Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani

Gwen Renée Stefani (pronounced /ˈgwɛn stɛˈfɑːni/; born October 3, 1969) is an American recording artist and fashion designer. Stefani serves as lead vocalist for the rock band No Doubt. Formed with influences ranging from punk rock to new wave music, their third wave ska oriented third studio album Tragic Kingdom (1995) propelled them to stardom, selling 16 million copies worldwide. It spawned the singles "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs", and "Don't Speak". The band's popularity went into decline with its fourth album, Return of Saturn (2000), but Rock Steady (2001) focused on dancehall production traits, and generally received positive reviews.

Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was primarily inspired by music of the 1980s, and emerged an international success with sales of over seven million. The album's third single "Hollaback Girl" became the first U.S. digital download to sell one million copies. Stefani's second solo album The Sweet Escape (2006) yielded "Wind It Up", a moderate worldwide success, and "The Sweet Escape". Including her work with No Doubt, Stefani has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. She won the World's Best-Selling New Female Artist at the World Music Awards 2005.

Stefani is known as a fashion trendsetter. In 2003, she debuted her clothing line L.A.M.B. and expanded her collection with the 2005 Harajuku Lovers line, drawing inspiration from Japanese culture and fashion. Stefani performs and makes public appearances with four back-up dancers known as the Harajuku Girls. She married British grunge musician Gavin Rossdale in 2002 and they have two sons: Kingston James McGregor Rossdale, who was born May 26, 2006, and Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale, who was born August 21, 2008.

Stefani was born and raised in Fullerton, California, and grew up in a Roman Catholic household. Her mother named her after a stewardess in the 1968 novel Airport, and her middle name, Renée, comes from The Four Tops' 1968 cover of The Left Banke's 1966 hit song "Walk Away Renée". Her father, Dennis Stefani, is Italian and works as a Yamaha marketing executive. Her mother, Patti (née Flynn), is of Irish and Scottish descent and worked as an accountant before becoming a homemaker. Her parents were fans of folk music and presented music by Bob Dylan and Emmylou Harris to their daughter. She is the second oldest of four children; she has a younger sister, Jill Stefani, a younger brother, Todd, and an older brother, Eric. Eric was the keyboardist for No Doubt but left the band to pursue a career in animation on The Simpsons.

Many of the women in Stefani's family were seamstresses, and much of her clothing was made by her or her mother. As a child, Stefani's musical interests consisted of musicals such as The Sound of Music and Evita. After making a demo tape for her father, she was encouraged to take music lessons to train her "loopy, unpredictable" voice. Stefani is a distant cousin of Madonna. Her great-aunt's mother-in-law shares the last name with Madonna.

Stefani made her onstage debut during a talent show at Loara High School, where she sang "I Have Confidence," from The Sound of Music, in a self-made tweed dress inspired by one from the film. Stefani was on the Loara swim team in an attempt to lose weight. She first worked at a Dairy Queen and later manning the MAC makeup counter of a department store. After graduating from high school in 1987, she began attending California State University, Fullerton.

Eric introduced Gwen to 2 Tone music by Madness and The Selecter, and in 1986 he invited her to provide vocals for No Doubt, a ska band he was forming. Finally, in 1991, the band was signed to Interscope Records. She also did backup vocals for Sublime on the song "Saw Red".

The band released its self-titled debut album in 1992, but its ska-pop sound was unsuccessful due to the popularity of grunge. Stefani rejected the aggressiveness of female grunge artists and cited Blondie singer Debbie Harry's combination of power and sex appeal as a major influence. No Doubt's third album, Tragic Kingdom (1995), which followed the self-released The Beacon Street Collection (1995), took more than three years to make. During this time, the band almost split up because of the failed romantic relationship between Stefani and bandmate Tony Kanal. Their break-up inspired Stefani lyrically, and many of the album's songs, such as "Don't Speak", "Sunday Morning", and "Hey You", chronicle their relationship and her happiness. Five singles were released from Tragic Kingdom and "Don't Speak" led 1996's U.S. year-end airplay chart. Stefani left college for one semester to tour for Tragic Kingdom but did not return when touring lasted two and a half years. The album sold more than 16 million copies worldwide, and received several Grammy Award nominations.

