal until the age of 7, split time between America and Senegal until he was 15, then he moved permanently to Jersey City, New Jersey.[10]

During Akon's alleged time in jail for three years, he began to understand his music abilities and developed an appreciation for his musical background. Akon's unique blend of West-African-style, skills and moves eventually caught the ears of executives at Universal. Akon began writing and recording tracks in his home studio. The tapes found their way to SRC/Universal, which released Akon's debut LP Trouble in June 2004. 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".[11]

Personal life and allegations

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.[12] 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.[13]

He also has his own charity for underprivileged children in Africa called Konfidence Foundation.[14] 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. "[15] 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.[16]

"The Smoking Gun" reported in April 2008 that much of Akon's purported criminal and incarceration history has been dramatically embellished.[17][18][19] 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 [20]

Career

2004–05: Debut: Trouble

Akon's solo debut album, Trouble was released on June 29, 2004. It spawned the singles "Locked Up" and "Lonely", "Belly Dancer (Bananza)", "Pot Of Gold", and "Ghetto." The album was the first release of his new record label Konvict Music. The inspiration for his debut single allegedly came from his three-year stint in prison for ‘grand theft auto’.[4] "Locked Up" reached the top 10 in the U.S. and the top five in the UK. "Ghetto" became a radio hit when it was remixed by DJ Green Lantern to include verses from rappers 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G.

In 2005, he released the single "Lonely" (which samples Bobby Vinton'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 amount of video requests, Akon's "Lonely" became the longest running single on the top of the chart, spanning over fifteen weeks. Akon then released another single featuring with a New Zealand rapper, Savage with the single Moonshine, which had become a success in both New Zealand and Australia, becoming number one in the New Zealand charts. In 2005, He made his first critically acclaimed guest appearance on Young Jeezy'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.

2006–07: Konvicted

Akon performing with Gwen Stefani on The Sweet Escape Tour.

Akon's second album, Konvicted was released on November 14, 2006. It included collaborations with Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Styles P. The first single "Smack That" featuring Eminem was released in August 2006 and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks. "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 "Don't Matter" 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 reaching just 47 in the UK.
To coincide with the release of the Platinum (deluxe) edition of the album "Sorry, Blame It on Me" was the album's fifth single, debuted in August 2007 on the Hot 100 at number seven. The deluxe version was fully released on August 28, 2007. The final single was confirmed by Akon to be "Never Took the Time."[21] Konvicted 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. and more than 1.3 million worldwide. 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 different occasions. On November 20, 2007, the RIAA certified the album ‘triple platinum’ with 3 million units sold in the US. It has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide.

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 with 67,000 downloads. The record has since been broken several times. In December 2006, Akon's "Smack That" was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, but lost to Justin Timberlake and T.I.'s "My Love".

In April 2007, Akon drew criticism for an onstage act which included simulated sex with Danah (Deena) Alleyne, a preacher's daughter aged 15 at the time, at a club in Trinidad and Tobago, as part of a fake contest, despite the club's claim to have a 21 years and over age limit.[22][23] The incident was filmed by Akon's crew and later uploaded to the Internet. On April 20, 2007 local media, channel TV6, aired the video clip publicly. Amid criticism on the radio, television, and from the blogosphere, Verizon Wireless removed ringtones featuring Akon's songs. Verizon also decided not to sponsor The Sweet Escape Tour where Akon was to be the opening act for Gwen Stefani.[24] However, Universal Music Group did not take action against Akon, but rather simply ordered the video clip be removed from video-sharing site YouTube due to copyright infringement. Conservative commentator and Parents Television Council founder Brent Bozell called this "corporate irresponsibility."[25]

Political commentators Michelle Malkin, Laura Ingraham, and Bill O'Reilly criticized Akon for "degrading women."[26][27] Malkin uploaded commentary about Akon to YouTube, using footage from music videos and the Trinidad concert, and Universal Music Group then forced its removal by issuing a DMCA takedown notice.[28] The Electronic Frontier Foundation joined Malkin in contesting the removal as a misuse of copyright law, citing fair use.[29] In May 2007, UMG rescinded its claim to the video, and the video returned to YouTube.

On June 3, 2007, at WSPK's KFEST concert at the Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, New York, 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 young man 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.[30] Akon has claimed that the incident was staged and that he in fact used the act to set up for the next record.[31] 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 the two charges on December 3, 2007 in the town of Fishkill Court.[32]

2008–09: Freedom

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 so far. 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 Jackon'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!"[33]

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.

