107-397: Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam (born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon ( / ˈ eɪ k ɒ n / ), is a Senegalese-American singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. An influential figure in world music , he rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of his single " Locked Up " (featuring Styles P ). Styled in hip hop , it preceded
214-460: A 21-years-and-over age requirement. The incident was filmed by Akon's crew and later uploaded to the Internet. On April 20, 2007, local media, channel CCN TV6 , aired the video clip publicly. Amid criticism on the radio, television, and from the blogosphere , Verizon Wireless removed ringtones featuring Akon's songs. Verizon also decided not to sponsor The Sweet Escape Tour where Akon was to be
321-761: A Mississippi River expedition led by Laclède, who searched for a location to base the company's fur trading operations. Though Ste. Genevieve was already established as a trading center, he sought a place less prone to flooding. He found an elevated area overlooking the flood plain of the Mississippi River, not far south from its confluence with the Missouri and Illinois rivers. In addition to having an advantageous natural drainage system, there were nearby forested areas to supply timber and grasslands which could easily be converted for agricultural purposes. Laclède declared that this place "might become, hereafter, one of
428-652: A collaborative mixtape with Konvict signees entitled Konvict Kartel Vol. 2 . In 2018, he collaborated with reggaeton singer Ozuna on the bilingual single " Coméntale ", the first time that Akon sang in Spanish in a Latin song. At the time, he stated he had adopted the nickname "El Negreeto" and would be pursuing collaborations with other Spanish-language artists. Akon has announced his new record label Akonik Label Group and will release four studio albums in different genres. In May 2019, Akon released his first Latin single "Get Money", featuring Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA . It
535-526: A customs house was constructed in the Greek Revival style in 1852, but was demolished and replaced in 1873 by the U.S. Customhouse and Post Office . Because much of the city's commercial and industrial development was centered along the riverfront, many pre-Civil War buildings were demolished during construction of the Gateway Arch. The city's remaining architectural heritage of the era includes
642-419: A friendship and mentorship , with the young artist regularly stopping by to ask for advice, with Stephens eventually signing him to his production company and began grooming him professionally. The songs Akon recorded with Stephens were brought to the attention of Universal 's imprint SRC Records . In an interview with HitQuarters SRC A&R Jerome "Knobody" Foster said, "What caught my attention right away
749-543: A greater population than New Orleans. Settled by many Southerners in a slave state , the city was split in political sympathies and became polarized during the American Civil War . In 1861, 28 civilians were killed in a clash with Union troops . The war hurt St. Louis economically, due to the Union blockade of river traffic to the south on the Mississippi River. The St. Louis Arsenal constructed ironclads for
856-503: A multi-block district of cobblestone streets and brick and cast-iron warehouses called Laclede's Landing . Now popular for its restaurants and nightclubs, the district is located north of Gateway Arch along the riverfront. Other industrial buildings from the era include some portions of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery , which date to the 1860s. St. Louis saw a vast expansion in variety and number of religious buildings during
963-542: A pan-tribal alliance to counter British control over the region but received little support from the indigenous residents of St. Louis. By 1765, the city began receiving visits from representatives of the British, French, and Spanish governments. St. Louis was transferred to the French First Republic in 1800 (although all of the colonial lands continued to be administered by Spanish officials), then sold by
1070-540: A public corridor of 300 feet fronting the river, but later this area was released for private development. For the city's first few years, it was not recognized by any governments. Although the settlement was thought to be under the control of the Spanish government, no one asserted any authority over it, and thus St. Louis had no local government. This vacuum led Laclède to assume civil control, and all problems were disposed in public settings, such as communal meetings. In addition, Laclède granted new settlers lots in town and
1177-607: A recount of the votes in November, officially did so in March 1877. The 1877 St. Louis general strike caused significant upheaval, in a fight for the eight-hour day and the banning of child labor. Industrial production continued to increase during the late 19th century. Major corporations such as the Anheuser-Busch brewery, Ralston Purina company and Desloge Consolidated Lead Company were established at St. Louis which
