Akon is known to be a very talented African-American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His other professions include being a businessman and philanthropist. Akon is globally recognised for his entertaining songs. From his early breakthrough songs like Smack That with Eminem, he has come a long way. He is an international sensation that never stopped releasing superhit songs. His influence as a music artist is undeniable to this day.
Aside from his music journey, Akon is engaged in humanitarian efforts and social initiatives. Since the early 2000s, his songs and albums have topped several music charts. He has explored many genres of music like pop, hip hop, R&B, etc. His songs like Lonely, Right Now, and Don’t Matter have captivated the minds of listeners. Stay tuned until the end to know more about this music superstar. This is a complete biography covering Akon real name, early life, family, music career, and much more.
Akon Real Name – Who is He?
Many music enthusiasts are curious about Akon real name. Well, his official name is Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam. Indeed, it is quite a long name due to his African origin. Aside from his stage name Akon, he also has a nickname i.e., El Negreeto. He was born on April 16, 1973. Furthermore, Akon’s birthplace is St Louis, Missouri, USA. However, the roots of his family are based in Senegal. It is a country in West Africa. Akon is a multi-genre artist and a prominent cultural figure. Professionally, he is a singer, songwriter, record producer, businessman, and philanthropist.
According to sources, Akon stepped in the music industry back in 1996. And, he is an active music artist to this day. His music catalogue spans across many genres like R&B, pop, hip hop, and dance pop. The origin of his music career can be traced back to Atlanta, Georgia and Newark, New Jersey. Throughout his music journey, Akon has worked with several record labels. This includes Konvict Kulture, Akonik, BMG, Atlantic Records, Konvict, KonLive, Republic, Universal Motown, Universal Records, SRC, and UpFront.
Biography Overview (Akon’s Real Name)
| Akon real name | Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | El Negreeto and Akon |
| Place of birth | St Louis, Missouri, USA |
| DOB | April 16, 1973 |
| Age | 52 years old (As of 2025) |
| Zodiac sign | Aries |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist |
| Educational qualification | College drop out (High school graduate) |
| Religion | Islam |
| Marital status | Married |
| Net worth | USD 85 million |
| Affiliation | Akonik Label Group (ALG) |
| Languages known | English, French, and Spanish |
Akon’s Early Life
Akon was born in St Louis, Missouri, USA. He was raised by a culturally rich Muslim family. After his birth, Akon spent a significant part of his early life in Senegal, West Africa. Hence, he was surrounded by Senegalese heritage and traditions. However, his family relocated back to the USA some years later. Growing up, Akon and his family faced several challenges. While living in Senegal, he even experienced poverty.
To be specific, his father worked as a Senegalese percussionist and his mother worked as a dancer. For the same reason, he listened to a lot of music. At one point, Akon even had legal troubles. This hints at a tough life before fame and success. From a young age, Akon mastered several musical instruments like drums and guitar. After coming back to the USA, his family settled in Union City, New Jersey.
Akon’s Age In 2025
Akon was born on April 16, 1973. Accordingly, he is 52 years old as of 2025.
Physical Appearance
| Height | 5 Feet and 10 Inches (178 cm) |
| Weight | 78 Kgs (171 lbs) |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Black |
| Body type | Big and masculine |
| Skin tone | Dark |
Akon Educational Background
Initially, Akon attended multiple school institutions including Bayonne High School and Henry Snyder High School. In the end, he graduated from the William L Dickinson High School located in New Jersey. For higher education, Akon got enrolled at the Clark Atlanta University based in Georgia. However, he wanted to give more time to his music career. For the same reason, he dropped out of college after just completing the first semester.
| School | William L Dickinson High School |
| College/University | Clark Atlanta University |
| Education | Dropped out of college |
Akon’s Family Members
The name of his father is known to be Mor Thiam. Professionally, he is a Senegalese percussionist. Meanwhile, Akon’s mother is named Kine Gueye Thiam. She used to be a dancer by profession. In terms of siblings, he is accompanied by a brother named Bu Thiam. Lastly, he also has a sister, Khady Thiam.
