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Artist Spotlight:
Akon...
YOU WANTED TO KNOW
If you peep the charts, I’m sure that you will see that most of the songs have something in common. Akon is featured in damn near all the billboard chart categories – everything from the Hot 100 Airplay to the Hot Ringtones. Forget Nate Dogg. Akon is the new “go-to” R&B guy to heat up your song. He coos alongside R. Kelly, Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg and even the elusive Eminem. But he ain’t only known as “the hook guy,” he has released two CDs and his current single, “Don’t Matter,” will no doubt reach number one real soon!
So here’s some interesting info on the R&B singer that everyone wants to work with.
Akon was born on October 14th, 1981 in St. Louis, Missouri, but grew up in Dakar , Senegal until the age of seven. Growing up he got a taste of two cultures. He and his family spent time in both Senegal and the States until he was fifteen, and then they eventually took up permanent residence in New Jersey.
Being an impressionable teenager, young Akon became interested in hip-hop. However, hip-hop wasn’t the only thing that piqued his interest. This fearless teenager unfortunately got involved in crime and subsequently spent time in jail for armed robbery and drug distribution.
Being incarcerated ain’t exactly the best thing that can happen to you, but Akon took this time to work on his love of music. He wrote tons of songs, and when he was released from prison he started to write even more music and eventually recorded his songs in his makeshift home recording studio.
Perseverance and hard work landed his demos into the hands of a record exec, which lead to the release of his first CD, Trouble (2004).
His first single, “Locked Up,” which details what life was like when he was in prison, was a major hit (it’s also one of my personal faves). It offered a sense of authenticity, rather than coming off as someone trying to be thugged out. His popularity carried over into 2005 with the release of “Lonely” (the chorus is extremely infectious), “Ghetto“ and “Soul Survivor. “ You couldn’t turn on the radio or the television without hearing his voice. Much like now. One of the reasons why he has such mass appeal is the uniqueness of his voice. His gentle high-pitched tone is equally soothing as it is enjoyable to listen to.
His current CD, Konvicted (2006) has spawned a ridiculous amount of hits and has made Akon a household name. Akon is ruling the airwaves and has no signs of stopping. ¤ Michelle