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#17327803602701284-817: A significant part of his childhood in Senegal, which he described as his "hometown". Akon learned to play five instruments, including drums, guitar and djembe . At age seven, he and his family relocated to Union City, New Jersey , splitting his time between the United States and Senegal until settling in Newark . Growing up in New Jersey, Akon had difficulties getting along with other children. When he and his younger brother, Bu Thiam , reached high school, his parents left them on their own in Jersey City and moved
1391-495: A symbol of failure in public housing, and was torn down less than two decades after it was built. Since the 1980s, several revitalization efforts have focused on Downtown St. Louis . The urban revitalization projects that started in the 1980s continued into the new century. The city's old garment district , centered on Washington Avenue in the Downtown and Downtown West neighborhoods, experienced major development starting in
1498-707: A third single " Don't Matter " which earned him his first solo number one and second consecutive Hot 100 chart-topper was released. " Mama Africa " was released as a European single in July 2007, making it the fourth overall single from the album. To coincide with the release of the deluxe edition of the album " Sorry, Blame It on Me " debuted in August 2007 on the Hot 100 at number seven. In February 2007, Akon launched his clothing line Konvict Clothing . It features urban streetwear including denim jeans, hoodies, T-shirts and hats. Aliaune
1605-879: A water route to the Pacific Ocean, but the party had to go overland in the Upper West. They reached the Pacific Ocean via the Columbia River in summer 1805. They returned, reaching St. Louis on September 23, 1806. Both Lewis and Clark lived in St. Louis after the expedition. Many other explorers, settlers, and trappers (such as Ashley's Hundred ) would later take a similar route to the West. The city elected its first municipal legislators (called trustees) in 1808. Steamboats first arrived in St. Louis in 1817, improving connections with New Orleans and eastern markets. Missouri
1712-603: Is Jackson's last known song before he died on June 25, 2009. Akon finished work on the song for Jackson's posthumous album, Michael , and it was released as a single in November 2010. Akon co-wrote and recorded "Put It on My Tab" with New Kids on the Block for their 2008 reunion album The Block . He also co-wrote and produced Leona Lewis ' single " Forgive Me " and worked with X Factor 2008 winner Alexandra Burke on her debut album. He later worked with Whitney Houston for her 2009 comeback album I Look to You , appearing on
1819-605: Is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri . It is located near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while its metropolitan area , which extends into Illinois , had an estimated population of over 2.8 million. It is the largest metropolitan area in Missouri and the second-largest in Illinois. The city's combined statistical area
1926-611: Is an example of the Polish Cathedral style . Among the other major designs of the period were St. Alphonsus Liguori (known as The Rock Church ) (1867) in the Gothic Revival and Second Presbyterian Church of St. Louis (1900) in Richardsonian Romanesque . By the 1900 census , St. Louis was the fourth largest city in the country. In 1904, the city hosted a world's fair at Forest Park called
2033-671: Is home to fifteen Fortune 1000 companies, seven of which are also Fortune 500 companies. Federal agencies headquartered in the city or with significant operations there include the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis , the U.S. Department of Agriculture , and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency . Major research universities in Greater St. Louis include Washington University in St. Louis , Saint Louis University , and
2140-456: Is in fact, Akon. They will try to get VIP treatment and freebies. Akon has said that people have mistaken his brothers for him many times in Atlanta, which is what the show is based on. In 2006, it was announced that Akon is planning to work on a full-length movie titled Illegal Alien , which will be based on his life. Several sources have reported that actor Mekhi Phifer will portray Akon in
2247-407: Is the 20th-largest in the United States. The land that became St. Louis had been occupied by Native American cultures for thousands of years before European settlement . The city was founded on February 14, 1764, by French fur traders Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent , Pierre Laclède , and Auguste Chouteau . They named it for King Louis IX of France , and it quickly became the regional center of
