Konvict: The Story of Akon

Meet the biggest pop star of the 2000s.

The 2000s could be expressed by a single name: Akon.

Coming from the African country of Senegal, the singer started out as a carjacker in Jersey City and Atlanta. After spending time in jail, Akon began to rethink his life. He embarked on what would become a decade-defining career in music. 

Here is the inspirational story behind the Millennium’s greatest pop hitmaker.

Senegal

Born in April of 1973, Aliaune “Akon” Thiam spent his early days in Dakar, Senegal. 

Music was everywhere in Senegal. Raised Muslim, he heard prayers in musical chants. Riding down the street, drum beats were audible. Rhythm was all over the place. 

Akon’s father, Mor Thiam, was himself a gifted jazz percussionist, who played with the likes of James Brown. The man was one of Senegal’s greatest musical celebrities. Having a famous father gave Akon access to some of the era’s greatest stars. Even a backstage visit with a teenage Michael Jackson! Akon’s dad was friends with Michael Jackson’s father. The two arranged a meeting when Akon was just five years old. Meeting Michael left a huge impression on Akon. 

American ghetto

In 1982, Akon’s family moved to America. There, Mor found a job with a dance company in Saint Louis, Missouri. For the 7-year-old Akon, it was a rude awakening! A real culture shock. 

As a young black kid from Senegal, Akon was an outsider. The other kids laughed at him. He had to fight a lot to prove himself. Alone, he felt he had no friends. It made him angry inside. 

Akon’s alienation only got worse when the family moved to Jersey City. Despite being middle class, young Akon found himself surrounded by a harsh ghetto culture. Intimidation and violence ruled the day. He learned how to carjack, which earned the young man enormous profits. 

False start

But Akon had a much better talent: music. He began writing and performing his own songs. In the early 1990s, he made a guest appearance on the Fugees’ breakthrough album The Score. Now, he was inspired to pursue music as a full-time career. 

Using his connections with the Fugees, Akon got his own demo into the hands of Elektra Records. The studio believed they had a star on their hands. 

His debut song, “Operations of Nature,” was released in July of 1996. But much to his surprise, the single didn’t even break into the Top 200! It was a total flop. 

Akon began to doubt himself. Was music really for him? Elecktra dropped him. For the 23-year-old Akon, this was terrible news. He already had a girlfriend and child to take care of. Four months later, he officially married her. Akon moved to Atlanta, where his father had taken a teaching job. With a wife and baby to support, he made the hard decision to put his music hustle on hold. 

Carjacking in Atlanta

To scrape together some fast cash, Akon began carjacking again. Selling cars at $20,000 a pop, he was making more dough than the drug dealers! 

But on the night of November 18, 1998, Akon’s short-lived success came to a screeching halt. He got caught in a federal sting operation. Cars came from all directions. Police converged on all sides. Akon’s face was planted to his car, as the cops cuffed him. 

Akon was booked, and locked up in jail. His parents were devastated to hear about his criminal ways, and refused to bail him out. No one in the family had gone to jail before! His mother Kine wanted to teach him a lesson. 

Now age 25, Akon was facing ten years in prison for fraud and grand theft auto. It was a time of frantic soul-searching. He vowed to turn his life around, and begged God for a second chance. 

Miraculously, due to a legal glitch, prosecutors dropped the case against Akon. After six grueling months, he got released. 

It was a turning point for Akon. Now, he vowed to pledge all of his energy into his musical career. Working in a friend’s basement, Akon started recording songs which he had written during his six-month incarceration. 

Trouble

Akon dropped his debut album, Trouble, in June of 2004. Creatively, Akon was a much more mature artist. He began telling his life story through his life’s music. It won the attention of powerful record producers. The stars were now aligning. 

For the first single, “Ghetto,” Akon shot the music video back in his home town in Jersey. His old friends appeared in it too. 

Inspired by his jail time, he penned the song “Locked Up,” which became a best-selling single. In total, Akon’s first album dropped four smash-hit singles. He was now on the charts. 

