Akon is a musician.
Aliaume Damala Badara Akon Thiam ( born April 16 , 1973 ) , better known as Akon ( pronounced [ ˈeɪkɒn ] ) , is an American singer , rapper , songwriter , businessman , record producer and actor of Senegalese descent . He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of `` Locked Up '' , the first single from his debut album Trouble . Akon has sung songs in other languages including Tamil , Hindi , and Spanish . Konvict Muzik is a record label founded by R&B singer Akon . Trouble is the debut album by the Senegalese-American hip hop and R&B singer Akon , released in 2004 .