No Doubt released the less popular Return of Saturn in 2000, which expands upon the New Wave influences of Tragic Kingdom. Most of the lyrical content focuses on Stefani's often rocky relationship with then-Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale and her overall insecurities, including indecision on settling down and having a child. The band's 2001 album, Rock Steady, explores more reggae and dancehall sounds while maintaining the band's New Wave influences, generally receiving positive reviews. The album generated career-highest singles chart positions in the United States, and "Hey Baby" and "Underneath It All" received Grammy Awards. A greatest hits collection, The Singles 1992–2003, which includes a cover of Talk Talk's "It's My Life", was released in 2003 to moderate sales. The other members of No Doubt have begun work on a new album and plan to complete it after Stefani's tour is finished.

Outside No Doubt, Stefani has collaborated on the singles "South Side" and "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" with Moby and Eve, respectively. In 2002 Eve and Stefani won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Let Me Blow Ya Mind". She also collaborated with The Brian Setzer Orchestra on a cover of "You're the Boss", originally performed by Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret, for its 1998 album The Dirty Boogie.

Following No Doubt's hiatus, Stefani sought out her former bandmate Tony Kanal to discuss the possibility of a solo career. The idea was to make a quick dance record, but this became a large collaboration with other artists, producers and various non-ska influences. The result was two successful albums. Currently, Stefani has two solo albums, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004), and The Sweet Escape (2006).

Stefani's debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. was released in November 2004. The album features a large number of collaborations with producers and other artists, including Tony Kanal, Linda Perry, André 3000, Nellee Hooper and The Neptunes. Stefani created the album to modernize the music to which she listened when in high school, and L.A.M.B. takes influence from a variety of music styles of the 1980s and early 1990s such as New Wave and electro. Stefani's decision to use her solo career as an opportunity to delve further into pop music instead of trying "to convince the world of talent, depth and artistic worth" was considered unusual. As a result, reviews of the album were mixed, and it was described as "fun as hell but…not exactly rife with subversive social commentary." The album debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart at number seven, selling 309,000 copies in its first week. It sold well, reaching multi-platinum status in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. At the 2005 Grammy Awards, Stefani was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and at the next year's awards, Stefani received five nominations for Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

The first single released from the album was "What You Waiting For?", which charted outside the U.S. Top 40, but reached the Top 10 on most other charts. The song served to explain why Stefani produced a solo album and discusses her fears in leaving No Doubt for a solo career as well as her desire to have a baby. "Rich Girl" was released as the album's second single. A duet with rapper Eve, and produced by Dr. Dre, it is an adaptation of a 1990s pop song by British musicians Louchie Lou & Michie One, which itself is a cover of "If I Were a Rich Man", from the musical Fiddler on the Roof. "Rich Girl" proved successful on several formats, and reached the UK and U.S. top ten. L.A.M.B.'s third single "Hollaback Girl" became Stefani's first U.S. and second Australian number-one single; it was less successful elsewhere. The song was the first U.S. digital download to sell more than one million copies legally, and its brass-driven composition remained popular throughout 2005.

The fourth single "Cool" was released shortly following the popularity of its predecessor, but failed to match its chart success, reaching the top twenty in UK and U.S. The song's lyrics and its accompanying music video, filmed in Lake Como, Italy, depict Stefani's former relationship with Kanal. "Luxurious" was released as the album's fifth single, but did not perform as well as its predecessors. "Crash" was released in early 2006 as the album's sixth single in lieu of Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'s sequel, which Stefani postponed because of her pregnancy.

Stefani's second solo album, The Sweet Escape, was released in December 2006. Stefani recollaborated with Kanal, Perry, and The Neptunes, along with Akon and Tim Rice-Oxley from English rock band Keane. The album focuses more heavily on electro/dance music for clubs than its predecessor. Stefani commented that it differed from L.A.M.B. because "I just wasn't inspired to do another album and…I was a lot more relaxed making it." Its release coincided with the DVD release of Stefani's first tour, entitled Harajuku Lovers Live. The album received mixed reviews by critics, who found that it "has a surprisingly moody, lightly autobiographical feel... Stefani isn't convincing as a dissatisfied diva" and called the album a "hasty return" that repeats Love. Angel. Music. Baby. with less energy.

With Stefani promoting her second solo album, No Doubt began initial work on a new album without her and planned to complete it after Stefani's tour was finished. In March 2008, the band started making posts concerning the progression of the album on their official fan forum. Stefani made a post on March 28, 2008 stating that songwriting had commenced but was slow on her end because she was, at the time, pregnant with her second child.