2010–present: Stadium Music

Akon's fourth studio album, Stadium Music is set for a 2010 release.[34] The first single off of Stadium Music is rumored to be "Nosy Neighbor," which is produced by David Guetta. There's also been another track leaked onto the internet titled "Party Animal" which is also produced by David Guetta.

Visa Issue

March 23, 2010 – Considering the allegations against the singer Akon, the Sri Lankan Government has decided not to issue him a visa to enter into Sri Lanka, the Government Information Department said a short while ago. The Jathika Bhikku Sansadaya (National Monks' Association)earlier today said that they vehemently protested the planned concert of Akon claiming that his music video insulted Buddhism.[35]

Projects with other artists

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, 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.[31]

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).[47] He was also featured on a Verizon 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[48].

Fashion

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. Timothy Hodge appeared on MTV's Direct Effect alongside Akon while promotioning the Konvict clothing line.[49]

Discography

Main article: Akon discography

Awards and nominations

Akon awards and nominations
Totals[a]
Nominations12
Note
  1. ^ Certain award groups do not simply award one winner. They acknowledge several different recipients, have runners-up, and have third place. Since this is a specific recognition and is different from losing an award, runner-up mentions are considered wins in this award tally. For simplification and to avoid errors, each award in this list has been presumed to have had a prior nomination.

Akon received four Grammy Award nominations in 2008, including Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "The Sweet Escape" with Gwen Stefani, Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for "Bartender" with T-Pain, Best Contemporary R&B Album for Konvicted, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with "I Wanna Love You" with Snoop Dogg. The only award that Akon has received is Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist from the American Music Awards in 2007. Overall, Akon has received one award from twelve nominations.

American Music Awards

The American Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony created by Dick Clark in 1973. Akon has received one award from three nominations.[50][51]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2007 Akon Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist Won
Artist of the Year Nominated
Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist Nominated

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States. Akon has received five nominations.[50][52]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2007 "Smack That" (with Eminem) Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Nominated
2008 "The Sweet Escape" (with Gwen Stefani) Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals Nominated
"Bartender" (with T-Pain) Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group Nominated
Konvicted Best Contemporary R&B Album Nominated
"I Wanna Love You" (with Snoop Dogg) Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Nominated

MTV Video Music Awards

The MTV Video Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony established in 1984 by MTV. Akon has received four nominations.[50][53][54] Akon has the record for most nominations in the Most Earthshattering Collaboration category.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2005 "Locked Up" MTV2 Award Nominated
2007 Akon Male Artist of the Year Nominated
"Smack That" (with Eminem) Most Earthshattering Collaboration Nominated
"The Sweet Escape" (with Gwen Stefani) Most Earthshattering Collaboration Nominated

World Music Awards

In 2007 Akon won three World Music Awards:

  • (1) Best Selling R&B Male Artist
  • (2) Best Selling African Artist
  • (3) Best Selling Internet Artist.

In 2008 Akon won:

  • (1) Best Selling African Artist


Note: Akon also won Artist Of The Year in 2007 by the Billboard Music Awards

Premios Lo Nuestro

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2010 "All Up 2 You" (with Aventura and Wisin & Yandel) Urban Song of the Year Nominated
"All Up 2 You" (with Aventura and Wisin & Yandel) Video Collaboration of the Year Nominated