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#17327803602702354-455: Is the Mississippi River, which separates Missouri from Illinois. The Missouri River forms the northern line of St. Louis County, except for a few areas where the river has changed its course. The Meramec River forms most of its southern line. The urban area of St. Louis has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen : Cfa ); however, its metropolitan region even to the south may present a hot-summer humid continental climate ( Dfa ), which shows
2461-800: Is the tallest building in St. Louis. During the 1990s, St. Louis saw the construction of the largest United States courthouse by area, the Thomas F. Eagleton United States Courthouse (2000). The Eagleton Courthouse is home to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit . The most recent high-rise buildings in St. Louis include two residential towers: One Hundred in
2568-697: Is the upscale version, or high-end line, for males and females, which includes blazers, denim jeans and other items. He produced and featured on Gwen Stefani 's " The Sweet Escape " which has reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 . Akon performed at the American leg of Live Earth . He later recorded a remix of " Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " by Michael Jackson for the 25th-anniversary rerelease of Jackson's Thriller . He also worked with bachata group Aventura and Reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel on All Up 2 You . The song received two nominations at
2675-906: The Billboard Hot 100 , respectively, along with two of his singles released the following year: " Don't Matter " and his guest performance on Gwen Stefani 's " The Sweet Escape "; this made Akon the first solo artist to concurrently hold the top two positions on the chart twice. His third album, Freedom (2008), was supported by the top ten single, " Right Now (Na Na Na) ", as well as the top 40 singles " I'm So Paid " (featuring Lil Wayne and Jeezy ) and " Beautiful " (featuring Colby O'Donis and Kardinal Offishall ). His fourth album, El Negreeto (2019), explored reggaeton and Latin music , while his fifth album, Akonda (also 2019), explored Afrobeats ; both of which failed to chart. Along with his solo career, Akon has guest performed on 23 Billboard Hot 100 entries for other artists—such activity earned him two additional Grammy Award nominations. Akon founded
2782-508: The Billboard Hot 100. He co-wrote Kon Live artist Lady Gaga 's hit " Just Dance ", and which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards . After the unexpected death of Michael Jackson , who Akon was working with, Akon released a tribute song called "Cry Out of Joy". Akon said he was close friends with Jackson near the end of Jackson's life in an interview with UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of
2889-669: The Illinois Country (also known as Upper Louisiana) were built by the French during the 1690s and early 1700s at Cahokia , Kaskaskia , and Fort de Chartres . Migrants from the French villages on the east side of the Mississippi River , such as Kaskaskia, also founded Ste. Genevieve in the 1730s. In 1764, after France lost the Seven Years' War , Pierre Laclède and his stepson Auguste Chouteau founded what
2996-619: The Louisiana Purchase Exposition , also known as the St. Louis World's Fair, and the Summer Olympics . St. Louis is designated as one of 173 global cities by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network . The GDP of Greater St. Louis was $ 209.9 billion in 2022. St. Louis has a diverse economy with strengths in the service, manufacturing, trade, transportation, and aviation industries. It
3103-517: The Louisiana Purchase Exposition . Its architectural legacy is somewhat scattered. Among the fair-related cultural institutions in the park are the St. Louis Art Museum designed by Cass Gilbert , part of the remaining lagoon at the foot of Art Hill, and the Flight Cage at the St. Louis Zoo . The Missouri History Museum was built afterward, with the profit from the fair. But 1904 left other assets to
3210-683: The Missouri History Museum , and Tower Grove Park and the Botanical Gardens. After the Civil War, social and racial discrimination in housing and employment were common in St. Louis. In 1916, during the Jim Crow Era , St. Louis passed a residential segregation ordinance saying that if 75% of the residents of a neighborhood were of a certain race, no one from a different race was allowed to move in. That ordinance
3317-551: The Missouri River . The Chouteau brothers gained a monopoly from Spain on the fur trade with Santa Fe . French colonists used African slaves as domestic servants and workers in the city. During the negotiations for the 1763 Treaty of Paris , French negotiators agreed to transfer France's colonial territories west of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers to New Spain to compensate for Spanish territorial losses during
Akon - Misplaced Pages Continue
