Akon
Given the work-rate of
Aliaune Badara Thiam, he should really be called Akloned, rather than simply
Akon. Despite only rising to prominence in 2004, he has racked up 6 Grammy
Award nominations, made guest appearances on over 300 tracks by a variety of
different artists, and has produced a string of hits for the likes of Leona
Lewis and Lady Gaga. Incredibly, in his relatively short career, he has also
managed to become the first artist to simultaneously hold the Billboard Hot 100
number one and two slots on two separate occasions. Worth earnings of over a cool
30 million dollars a year, he is not short of a few coins either!
Akon is famous for the versatility of his music, a trait that has enabled him to record with such a wide variety of artists. So far his career has seen him embrace hip-hop, R&B, pop and reggae, writing both the lyrics and music as well as performing. His father should take a lot of credit for this: a Senegalese percussionist, he taught the young Akon to play several different musical instruments as he grew up. And having spent the first fifteen years of his life splitting time between America and Senegal, the young Akon was equally exposed to two very different cultures in his youth, which undoubtedly influenced his musical tastes. Strangely, his actual date of birth is something of a mystery, quoted as early as 1973 by some sources, and as late as 1981 by others. As such, he finally began to appreciate his musical heritage in anything from his mid-twenties to early thirties, and began to write and record music in a makeshift studio at his home in Jersey City. A demo tape eventually made its way to SRC/Universal, who signed him up and released his debut, ‘Trouble’, in 2004. A blend of Akon’s smooth, West African vocals, and a mixture of East Coast and Southern US beats, the record is a perfect showcase for the singer’s varied style.
As well as a remarkable musical output, Akon has also found time in his life to venture into both business and philanthropy. His started his own charity, the Konfidence Foundation, to help underprivileged African children improve their lives, and also part-owns a South African diamond mine that donates profits to local communities. Although he remains a controversial figure, and has had brushes with the law on numerous occasions for offences as varied as his music, he is undoubtedly a man dedicated to giving something back the continent of his roots. With a new album, ‘Stadium Music’ due out later in 2010, there is certainly more to come from Akon. Neither his fans nor those who benefit from his charitable work would have it any other way.
