AKON

About AKON

Akon turned a somewhat mysterious backstory and an ear for inescapable hooks into one of the most successful runs in mid-2000s pop-R&B. Born Aliaume Damala Badara Akon Thiam in St. Louis to Senegalese parents, he spent chunks of his childhood between the US and Senegal before his family settled in New Jersey. The details get hazy from there, with Akon sometimes claiming a criminal past that journalists later questioned, but what's undeniable is that he emerged from the Atlanta music scene with a distinctive voice and an instinct for melodic rap-singing before that became everyone's default mode.

His 2004 debut "Trouble" took a minute to catch on, but once "Locked Up" started getting radio play, followed by the massive "Lonely" with its unmistakable P-Funk sample, Akon became unavoidable. "Lonely" especially hit different. That pitched-up, melancholic vocal over Bobby Womack's loop connected with people in a way that transcended the usual club-banger lifecycle. It was sad-guy music that still knocked in cars, a template he'd return to repeatedly.

"Konvicted" in 2006 made him genuinely huge. "Smack That" with Eminem was everywhere, as was "I Wanna Love You" with Snoop Dogg, the kind of songs you couldn't escape even if you wanted to. The album showed Akon's real skill though, which wasn't just his own hits but his ability to glide onto other people's tracks. He became the go-to hook guy, lending that nasal, Auto-Tune-adjacent voice to songs by Gwen Stefani, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, and seemingly half of the rap game. "Don't Matter" proved he could carry a pure pop song on his own too.

"Freedom" in 2008 kept the momentum going with "Right Now (Na Na Na)" and "Beautiful," though by this point the sound was getting a bit formulaic. Still, few artists were working the pop-R&B-rap intersection as successfully. Around this time, Akon also became known for his behind-the-scenes work, signing T-Pain and Lady Gaga to his Konvict Muzik label before they broke massive. His production and songwriting credits stacked up on tracks for everyone from Michael Jackson to Whitney Houston.

The 2010s saw Akon's presence in American music fade as trends shifted, though he never exactly disappeared. He released scattered singles, showed up on features here and there, and increasingly focused on business ventures and philanthropy, particularly his Akon Lighting Africa initiative. He's talked about building a crypto-fueled city in Senegal called Akon City, which sounds unreal but he seems serious about it.

He still performs and occasionally drops music, though nothing's matched that mid-2000s peak. But that run was enough. Those hooks are lodged permanently in a generation's brain.

Akon's live shows are solid but not remarkable. He delivers the hits competently, handles both singing and rapping parts without issue. Crowds show up for nostalgia, recognizing every chorus. Energy is consistent rather than explosive.

Known for Lonely, Smack That, I Wanna Love You, Right Now (Na Na Na), Believe

See AKON Live