Manager Jim Guerinot said the yet-untitled album is being produced by Mark "Spike" Stent, who helped produce and mix Rock Steady. Between Stefani's pregnancy and recording, No Doubt did not tour in 2008, but Guerinot promised they plan to hit the road hard in 2009 for their first full-fledged band tour in nearly five years.

It has been announced that "The Singles 92-03" will be available on Dec. 9th for the Rock Band 2 video game platform. All members of No Doubt except for Stefani are appearing as Scott Weiland's backing band on the upcoming album Happy In Galoshes.

No Doubt announced on their official website that they want to tour in 2009 while finishing their upcoming album, which is set for release late 2009. On November 24, 2008, it was announced that No Doubt would be headlining the Bamboozle 2009 festival in May, along with Fall Out Boy.

Stefani made most of the clothing that she wore on stage with No Doubt, resulting in increasingly eclectic combinations. Stylist Andrea Lieberman introduced her to haute couture clothing, which lead to Stefani launching a fashion line named L.A.M.B. in 2004. The line takes influence from a variety of fashions, including Guatemalan, Japanese, and Jamaican styles. The line achieved popularity among celebrities and is worn by stars such as Teri Hatcher, Nicole Kidman, and Stefani herself. In June 2005, she expanded her collection with the less expensive Harajuku Lovers line, which she referred to as "a glorified merchandise line", with varied products including a camera, mobile phone charms, and undergarments. In late 2006, Stefani released a limited edition line of dolls called "Love. Angel. Music. Baby. Fashion dolls". The dolls are inspired by the various costumes that Stefani and the Harajuku Girls wore while touring for the album. In late summer 2007, Stefani launched a perfume, 'L', as a part of her L.A.M.B. collection of clothing and accessories. The perfume has high notes of sweet pea and rose. In September 2008, Stefani released a fragrance line as a part of her Harajuku Lovers product line. There are five different fragrances based on the four Harajuku Girls and Stefani herself called 'Love', 'Lil' Angel', 'Music', 'Baby' and 'G' (Gwen).

In 2004, Stefani showed interest in making film appearances and began auditioning for films such as Mr. & Mrs. Smith. She made her acting debut playing Jean Harlow in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator in 2004 and was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by Cast in Motion Picture. Scorsese, whose daughter was a No Doubt fan, showed reciprocal interest in casting Stefani after seeing her picture from a Marilyn Monroe-inspired photo shoot for Teen Vogue in 2003. To prepare for the role, Stefani read two biographies and watched 18 of Harlow's films. Shooting her part took four to five days, and Stefani had few lines. Stefani lent her voice to the title character of Malice, a PS2 and Xbox video game in 2004; before completion, however, the company opted not to use No Doubt bandmembers' voices.

Soon after Stefani joined No Doubt, she and bandmate Tony Kanal began dating. Stefani stated that she was heavily invested in the relationship, commenting that "...all I ever did was look at Tony and pray that God would let me have a baby with him." Kanal ended the relationship.

During her time with No Doubt, the band toured with fellow ska punk band Reel Big Fish, whose frontman, Aaron Barrett, later wrote the song "She's Famous Now" for their 1998 album Why Do They Rock So Hard?. The song is commonly interpreted to be about a relationship between the two and Stefani's subsequent success with No Doubt. Barrett later stated that he "was just trying to start a rumor".

In December 1995, No Doubt and rock band Goo Goo Dolls went on tour opening for alternative rock band Bush. Stefani met Bush guitarist and lead singer Gavin Rossdale They married on September 14, 2002, with a wedding in St Paul's Church in Covent Garden, London. A second wedding was held in Los Angeles two weeks later. According to Stefani, it was held so that she could wear a custom-designed wedding dress by British-Gibraltarian fashion designer John Galliano twice.

The couple discovered in 2004 that Rossdale had a daughter, Daisy Lowe (b. 1989) from a previous fling with model and designer Pearl Lowe when Rossdale took a paternity test. Stefani was "devastated and infuriated" at the discovery, leading to a rocky patch in her relationship with Rossdale. Though Rossdale remains Daisy's godfather, he has severed all ties with the Lowes. Stefani's song "Danger Zone" was widely believed to be about the discovery and its aftermath. However, the song was written prior to the incident.

Stefani began wearing a bindi in the mid 1990s after attending several family gatherings for Tony Kanal, who is of Indian heritage. During No Doubt's breakthrough, Stefani wore the forehead decoration in several of the band's music videos and briefly popularized the accessory in 1997. First attracting attention in the 1995 music video for "Just a Girl", Stefani is known for her midriff and frequently wears shirts that expose it. Stefani's makeup design generally includes light face powder, bright red lipstick, and arched eyebrows; she wrote about the subject in a song titled "Magic's in the Makeup" for No Doubt's Return of Saturn, asking "If the magic's in the makeup/Then who am I?".

