Akon

About

Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, known professionally as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer, songwriter, record producer, businessman, and philanthropist. An influential figure in world music, he rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of his single "Locked Up". Styled in hip-hop, it preceded the release of his debut studio album Trouble, which became his commercial breakthrough and spawned the R&B-styled follow-up, "Lonely", the following year. His second album, Konvicted, peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, while its lead singles — "I Wanna Love You" and "Smack That" — both received nominations for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The songs simultaneously peaked at numbers one and two on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively, along with two of his singles released the following year: "Don't Matter" and his guest performance on Gwen Stefani's "The Sweet Escape"; this made Akon the first solo artist to concurrently hold the top two positions on the chart twice.