Akon’s authenticity won him legions of fans. Trouble went platinum in April of 2005. His first move was to pay back his mother. He bought his mama houses and luxury cars. 

Konvicted

But just as Akon swept up in popularity, tragedy struck. His best friend from childhood, Roberto Montanez, was assassinated by robbers. Akon was crushed. It shook up Akon’s faith, and he felt angry at God. He was never again the same. 

Dedicated to his murdered friend’s memory, Akon released his second album: Konvicted. As Akon saw it, his dead friend had breathed life into his newfound success. 

Released in November of 2006, Konvicted went platinum in mere weeks. 

“I Wanna Love You,” featuring Snoop Dogg, became Akon’s first number one hit. 

Spiritually, mentally, and physically, Akon felt he was maturing as an artist. He decided to leverage his success by creating his own label, which could help cultivate other upcoming artists. 

Akon quickly became one of the industry’s most prolific producers. Appearing in over 300 collaborations, he worked with everyone from Lil Wayne to Gwen Stefani. 

Busting genres, Akon’s chameleon-like music defied any clean boundaries between street tough hip-hop and pristine pop fit for radio. 

Akon’s lightning success gave him the chance to give back. He founded the Konfidence Foundation, to help poverty and promote education in Africa. 

Scandal

On April 12, 2007, on a club date in Trinidad, Akon called for an impromptu dance contest. The winner got to perform an aggressive sex-driven dance common in Caribbean culture. The video was uploaded on the Internet, becoming a viral sensation. 

But little did Akon realize, the girl was just 15 years old! 

Suddenly, Akon found himself scrutinized heavily by the media. He was accused of mistreatment of women. No charges were filed, but it became a huge embarrassment. Fearing the bad publicity, Verizon pulled their sponsorship of his tour with Gwen Stefani, costing him millions. 

Just weeks later, Akon entered the studio to express his feelings in a song. This became “Sorry, Blame It On Me” released on July 17. 

Akon’s personal life came under even more scrutiny, when he admitted to having five kids by three different women. Gossip stirred up rumors of polygamy, since he was an African Muslim. But he insisted he only had one wife. 

Lady Gaga

In early 2008, Akon was back in the studio. There, he made a discovery that would change pop music: Lady Gaga. 

She walked into the room, wearing a gold leotard. She looked like something straight out the 1980s. Signed on with Interscope, it wasn’t clear whether she would get her own album. But Akon understood her potential instantly! 

Akon signed Lady Gaga onto his own label. On April 8, 2008, they released the legendary club hit “Just Dance.” Right away, Lady Gaga became the talk of the town. Her album became one of the year’s best-selling albums, solidifying Akon’s status as a kingpin of pop hits. 

Michael Jackson

In late 2008, Akon received an unbelievable call: Michael Jackson. His hands started shaking! He couldn’t believe he was talking to his childhood hero. 

Michael wanted Akon to produce tracks for his next album. For the next year, the two worked closely together. It was a dream come true for Akon. 

But on June 25, 2009, bad news broke: Michael Jackson was dead at the age of 50. Akon was in a state of shock. He couldn’t believe that Michael was gone! 

Akon returned to the studio to finish the song they had been working on together: “Hold My Hand.” It was released on November 15, 2010. Akon felt it was a fitting tribute to his deceased friend and idol. 

Freedom

In December of 2008, Akon released third album: Freedom. It was the third piece of his masterful musical trilogy. Akon felt his success had trapped him into a stereotype. But he didn’t want to just be a gangster-turned-rapper. He sought to free his public image, and break into new artistic ground. 

Freedom became an international best-seller, with four hit singles. These included Akon classics such as “Right Now” and “Beautiful.” To promote the album, Akon went on a global tour that would take him across six continents. 

Today

In March of 2012, Akon went back to the studio for a fourth effort. The album’s working title was Stadium, although it was never released. Akon went on hiatus, releasing a number of singles throughout the years. 

He made a glorious return to music in 2019, releasing the albums El Negreeto and Akonda. 

Today, Akon continues to exert influence through his music and philanthropy.