Stefani is a natural brunette, though her hair has not been its natural color since she was in ninth grade. Since late 1994, she has had platinum blonde hair. Stefani discussed this in the song "Platinum Blonde Life" on Rock Steady and played original blonde bombshell Jean Harlow in the 2004 biopic The Aviator. Stefani also dyed her hair blue in 1998 and pink in 2000, appearing on the cover of Return of Saturn with pink hair.

The release of Stefani's first solo album brought attention to her entourage of four Harajuku Girls, named for the area around the Harajuku Station of Tokyo, Japan. Stefani treats the back-up dancers, who appear in outfits influenced by Gothic Lolita fashion, as a figment of her imagination. Stefani's clothing also took influence from Japanese fashion, in a style described as a combination between Christian Dior and Japan. The dancers are featured in her music videos, press coverage, and on the album cover for Love. Angel. Music. Baby., with a song named for and dedicated to them on the album. They were also featured in, and the namesake for, Stefani's Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005.

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List of awards and nominations received by Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani is an American music artist and fashion designer. She is a member of the rock band No Doubt, whose 1995 album Tragic Kingdom propelled them to stardom and sold 16 million copies worldwide. Before her solo debut, Stefani collaborated with other artists on their albums, including "South Side" with Moby and "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" with Eve. Stefani's has released two solo studio albums, both with Interscope Records: Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004) and The Sweet Escape (2006). After the success of her first album, Stefani commented, "All I wanted to do was make a dance record. Not even that — a stupid dance record." Several of her songs have appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, including "Hollaback Girl" which peaked at number one and "The Sweet Escape" at number two.

Stefani's only Grammy Award was the award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for her song "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" in 2002. She won two MTV Video Music Awards in 2005, including Best Choreography for "Hollaback Girl" and Best Art Direction for "What You Waiting For?" At the Teen Choice Awards, Stefani won all four nominations that she received, including Choice Breakout, Best Female Video, and Choice Collaboration for "Rich Girl". Overall, Stefani has received 10 awards from 25 nominations. Also which she was named the World's Best New Female Artist at the World Music Awards back in 2005.

The American Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony created by Dick Clark in 1973. Stefani has received one award from two nominations.

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States. Stefani has received one award from eight nominations.

The MTV Video Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony established in 1984 by MTV. Stefani has received four awards from eleven nominations.

MTV Asia Awards is another annual award established in 2002 by MTV. Stefani has been nominated for one award.

The Teen Choice Awards is an awards show presented annually by the Fox Broadcasting Company. Stefani has received four awards from four nominations.

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Rich Girl (Gwen Stefani song)

The last song to be included on the album, "Rich Girl" was released as the album's second single in late 2004 (see 2004 in music) to mixed reviews from music critics. It was a commercial success, reaching the top ten on the majority of the charts it entered, and topped the singles chart in Argentina. In the United States, "Rich Girl" was certified double platinum, and it received a nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 48th Grammy Awards.

Gwen Stefani and Eve had previously collaborated together on the 2001 single "Let Me Blow Ya Mind". When Stefani first began recording solo material, Eve expressed interest in working with Stefani again, saying, "She's fly, she's tight and she is talented. It's going to be hot regardless." The two decided to work together again after talking in Stefani's laundry room during a party. After Stefani had co-written more than twenty songs for her solo debut, she approached Dr. Dre, who had produced for her twice before. Dre had produced "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" as well as "Wicked Day", a track that was excluded from No Doubt's 2001 album Rock Steady.

After playing some of the songs on which she had been working, Dr. Dre told her, "You don't want to go back there." Instead of using one of the tracks, Dr. Dre instead suggested using reggae duo Louchie Lou & Michie One's 1993 song "Rich Girl", which itself interpolated "If I Were a Rich Man" from the 1964 musical Fiddler on the Roof. Stefani and Eve helped each other with their parts, but when they presented Dr. Dre with the demo, he told them to rewrite the song, suggesting that Stefani play a character in the song.