Tours

References

  1. ^ Ingolo.com: Pronunciation of Akon.
  2. ^ Bronson, Fred. "Chart Beat", Billboard Magazine, April 5, 2007.
  3. ^ Akon at The Ellen Degeneres Show and in other interviews. Akon is a muslim that is why he debates that he doesnt drink. (January 7, 2009).
  4. ^ a b Rollingstones: Akon’s name “Rolling Stone magazine, November 2, 2006.
  5. ^ ASCAP: Credited as Aliaune Thiam. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
  6. ^ "Akon se rattrape à Iba Mar Diop", SenePortal, June 5, 2005.
  7. ^ Nero, Mark Edward. Akon Profile, About.com.
  8. ^ "Akon's Con Job – April 16, 2008". Thesmokinggun.com. April 16, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  9. ^ "Akon's Con Job – April 16, 2008". Thesmokinggun.com. April 16, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  10. ^ Bottomley, C. "Akon: Trouble No More", VH1.com, May 2, 2005.
  11. ^ Loftus, Johnny (2006). "Akon — Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
  12. ^ Who Does Akon Think He Is? Blender, September 19, 2007.
  13. ^ Fraser McAlpine (February 7, 2007) Ask Akon, And Answers Arrive! BBC Radio 1 (BBC). Retrieved on April 23, 2009.
  14. ^ "Founders". Konfidence Foundation.
  15. ^ Egere-Cooper, Matilda. Akon: So what if I own a diamond mine?.Independent, February 16, 2007.
  16. ^ "Akon Interview with Howard Stern part 4 of 4".
  17. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/arts/17arts-AKONSRAPSHEE_BRF.html
  18. ^ "Report: Akon Embellished Criminal History – Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment". FOXNews.com. April 17, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  19. ^ Akon's Con Job, The Smoking Gun, April 16, 2008.
  20. ^ Harris, Chris (May 16, 2008). "Akon Responds To Smoking Gun Report That He Fabricated His Criminal Past: 'It Only Helps Me' – News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News". Mtv.com. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  21. ^ Tang, Melisa. Akon: The Good With The Bad, BallerStatus.com, August 2, 2007.
  22. ^ Telesford, Nigel. Akon 'cons' Trinidad, Trinidad Express, April 14, 2007.
  23. ^ Ramnarine, Kristy. Zen owner: for club, Trinidad Express, April 20, 2007.
  24. ^ Leeds, Jeff. Verizon Drops Pop Singer From Ads, New York Times, May 10, 2007.
  25. ^ Bozell, L. Brent III. Rapper Not a "Perfect Gentleman", ParentsTV.org, May 24, 2007.
  26. ^ Malkin, Michelle. Look who’s promoting a vulgar misogynist, MichelleMalkin.com, May 3, 2007.
  27. ^ Pulse Report, SOHH.com, May 11, 2007.
  28. ^ Malkin, Michelle. "Akon's record company abuses DMCA to stifle criticism on YouTube", MichelleMalkin.com, May 3, 2007.
  29. ^ "Malkin Fights Back Against Copyright Law Misuse by Universal Music Group", Electronic Frontier Foundation, May 9, 2007.
  30. ^ Police: Akon investigation continues, Poughkeepsie Journal, August 29, 2007.
  31. ^ a b Sawjani, Archna. Akon: Real Talk, AllHipHop.com, August 6, 2007.
  32. ^ Akon Faces Charges, Poughkeepsie Journal, November 30, 2007.
  33. ^ Akon interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' December 2008
  34. ^ Akon Preps New Album. Vibe.
  35. ^ No Visa to Akon Ada Derana News
  36. ^ Reid, Shaheem. Saga Of Young Jeezy, Akon Continues With Possible Duet LP, MTV News, June 15, 2006.
  37. ^ Petipas, Jolene. Young Jeezy Teams With Akon For Collabo CD, SOHH, December 7, 2006.
  38. ^ "My List: Akon". Rolling Stone, April 3, 2007.
  39. ^ Cohen, Jonathan. "T.I. Stretches Out With Eminem, Timbaland, Wyclef", Billboard, April 14, 2007.
  40. ^ Rodriguez, Jayson. "Mario Gets Back To Making Music With Akon, Timbaland, Neptunes", MTV.com, April 13, 2007.
  41. ^ Cohen, Jonathan. "Daddy Yankee Drafts Fergie, Akon For New Album", Billboard, April 3, 2007.
  42. ^ "New Kids On The Block". Nkotb.com. August 1, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  43. ^ Goldstein, Melissa (October 23, 2008). "Pharrell, T-Pain, Nelly, Akon Unite for Supergroup". Spin.
  44. ^ . /flipsyde "Flipsyde's Official MySpace". {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  45. ^ MTV: Whitney & AKon Collab
  46. ^ {cite web |url= http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i33e34f97cdbeee3e20767e3c47009aa8 |title= Hip-hop meets Bollywood |author= |date= April 16, 2010 |work=Hollywood Reporter|accessdate=1 May 2010}}
  47. ^ "Akon intensywnie", INTERIA.PL, August 28, 2007.
  48. ^ "Akon fará show na casa do `BBB 10´", A Tarde Online, February 29, 2010.
  49. ^ Winning, Brolin. "Akon – Got It Locked", MP3.com, October 23, 2006.
  50. ^ a b c "Akon". Rock on the Net. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
  51. ^ Cohen, Sandy (November 19, 2007). "Daughtry Wins 3 American Music Awards". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
  52. ^ Montgomery, James (December 6, 2007). "Akon Calls His Mom, Plain White T's Call Delilah To Celebrate Grammy Nominations". MTV. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
  53. ^ "2005 Video Music Awards". MTV. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
  54. ^ "2007 Video Music Awards". MTV. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
  55. ^ Akon comes to region. All Africa Newswire, May 23, 2006.
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