Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam, also known mononymously as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer, rapper, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and actor from New Jersey. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first single from his debut album Trouble, followed by the second single "Lonely." He later founded two successful record labels, Konvict Muzik and KonLive Distribution. The labels served as home for many successful acts, such as Lady Gaga, T-Pain, R. City, Kardinal Offishall, Jeffree Star and Red Café, among others. His second album, Konvicted, received three nominations for the Grammy Awards, Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Smack That" and "I Wanna Love You". Both singles became Billboard Hot 100 top ten hits, followed up by "Don't Matter" and "Sorry, Blame It on Me." His third studio album Freedom was led by the single "Right Now."
Grammy-nominated R&B and hip-hop artist who rose to prominence following the release of his debut album Trouble and the single"Locked Up". He's been a part of several number-one hits.