The introduction consists of the repeated use of the word na. Stefani reaches her highest note of the song, E5, as part of a trichord and her lowest, G3, during this section. After the first chorus, Stefani discusses dreams of wealth and luxury, and she namechecks fashion designers Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano. Stefani commented that the references were not product placement but that she included them "because I think they're rad and want to talk about them…I'd give all my money to and buy all her clothes!" A bridge, in which Stefani's voice is overdubbed, precedes the second chorus. During the second verse Stefani discusses her Harajuku Girls, and she then repeats the bridge. Following Eve's rap, Stefani sings the chorus and closes the song with a coda, which, like the introduction, consists of repeating the word na.

Several reviewers found it ironic that Stefani, who had already sold 26 million records with No Doubt, discussed having money in the counterfactual conditional. OMH Media found it "rather strange" for Stefani to sing the song while living off of royalties from No Doubt and her husband, post-grunge musician Gavin Rossdale. Neumu called the lyrics "insipid" and noted that "the incredibly wealthy pop-starlet wonders what it'd be like to be, uh, incredibly wealthy". A reviewer for The Orange County Register told Stefani that the song was disingenuous and "absurd," to which Stefani responded that the point of view was from before she was famous. Stefani later refused to issue credentials to the newspaper after the same reviewer wrote that "while posting a reported $90 million via her clothing lines…she's no more 'just an Orange County girl' than Best Buy is just a shack that sells Commodore 64s" in response to a track titled "Orange County Girl" from Stefani's second album The Sweet Escape.

The music video for "Rich Girl" was directed by David LaChapelle and features a pirate theme. The video, inspired by an early 80's Vivienne Westwood advertising campaign, opens with four Japanese schoolgirls playing with a toy pirate ship and Bratz dolls of Stefani and Eve, while the girls discuss what they would do if they were a "rich girl". The video features several sequences. Stefani is first shown below the deck of a pirate ship, dancing on a table and singing to the song. She is surrounded by pirates and wenches and is soon joined by Eve, wearing an eyepatch. In the surreal style of LaChapelle, the pirate crew has distorted features, and a leaked casting call commented, "I need the freaks on this one." Above deck Stefani, the Harajuku Girls, Eve, and more pirates dance on the deck and rigging. Stefani is also seen dancing with the Harajuku Girls in a treasure trove, often carrying a sword, and swinging from an anchor. When the girls dunk the toy ship in a fish tank, the galleon engages in cannonfire, causing Stefani and the pirates to fall all over the ship, and Stefani and the Harajuku Girls are soon shipwrecked.

The music video was a success on video channels. The video debuted on MTV's Total Request Live on December 13, 2004, at number nine. It worked its way to number four, staying on the chart for a total of fourteen days. The video also reached number four on the MuchMusic countdown, remaining on the chart for sixteen weeks. VH1 listed the song at number twenty-four on its Top 40 Videos of 2005.

Across Europe, "Rich Girl" was largely successful, reaching number two on the Eurochart Hot 100. It reached the top five in Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden and the top ten in Austria, Finland, Greece, Italy, and Switzerland. The song also charted highly in the UK, debuting at number four on March 21, 2005. The track was unable to reach a higher position and remained on the chart for twelve weeks.

Elsewhere, "Rich Girl" peaked within the top twenty on the majority of the charts it entered. In Australia, it debuted February 28, 2005 at number two under Nelly's "Over and Over" featuring Tim McGraw. It was unable to reach number one and dropped off the chart after thirteen weeks. On the ARIA end of year chart, the track charted at number twenty-six, and the single was certified platinum. The song was generally successful in Latin America, entering the Latin America Top 40 at number twenty on March 13, 2005 and peaking at number five ten weeks later. It reached the top twenty in most South American countries, including Argentina and Chile.

On the postcard of the 1999 Eurovision Song Contest winner, Charlotte Nilsson, a identical line as the chorus of "Rich Girl" was included. The postcast was aired in May 1999.

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Gwen Stefani discography

The discography of Gwen Stefani, an American pop rock singer, consists of two studio albums, eleven singles and a music DVD on Interscope Records. Gwen Stefani gained fame as the frontwoman and lead singer of the ska punk/alternative rock band No Doubt, who released five studio albums, two compilation albums and twenty singles between 1992 and 2003 (see No Doubt discography).

Stefani began to record solo material in early 2003 and released her debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in November 2004. The album, which Stefani marketed as her "dance record", features collaborations with many musicians, songwriters, and producers and took Stefani's work into dance-pop and New Wave. Six of its twelve tracks were released as singles, and it received six Grammy Award nominations. Stefani released her second album The Sweet Escape in December 2006, and has released five singles from it. The album contains new wave and electro/dance music similar to its predecessor and explores more modern pop sounds. Stefani has sold over 11 million albums, in addition to 30 million with No Doubt.

