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Akon’s real name is quite a mouthful. His full name is actually Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam. But lucky for his fans, he refers to himself as Akon. Born October 14, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri, Akon actually spent most of his childhood in Dakar, . The time spent abroad allowed Akon to learn both French and English fluently. By the age of seven, his family moved back to the , establishing residence in Jersey City, New Jersey.

With music in his blood, Akon’s father was a jazz percussionist named Mor Thiam, who raised the family under the Muslim faith. When young Akon returned to the he discovered forms of music not quite like anything he’d ever heard before. Hip-hop was now a part of his life, but unfortunately so was crime. Showing promise from an early age, his first completed song came at the age of fifteen, and was titled Operations of Nature. Shortly after, he was incarcerated for grand theft auto. 

Akon used his three years in jail to improve his musical talents. When he was released from jail, he began pursuing music in earnest, recording songs in his home studio. The demos eventually found their way into the hands of SRC/Universal. Impressed by what they heard, Akon’s first album was released in June of 2004. 

This debut album was simply called Trouble, and it featured Akon’s original and unique sound. Combining the West African tone of his voice with both Eastern and Southern beats, Akon brought a vibrant, new dimension to the world of hip-hop and R&B.