Akon's rocky road to success

 

Born in the United States to Senegalese parents, Akon, or Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, spent his early years in the West African country.

"What I remember the most really was just running wild there," he says. "Barefooted, swimming in dirty lakes, selling fruit, picking mango trees, hoping not to get caught because they don't take kindly to thieves in Africa," he adds, laughing.

At around the age of 8, Akon left the "jungle" of Senegal for the "concrete jungle" of New Jersey. Yet, the transition into his new environment wasn't easy.

"Making friends was the hardest part," says Akon of his school years in the United States. "I didn't speak any English; it was a different culture, dressing different. I would get teased a lot -- not playing the bully card -- but I found myself always trying to find ways to fitting in. I was always fighting."

Akon says that it was this reality, coupled with a desire "to be cool," that sent him off the rails during his teenage years. Aged as young as 14, he was running with a bad crowd, involved in illegal activities including stealing cars -- which led to a six-month jail stint.

Africa was really expecting me to represent them well and at that time I don't think I was doing that.
Akon, singer

Today, Akon says he feels "lucky" to have left that lifestyle behind him.

"The guys I came up with, none of them are here right now," he says. "Four of them are dead, three are doing double life," he adds. "It's more of a bitter-sweet success story for me because I was the one that actually slipped away and its only because I made the decision to change my life over after that one experience."