A^ Promo release only for the clubs.

B ^ A music video for "Serious" was produced, though the full video was not released. C ^ Only for the Tour "Harajuku Lovers Live".

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Akon

Aliaune Thiam (born April 16, 1977), better known by his stage name Akon (pronounced /ˈeɪkɒn/), is a WolofSenegalese-American hip hop singer-songwriter and record producer. Akon rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of his single "Locked Up" from his debut album Trouble. His second album, Konvicted, earned him a Grammy Award nomination for the single "Smack That." He is the founder of two record labels, Konvict Muzik and Kon Live Distribution. He is well known for singing hooks and has over 155 guest appearances and 23 Billboard Hot 100 songs to his credit. He is the first solo artist to ever accomplish the feat of holding both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice.

As the son of famed jazz musician Mor Thiam, Akon was raised in a musical setting and taught to play several instruments. At the age of 7, he spent time between America and Senegal until he was 15, then he moved permanently to New Jersey. During Akon’s alleged time in jail for 12 years, he began to understand his music abilities and developed an appreciation for his musical background. Akon's unique blend of West African-style, skills and moves eventually caught the ears of executives at Universal.

The full name of Akon is, Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, as announced by himself. Other sources say his given name is Aliaune Thiam. Some sources have written his name as Aliaune Badara Thiam or Alioune Badara Thiam. However, About.com claims that this middle name has never been independently verified. In addition, some media institutions have incorrectly reported that he was born in 1981. Sources such as the AP have indicated he was born in 1973. Legal documents released by The Smoking Gun list his name as Aliaune Damala Thiam and date of birth as 1973-04-30 or 1973-04-16. According to the Smoking Gun article, "By all indications, he was born April 16, 1973." When asked his age during an interview with VIBE, Akon reportedly responded, "The only thing I hide is my age... before I lie to you, I'd rather say nothing." It has since been confirmed that his birth certificate says he was born in 1977.

He is the son of the Senegalese percussionist Mor Thiam. He then spent split time between Senegal and America until he was 15, and then permanently moved to Jersey City, New Jersey. He recorded his first song, "Operations of Nature", at the age of fifteen. Akon began writing and recording tracks in his home studio. The tapes found their way to SRC/Universal, which released Akon's debut LP Trouble in June 2004. The album is a hybrid of Akon's silky, West African-styled vocals mixed with East Coast and Southern beats. Most of Akon's songs begin with the sound of the clank of a jail cell with him uttering the word "Konvict".

Akon's second album, entitled Konvicted, was released on November 14, 2006. Konvicted included collaborations with Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Styles P. Late August 2006, Akon released the single "Smack That" featuring Eminem, from the album. This single peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks. The music video for "Smack That" was directed by Raymond Garced. "I Wanna Love You," the second single off Konvicted, was released in September 2006. It is a collaboration between Akon and Snoop Dogg. This single earned Akon his first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, and Snoop's second. "I Wanna Love You" topped the U.S. charts for two consecutive weeks. In January 2007, Akon released his third single "Don't Matter" which earned him his first solo number one and second consecutive Hot 100 chart topper. "Mama Africa" was released as a European single in July 2007, making it the fourth single. It debuted in the UK at number 47. "Sorry, Blame It on Me" is the album's fifth single which debuted in August 2007, on the Hot 100 at number seven, which also happened to be a career best. The song is not available on the original album, but instead part of the Deluxe Edition of Konvicted, which came out August 28, 2007. The sixth and final single was confirmed in an interview by Akon to be "Never Took the Time." Konvicted debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 286,000 copies in its first week. After only six weeks, Konvicted sold more than one million records in the U.S. and more than 1.3 million worldwide. The album was certified platinum after seven weeks, and after sixteen weeks it was certified double platinum. Konvicted was able to stay in the top twenty of the Billboard 200 for 28 consecutive weeks, where it peaked at number two on four different occasions. On November 20, 2007, the RIAA has certified the Konvicted album triple platinum status with 3 million units sold in th United States. Currently it has sold more than 4 million worldwide.

On October 5, 2006, Akon broke a record on the Hot 100, as he achieved the largest climb in the chart's 48-year-history with "Smack That" jumping from number 95 to 7. The leap is fueled by its number six debut on Hot Digital Songs with 67,000 downloads. The record was broken on April 7, 2007 by Beyoncé and Shakira's "Beautiful Liar" when it jumped from 94 to 3 on the Hot 100, because of their 150,000 digital downloads on the Hot Digital Songs.