| Father | Mor Thiam |
| Mother | Kine Gueye Thiam |
| Siblings | Bu Thiam and Khady Thiam |
Married Life & Kids of Akon
The married life of Akon is quite complicated as you’ll see. In 1996, he was married to Tomeka Thiam. For almost three decades, they had a great marriage together. In September 2025, Tomeka officially filed for divorce and the court proceedings are still going on. Akon and Tomeka have a 17 years old daughter named Journey. Aside from this marriage, he is known to have 9 other kids with different partners. Akon openly talks about the acceptance of polygamy in his family. His second alleged wife claims that she is one of the many wives. According to sources, Akon’s wives and children live in different households across the USA and Africa.
Akon Career & Professional Journey
Akon officially embarked on his music journey back in 1996. From a sensational music artist to a successful businessman, his professional journey is truly inspirational. Akon is a professional singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. At the same time, he is also a label executive and owner. Akon’s breakthrough moment was witnessed with the release of his 2004 debut studio album Trouble. This album had several hit tracks like Lonely and Locked Up. His capability of blending genres like R&B and hip hop amazed the listeners.
After selling millions of copies, his debut album became a certified hit. He wasn’t just a local music artist and performer anymore. Instead, he was captivating music enthusiasts from around the world. In 2006, Akon released his second album Konvicted which had amazing songs. His collaboration song Smack That with Eminem went viral and earned Akon more recognition. Similarly, the I Wanna Love You song featuring Snoop Dogg was also a huge success. His versatility and music sense was even appreciated by the industry critics. In fact, Akon even dominated the Billboard music charts regularly.
His work as a record producer and songwriter has always been immaculate as well. Akon even founded and established his own record labels. For example, Konvict Muzik and KonLive Distribution. He is responsible for initially boosting the careers of different artists like Lady Gaga and T Pain. Aside from his music journey, Akon has also explored entrepreneurship significantly. As of now, he has multiple successful business endeavours. In terms of philanthropy, he is associated with several social initiatives, a major highlight is the ‘Akon Lighting Africa’. Through this program, he aims to introduce solar power access across African communities.
Top 10 Songs By Akon
| S. No | Song Name |
|---|---|
| 1. | Smack That |
| 2. | Sexy B*tch |
| 3. | Lonely |
| 4. | The Sweet Escape |
| 5. | Play Hard |
| 6. | Right Now |
| 7. | I Wanna Love You |
| 8. | Don’t Matter |
| 9. | Bartender |
| 10. | Dangerous |
Akon Net Worth 2025
In 2025, Akon’s net worth is estimated to be more than USD 85 million. In contrast, other sources claim that it is USD 50 million. However, this seems to be derived from outdated data. As a global music artist and businessman, Akon is growing his wealth rapidly. He is easily among the richest music artists of all time.
Social Media Handles
| Platform Name | Account Handle | Followers |
| @akon | 11 Million+ | |
| X | @akon | 4.5 Million+ |
| Akon | 52 Million+ |
Trivia & Lesser Known Facts About Akon
- As a young child, Akon learned to play around 5 musical instruments including guitar and drums.
- Akon is mostly popular for his melodic R&B vocals over hip hop music.
- People believe that Akon was responsible for defining the genres of hip hop and R&B in the early 2000s.
- Many people blame Akon for exaggerating the story about his criminal past and facing legal trouble.
- Akon is known to have multiple wives, kids and households based in the USA as well as Africa.
- His initiative Akon Lighting Africa is bringing solar power and access to electricity across the countries of Africa.
- He didn’t even stick around for the second semester before dropping out of his college. Akon did this to focus on his music career.
- Akon was married to Tomeka for multiple decades. She has filed for divorce recently in September of 2025.
FAQs
1. What is the name of Akon’s first studio album and when was it released?
His first studio album, Trouble, came out on June 29, 2004.
2. Who are Akon’s parents?
Mor Thiam and Kine Gueye Thiam
3. How many kids does Akon have?
Currently, Akon is believed to have 9 kids.
4. Which record label is he signed to currently?
As of 2025, Akon is signed to his own Akonik Label Group (ALG).
5. What is Akon Real Name?
Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam is Akon’s Real name
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