Akon

Blending silky R&B singing with hip-hop rhythms, the Senegalese-American artist, producer, and businessman Akon first rose to prominence through his track “Locked Up” included on his debut record Trouble from 2004. That single climbed into the Top Ten on both the U.S. and U.K. charts, pushing Trouble to platinum status—an achievement repeated on later projects such as Konvicted in 2006 and Freedom in 2008. Beyond his own recordings, Akon established the Konvict imprint, which helped introduce T-Pain, Lady Gaga, and Kardinal Offishall to wider audiences; he later spotlighted those connections on the 2013 release Konvict Mixtape, Vol. 1 and its 2017 sequel Konvict Kartel, Vol. 2. In 2019 he unveiled the Latin-tinged El Negreeto, highlighted by the Becky G duet “Como No,” alongside the Afrobeat-driven Akonda. After issuing projects like the 2023 EP Afro Freak, he returned with the standalone single “Beautiful Day” in 2024.

Born Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1973, Akon spent his early childhood in Senegal before his family, including his father, jazz percussionist Mor Thiam, relocated to New Jersey when he was seven. There he first encountered hip-hop and also became involved in criminal activity, ultimately serving a total of three years behind bars—a period he later said he used to refine his musical concepts. Following his release, Akon recorded material in a home studio; the resulting tapes reached SRC/Universal and led to the June 2004 issuance of Trouble, an album that fused his smooth vocals with East Coast- and Southern-styled beats. The chart success of “Locked Up,” a Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 entry, transformed Akon into a sought-after collaborator, beginning with appearances such as Young Jeezy’s “Soul Survivor.” His second album, Konvicted, arrived in November 2006 and quickly yielded the high-charting singles “I Wanna Love You” and “Smack That.”

A pronounced change in direction marked his third album, Freedom, released in December 2008. Departing from the gritty hip-hop/R&B blend of prior work, the record embraced a dance-oriented Europop approach that broadened its appeal; despite the shift, it matched Konvicted’s commercial performance by reaching the Top Ten of the Billboard 200, while its biggest single, “Right Now (Na Na Na),” entered the Hot 100’s upper ranks. Akon thereafter reduced his solo output yet lent his voice to numerous tracks, among them David Guetta’s worldwide hit “Sexy Bitch” in 2009, the Artists for Haiti charity single “We Are the World 25 for Haiti” in 2010, the Lonely Island’s “I Just Had Sex” that same year, and Michael Jackson’s “Hold My Hand,” also from 2010. A planned fourth album, Stadium, originally slated for 2010, was postponed repeatedly before being shelved, although the single “Angel” surfaced in September 2010 and he joined Dr. Dre on the track “Kush.”

Further standalone releases followed, including “Dirty Work” featuring Wiz Khalifa in February 2013 and “So Blue” that November. After signing with Atlantic, Akon issued singles such as “Want Some,” “Hypnotized,” and “Good Girls Lie” during 2015 and 2016, then teamed with Chris Brown and Gucci Mane on the Michael Jackson tribute “Moon Walk.” In 2017 he released the mixtape Konvict Kartel, Vol. 2. Two years later came the Latin-leaning non-album single “Get Money” with Anuel AA, soon joined by “Como No” featuring Becky G, which served as the lead track for his fourth studio album, El Negreeto, issued on his Akonik label. That project also welcomed Pitbull, Farruko, and Anitta as guests. The same year brought a fifth album, the Afrobeat-infused Akonda. Subsequent years saw additional EPs—Ain’t No Peace in 2020, TT Freak in 2023, and Afro Freak later that year—before Akon previewed new material with the 2024 single “Beautiful Day.”