In December 2006, Akon's "Smack That" was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, but lost to Justin Timberlake and T.I.'s "My Love".

Akon released his new album Freedom on December 2, which spawned three singles: "Right Now (Na Na Na)", "I'm So Paid" (featuring Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy) and "Beautiful" (featuring Kardinal Offishall and Colby O'Donis). Akon is also confirmed to feature in Flo Rida's upcoming album with the song "Guarantee". The Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger said that he'll be the producer for her next album Her Name Is Nicole and she said that he will feature her in a song called "On My Side". Rap singer Nelly confirmed that Akon, Pharrell and T-Pain have talked about forming a rap supergroup in 2009.

A new song by Akon called "Angel Eyes" featuring Play-N-Skillz has leaked onto the internet; the song's instrumental is clearly from the classic Kim Carnes song, "Bette Davis Eyes".

In 2006, Akon started his new record label Kon Live Distribution under Interscope Records. His first signed artist was Ray Lavender.

He was featured on Gwen Stefani's latest album, The Sweet Escape. He made an appearance on the title track and second single, "The Sweet Escape." Akon produced the song. On December 10, 2006, Akon and Stefani appeared as musical guests on Saturday Night Live, however they did not perform the song as Stefani had not yet learned the lyrics. He performed the song live, however, on American Idol on March 28, 2007 due to Gwen Stefani's appearance as a coach the night before. "The Sweet Escape" has reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Akon collaborated with Chamillionaire on his mixtape, Mixtape Messiah 2. He is featured on "Ridin' Overseas," which he also produced. The mixtape became available for download on Chamillionaire's website on December 24, 2006.

Akon and Young Jeezy are doing a collaborative album together. In 2006, after their 2005 Akon-produced single, "Soul Survivor," the duo said that there is a lot more to expect from them in the future.

Akon also appeared on Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's album Strength and Loyalty and Three 6 Mafia's eighth studio album, Last 2 Walk, We The Best by DJ Khaled, Fabolous's album, From Nothin' to Somethin', with 50 Cent on some tracks for Curtis, T.I.'s 5th album, T.I. vs. T.I.P., Mario's third solo album Go!, and produced for Daddy Yankee's El Cartel: The Big Boss which was released on June 5, 2007.

In November 2007, Akon recorded a remix of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" with Michael Jackson. In February 2008, the remix was released on the Thriller 25 of Michael Jackson's Thriller. The remix was released as a single and charted in the top 10 in most countries. Akon has mentioned in various interviews that he is also working with Jackson on his upcoming studio album. In July 2008, a song was leaked on the internet, which is a duet of Michael Jackson and Akon. Entitled "Hold My Hand," the song features both artists singing together over a R&B/Hip-Hop style backing track, more similar to Akon's songs rather than Jackson's. It is not known whether it will be released as a single or as part of Akon's upcoming album or Jackson's rumoured new album. However it has already caused a comotion with websites such as Youtube; many videos have either been muted or deleted due to copyright issues with the song. There is also no official mention of the recording on either artist websites, and it is not included in the tracklist of Akon's upcoming album Freedom.

Akon holds the record for most guest performances on popular television show American Idol with two. He once sang "The Sweet Escape" with Gwen Stefani and three weeks later he sang "Don't Matter" on the show while it was number one on the Billboard charts.

Akon is also credited with producing the track entitled "Echo" on Latin Boy band Menudo's latest album, released in the spring of 2008.

Akon has recorded a song with E-40 titled "Wake It Up" for E-40's album, The Ball Street Journal. Akon experiments with the auto-tune effect in the song.

On July 7, 2007 Akon performed at the American leg of Live Earth.

Akon co-wrote and recorded "Put It on My Tab" with New Kids on the Block for their 2008 reunion album The Block.

From April to July 2007 Akon performed in The Sweet Escape Tour with Gwen Stefani. From July to September he embarked on his worldwide Konvicted Tour, and in September, he toured with Rihanna on the Canadian leg of her Good Girl Gone Bad Tour.

Akon will be making a guest appearance on singer Ciara's new album "Fantasy Ride" due out in early 2009.

Akon co-wrote and produced Leona Lewis' hit record Forgive Me, off her debut album Spirit.

Akon and Konvict Muzik are also producing hip hop/rock group Flipsyde's 2009 release, State of Survival, which will be released via Kon Live Distribution and Cherrytree Records.

