Akon quite literally got "Locked Up" last week as he was arrested in DeKalb County, Georgia, according to police reports. The singer, whose real name is Aliaune Thiam, was detained by the Chamblee Police Department on Friday morning, before he was released from jail six hours later. The 52-year-old is a Senegalese-American musician whose work blends the genres of Reggae, R&B, Indian Film Pop, and Afrobeats. Akon rose to fame in 2004 and boasts five Grammy Awards nominations alongside a slew of wins, including American Music Awards, World Music Awards, and Billboard Awards. HELLO! takes a closer look at how the singer’s career has evolved over the past two decades – and what his recent arrest means for his future.
© Hindustan Times via Getty ImagesArrest
Akon was arrested after a Flock security camera alerted officers that a vehicle registered to someone with an out-of-county arrest warrant had been spotted at Tint World, an auto styling center. According to the CPD arrest report, the musician remained calm during the arrest and acknowledged that he was aware of the outstanding warrant.
A representative for the artist shared a statement with The Independent following Akon's arrest. "Due to a clerical issue the suspended license should have never been escalated, it was paid but not properly entered into the system. This will be soon rectified in the courts in early December," they said.
© GC ImagesSeptember incident
The musician was wanted in Roswell, Georgia, in connection with an incident that took place in September. Police reportedly found Akon stranded on the side of the road after the battery in his Tesla Cybertruck died. During the stop, officers discovered he was driving with a suspended license. He was issued a citation, his license was confiscated, and authorities also seized an illegal vape.
© Hindustan Times via Getty ImagesTour
Akon is currently undergoing a tour in India. Despite his arrest, the musician took to Instagram this week to share a video of himself performing his track "Akon's Beautiful Day" in a studio. He captioned the post: "It's a beautiful day."
© FilmMagicFame
The singer rose to prominence in the Noughties with his hit single "Locked Up". He’s also known for his songs "Smack That", " Lonely", and "I Wanna Love You". Akon made history as the first solo artist to simultaneously hold the top two spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart — not once, but twice. Today, his net worth stands at a staggering $50 million.
The star founded his company, Akon Lighting Africa, in 2014 in partnership with Samba Battily and Thione Niang. Akon planned to bring electricity and economic opportunity to 600 million people across Africa. Supported by a $1 billion credit line from a Chinese solar company, the project has already brought power to communities in over a dozen African nations – among them Senegal, Niger, and Benin.
© Billboard via Getty ImagesFamily
In September, Akon's wife, Tomeka Thiam, filed for divorce after 28 years of marriage citing irreconcilable differences.. The singer is a father to seven boys and two girls, whom he shares with three different women. She requested joint legal custody of their daughter, with physical custody granted to her and visitation rights for Akon. She also asked for spousal support and requested that the court deny any such support to Akon.
