Akon does right by himself
Even though the smash hit "Konvicted" is only his second CD, Akon feels he has achieved one of his main career goals.
"I didn't want people to put me in one (niche), trapped in one box where I could only do one type of music," the singer/songwriter/producer said in a recent phone interview.
"So the entire 'Konvicted' was a way of letting them know that I could pretty much go outside of what you see other urban acts do ... and still get a hit out of it."
One can also consider the fact that Akon is touring this summer with pop star Gwen Stefani as another sign that his music is connecting beyond a core urban music audience. "I always wanted to be able to intrigue audiences outside of the urban market as well," Akon said. "It definitely opens up so much for me to be able to expand as an artist."
Clearly, Akon doesn't lack confidence -- and given how his life has unfolded, that attitude is understandable.
The son of a famous African jazz percussionist, Mor Thiam, Akon was born Aliaune Akon Thiam and split his time between Senegal and New Jersey until he was in his teens.
He looked to be on a fast-track to a music career when still in high school. That's when he became part of the Refugee Camp, the extended musical family of the Fugees. He recorded a single, "Operations of Nature," that earned him a deal with Elektra Records -- but when the song failed to catch on in the United States, the record deal went by the wayside as well.
"It went gold overseas, but it didn't do anything domestically," Akon said. "That was the turning point for my music, especially the music career. That's when I lost all hope, and I was like, 'It's not really for me.' That's when I became a misfit."
To be more specific, Akon became a car thief. The "hustle," as he calls it, began after he moved to Atlanta shortly after the Elektra deal went south.
"I had a good friend who was actually making a lot of good money out of it," Akon said. "Every time I'd see him, he drove like the most luxurious cars. It was one of those things where hey, I want that, too. ... He showed me a lot of the ins and outs of the car game, and taught me to the point where I took it and got more creative with it. I made it a franchise."
Eventually, though, police caught up with him. The result was a three-year stint in prison.
"When I got locked up, I kind of saw all of my mistakes," Akon said. "(Music) seemed like it was the only escape route so I could get out and make decent money, do what I love to do and not be judged for my past."
After his release, Akon went to work recording tracks he'd been writing during prison, and those songs earned him a deal with Universal Records in 2003. His debut, "Trouble," arrived a year later, and its songs frequently touched on his prison experience.
This was merely a prelude, though, to "Konvicted," which stormed to No. 1 following its November release and has already topped 2 million copies sold in the U.S. alone.
Akon is also getting plenty of air time for his collaboration with Stefani, "Sweet Escape," a No. 1 hit off her latest CD.
Gwen Stefani, Akon and Lady Sovereign 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Ford Amphitheatre, Florida State Fairgrounds, 4802 U.S. 301 N., Tampa. $10 - $69.50. (727) 898-2100; www.livenation.com