Akon Tickets

Akon - Resources

• Official Akon Website

About Akon

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Aliaune Thiam grew up in Senegal until the age of seven. When he and his family found their way back to America, they settled in Jersey City, New Jersey. At an early age Akon discovered a love of music, and he is one of the most popular artists performing right now. From his records to his hit singles and tours, fans go crazy for the music of Akon.

Akon's father was an accomplished jazz musician, who introduced Akon to the world of music. According to his official website, Akon says he was exposed to a variety of different genres of music ranging from Stevie Wonder to Steely Dan. Growing up in New Jersey he also discovered hip-hop, a form of music that he would eventually shape into a musical career. After being released from jail he began recording songs and subsequently found himself signing a record contract when SRC/Universal heard his demo tapes.

His debut album, Trouble, sold more than three million copies worldwide, making him an instant success. The album included singles like "Locked Up," "Ghetto," "Pot Of Gold" and the biggest hit "Lonely," which sampled Bobby Vinton's "Mr. Lonely." The album subsequently went platinum, and its success was surpassed by Akon's follow up album, Konvicted, which has already gone platinum three times. The album includes hit singles like "Smack That (feat. Eminem)," "Sorry, Blame it on Me" and "I Wanna Love You (feat. Snoop Dogg)."