Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Bongo Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam(born April 16, 1973), known as Akon (pronounced /ˈeɪkɒn/), is a Senegalese American R&B and hip hop recording artist, songwriter, and record producer.He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of “Locked Up”, the first single from his debut album Trouble.