Akon

Akon, born Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam, is a Senegalese-American singer, rapper and songwriter who spent his childhood between the United States and Senegal, an upbringing that shaped a musical identity blending American R&B and hip-hop with West African rhythms. He rose to mainstream prominence in the mid-2000s with his signature ad-lib of intoning the word convict at the start of many songs, a nod to time he has said he spent incarcerated before his music career took off.

His 2004 debut album, Trouble, produced the hits «Locked Up» and «Lonely», the latter topping pop charts internationally and establishing his melodic, hook-driven singing style layered over R&B and hip-hop production. He followed with albums including Konvicted, which spawned further global hits, cementing him as one of the defining voices of mid-to-late-2000s pop-rap.

Beyond his own catalog, Akon became one of the era's most in-demand hitmakers and collaborators, contributing hooks and features to numerous other artists' singles, and later expanded into entrepreneurship, founding his own label imprint to develop other acts. Songs such as «Smack That», «Don't Matter» and «I Wanna Love You» remain staples of his catalog, showcasing his knack for club-ready, melodically infectious pop-R&B.