The s Mother, Kine Thiam - 959 Words

Born as Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, â€Å"Akon† was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 16, 1973, the son of Senegalese parents who traveled to the United States for his birth in order to ensure that future immigration would not be a problem for them. His family returned to Dakar, Senegal, in West Africa, when Akon was young and lived there until he was seven years old, when they moved back to the United States. He had a difficult time adjusting to life in the United States. Akon’s mother, Kine Thiam, is a dancer; his father, Mor Thiam, whom is a well-known as a jazz percussionist. From Akon’s influence from his parent, Akon had a strong love for music from an early age. After growing up in Jersey City, New Jersey, Akon began singing and performing as a teenager. Surrounded by music at home, Akon developed an early appreciation of various types of music, and he grasped influence from Stevie Wonder and Phil Collins to Steely Dan. As a teenager he grew to love hip-hop music, and he began writing songs, blending RB lyrics with hip-hop beat structures. Though he showed an early musical talent, Akon did not believe he would succeed as a recording artist, and at a young age he turned to crime to make ends meet such as: gang banging and drug procession. After dropping out of high school, Akon moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he specialized in stealing high end automobiles, selling them, selling drugs, and gun activities. After multiple attempts of auto theft, his criminal