Akon
A hitmaker who fused R&B with global pop, then leveraged his fame to envision a solar-powered city in Africa.
Born 1973 (age 53)·Senegalese-American singer·Birthday: April 16·Generation X
Biography
Akon's life story reads like a cross-continental odyssey. Born in St. Louis to Senegalese parents, he spent his early childhood in Senegal before returning to the U.S., where a troubled youth led to a prison stint. That experience directly inspired his debut single 'Locked Up', a stark hip-hop ballad that shot him to fame in 2004. His voice, a distinctive, melismatic croon, became inescapable on pop radio through smashes like 'Smack That' and 'I Wanna Love You'. He built a empire as a producer and label head, discovering and collaborating with artists like Lady Gaga. But Akon's vision always stretched beyond music. He launched 'Akon Lighting Africa', an initiative to bring solar power to millions, and announced plans for 'Akon City', a futuristic, cryptocurrency-based metropolis in Senegal, aiming to turn his musical capital into tangible economic development for the continent.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Akon was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Akon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Akon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Founded KonLive Distribution and Konvict Muzik, launching the careers of artists like T-Pain and producing hits for Lady Gaga.
- Had two songs, 'Smack That' and 'I Wanna Love You', simultaneously hold the number one and two spots on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2006.
- Launched 'Akon Lighting Africa', a solar energy initiative that has brought electricity to millions of people across African countries.
- Became the first artist to hold the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice.
Did You Know?
He claims he never learned to read sheet music and creates all his music by ear.
He holds a Guinness World Record for being the first solo artist to occupy the top two spots on the Billboard Hot 100 twice.
He is a polyglot, speaking English, French, Wolof, and some other African languages.
He was a co-owner of the Senegalese football club Simba FC.
“I'm trying to build a bridge between the West and Africa.”
