Akon
- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Akon, born Aliaune Thiam, grew up in Senegal before he and his family
(including his father, jazz percussionist Mor Thiam) eventually settled
in the USA, in the state of New Jersey. There he discovered hip-hop and
R&B music as well as crime. He was eventually jailed, but he used the
time to work on his musical ideas. Upon release, Akon began writing and
recording tracks in a home studio. The tapes found their way to
SRC/Universal, which eventually released "Trouble," Akon's debut LP, in
June 2004. The album was an interesting hybrid of Akon's
hip-hop-influenced sung lyrics and silky, West African-styled vocals
with East Coast- and Southern-styled beats.
