Akon

AKON is an award-winning, multi-platinum Senegalese-American artist, singer, producer, entrepreneur, actor and philanthropist. He is best known for having dominated the Billboard charts with his unique sound that blends R&B/hip-hop, EDM/dance and pop. AKON is the founder of three major record labels: Konlive, Konvict Kulture and KONVICT Music, through which he helped build the careers of global stars such as T-Pain, Lady Gaga and Kardinal Offishall.
In over two decades, he has sold more than 35 million albums worldwide, received five GRAMMY nominations, placed 45 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and made over 300 guest appearances for music icons such as Michael Jackson, David Guetta, Gwen Stefani, Lil' Wayne and Eminem. His numerous awards include an American Music Award as "Favorite R&B Male Artist", three World Music Awards ("Best Selling African Artist", "Best Selling Internet Artist" and "Best Selling R&B Male Artist"), a Billboard Music Award as "Artist of the Year" and an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling artist for ringtones. He is also the first solo artist in music history to simultaneously occupy the number 1 and 2 spots on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2010, AKON was included in Forbes' Top Celebrity 100 list, and he also produced and released the song "Oh Africa" for the 2010 FIFA World Cup at the request of Pepsi. His philanthropic commitment led to the establishment of TheKonfidence Foundation, which supports disadvantaged children in Africa and the USA. He also initiated a project to provide electricity to one million African households by the end of 2014. In 2018, he launched Akoin, a cryptocurrency with the aim of empowering African communities through economic development.