Akon: I will be the same person; I can't really see myself changing. I am just happy people can relate to my music like I do.
Akon: As a kid, growin’ up, I can’t front, it was hard. I was just coming in from Africa. I was mad black. Dark skin wasn’t in style. My accent was crazy. I was getting teased and fighting, but you know, kids are gonna be kids anyway. But they didn’t give me the impression that I didn’t get along with them. I ended up making crazy friends once they got to know me. I just think it’s a lack of understanding. People stereotype you before they get to know you as a person.
Akon: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. When I was stealing cars I used to think, "If I stole your car it's because you did something bad and it's coming back to you. If I can't get this car, it's because God doesn't want me to have it because this is a good person." If I wanted to steal a car and took it, no problem, I figured it was because this person who owned it had done wrong and God was letting me steal their car as retribution. That's absolutely ludicrous! It's ridiculous. [Laughs] But that's how I thought at the time.
Akon: The language barrier [was the toughest transition when coming to the US]. Learning to speak English. Nobody in the U.S. really speaks French. Well, not in New Jersey!
In February 2007, Akon launched his clothing line, Konvict Clothing.
Akon song "Bananza (Belly dancer)" reached the top 5 in the UK.
Akon gained more popularity after being featured in the song "Soul Survivor" with rapper Young Jeezy.
Akon song "Lonely" reached the top 10 on the U.S. charts, and was #1 in both Australia and the UK.
Akon released his debut album "Trouble" in 2004.
Akon song "Locked Up" reached the top 10 in the US and the top 5 in the UK.
Akon grew up in Dakar, Senegal, for the first seven years of his life.
Akon is a Muslim, and the son of jazz percussionist Mor Thiam.
When music channel The Box had a top ten weekly chart, which was calculated by the amount of video requests, Akon's "Lonely" became the longest running single on the top of the chart, spanning over 15 weeks. It was finally beaten by the smash hit "You're Beautiful" by
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