Akon also recruits artists for his recording label. He signed Colby O'Donis and produced What You Got and Beautiful. They are smash hits.

Akon has confirmed that a reality television show is in the works. It will be called "My Brother's Keeper" and the point is that Akon's two nearly identical brothers will go around in Atlanta posing as him fooling people into thinking that it is in fact Akon. They will try to get VIP treatment, girls and free things. Akon has claimed that people have mistaken his brothers for him many times in Atlanta which is what the show is based on.

On November 30, 2007, Akon entered the Big Brother house in Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition 2 as a guest so the housemates can meet him for only 100 seconds.

He also appeared on November 17, 2008 edition of WWE Raw, with Santino Marella citing him in his speech.

Michael Jackson has also been in the studio working on a comeback project. A duet titled "Hold My Hand" leaked to the internet.

In February 2007, Akon launched his clothing line, Konvict Clothing. It features urban streetwear including denim jeans, hoodies, t-shirts and hats. Aliaune is the upscale version, or high-end line, for males and females, which includes blazers, denim jeans and other items. Timothy Hodge appeared on MTV's Direct Effect along side Akon while promotioning the Konvict clothing line.

Akon has been rumored to have three wives, but recently has said to only have one. Akon nominally belongs to the Sunni sect of Islam. Both his parents are Muslim. Polygamy is illegal in the United States of America and in many Muslim countries. He claims to have five children with three different women in an interview with Blender.

He also has his own charity for underprivileged children in Africa called Konfidence Foundation. Akon owns a diamond mine in South Africa and denies the existence of conflict diamonds (Otherwise casually referred to as 'blood diamonds'), saying, "I don't even believe in conflict diamonds. That's just a movie. Think about it. Ain't nobody thought about nothing about no conflict diamonds until the movie came out." He also allegedly had a previous occupation as a drug dealer but has stated in interviews that he's never used drugs, though some of his lyrics would suggest otherwise. Despite his alleged criminal history, he proclaims that he has turned his life around.

In 2006, he traveled to Africa to play a concert in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

In one song from his album, "Sorry, Blame It On Me," Akon apologizes to the young girl for the incident at the club, though citing the club for admitting the girl because she was under 21 and her parents for letting her go out dressed like an adult. He also tells how Verizon dropped promoting him and Gwen's tour, and stopped sale of his ringtones. He also makes several other apologies to his children, wife, and mother as well. The song is available to listen to on Akon's MySpace page and was released onto iTunes (U.S.) on July 17, 2007.

Political commentators Michelle Malkin, Laura Ingraham, and Bill O'Reilly criticized Akon for "degrading women." Malkin uploaded commentary about Akon to YouTube, using footage from music videos and the Trinidad concert, and Universal Music Group then forced its removal by issuing a DMCA takedown notice. The Electronic Frontier Foundation joined Malkin in contesting the removal as a misuse of copyright law, citing fair use. In May 2007, UMG rescinded its claim to the video, and the video returned to YouTube.

On June 3, 2007, at WSPK's KFEST concert at the Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, New York, a concert attendee threw an object towards Akon on stage. Akon asked the crowd to identify who threw the object and that he be brought on stage. Security staff grabbed the young man and took him up to the stage. Akon then pulled him up from the crowd and hoisted him across his shoulders. The singer then tossed the attendee back into the crowd from his shoulders. Video of the incident was reviewed by Fishkill police. Akon has claimed that the incident was staged and that he in fact used the act to set up for the next record. Charges of endangering the welfare of a minor, a misdemeanor, and second-degree harassment, a violation, were filed, according to police Chief Donald F. Williams, and Akon was arraigned the two charges on December 3, 2007 in the town of Fishkill Court.

In December 2008, Akon pleaded guilty to the charge of harassment in the second degree; he was sentenced to 65 hours community service and $350 in fines.

The Smoking Gun reported in April 2008 that much of Akon's purported criminal and incarceration history has been dramatically embellished. In particular, Akon's claims to be part of an auto-theft ring and his claim to have spent three years in prison were challenged with court records and interviews with detectives involved in Akon's case.

Akon has only been convicted of a single felony, that of gun possession in 1998. He received 3 years probation after pleading guilty. He ended up spending several months in jail on remand following the theft of a BMW, but the charges against him were dropped.

According to The Smoking Gun's article, Akon was not convicted of any crime and did not serve any time in prison from 1999 to 2002 as previously claimed.

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