3424-736: The St. Louis BattleHawks of the United Football League . The city's attractions include the 630-foot (192 m) Gateway Arch in Downtown St. Louis , the St. Louis Zoo , the Missouri Botanical Garden , the St. Louis Art Museum , and Bellefontaine Cemetery . [REDACTED] Kingdom of France 1690s–1763 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Spain 1763–1800 [REDACTED] French First Republic 1800–1803 [REDACTED] United States 1803–present The area that became St. Louis
3531-463: The Union Navy . Slaves worked in many jobs on the waterfront and on the riverboats. Given the city's location close to the free state of Illinois and others, some slaves escaped to freedom. Others, especially women with children, sued in court in freedom suits , and several prominent local attorneys aided slaves in these suits. About half the slaves achieved freedom in hundreds of suits before
3638-633: The University of Missouri–St. Louis . The Washington University Medical Center in the Central West End neighborhood hosts an agglomeration of medical and pharmaceutical institutions , including Barnes-Jewish Hospital . St. Louis has four professional sports teams : the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball , the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League , St. Louis City SC of Major League Soccer , and
3745-428: The $ 6 billion city. "The stone itself sits at the bottom of a dirt track in a field; a small placard advertising the megaproject has fallen off it." A suit has been brought against Akon in the United States by Devyne Stephens for a debt of almost 4 million dollars borrowed as part of the implementation of his futuristic city project. Stephens said that Akon City and Akoin are part of a fraudulent scheme. In August 2024,
3852-444: The 1970s, leading to a court challenge and interdistrict desegregation agreement. Students have been bused mostly from the city to county school districts to have opportunities for integrated classes, although the city has created magnet schools to attract students. St. Louis, like many Midwestern cities, expanded in the early 20th century due to industrialization, which provided jobs to new generations of immigrants and migrants from
3959-413: The 19th and 20th century, most major cities aggressively annexed surrounding areas as residential development occurred away from the central city; however, St. Louis was unable to do so. Several urban renewal projects were built in the 1950s, as the city worked to replace old and substandard housing. Some of these were poorly designed and resulted in problems. One prominent example, Pruitt–Igoe , became
4066-614: The 2010 World Cup with Pepsi. According to Forbes , Akon grossed $ 13 million in 2011, $ 21 million in 2010, $ 20 million in 2009 and $ 12 million in 2008. A single, " Angel ", produced by Guetta, was released in September 2010, which peaked at number 56 on the US Billboard charts, significantly lower than his previous outings. Akon performed the song during the 2010 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show . Akon travelled to Jamaica to work with Damian , Julian and Stephen Marley . Around
4173-537: The American Civil War. The printing press of abolitionist Elijah Parish Lovejoy was destroyed for the third time by townsfolk. He was murdered the next year in nearby Alton, Illinois . After the war, St. Louis profited via trade with the West, aided by the 1874 completion of the Eads Bridge , named for its design engineer. Industrial developments on both banks of the river were linked by the bridge,
4280-831: The Buddha statue that can be seen several times in the background. Considering the allegations against Akon, the Sri Lankan Government decided not to issue him a visa to enter Sri Lanka . Mononym Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.133 via cp1102 cp1102, Varnish XID 572307576 Upstream caches: cp1102 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:52:40 GMT St. Louis St. Louis ( / s eɪ n t ˈ l uː ɪ s , s ən t -/ saynt LOO -iss, sənt- )
4387-642: The Central West End neighborhood and One Cardinal Way in the Downtown neighborhood. The city is divided into 79 officially-recognized neighborhoods. According to the United States Census Bureau , St. Louis has a total area of 66 square miles (170 km ), of which 62 square miles (160 km ) is land and 4.1 square miles (11 km ) (6.2%) is water. The city is built on bluffs and terraces that rise 100–200 feet above
Akon - Misplaced Pages Continue
4494-664: The English and Hindi lyrics of " Chammak Challo " as a part of the soundtrack for the 2011 Bollywood film Ra.One . Akon made his acting debut appearing alongside an ensemble cast in the 2012 Nigerian-American film Black November . In 2014, he starred alongside Hayden Christensen and Adrien Brody in the action movie, American Heist , directed by Sarik Andreasyan . Akon is a polygamist . In 2007, Akon revealed he has six children with three women in an interview with Blender , stating he has great relationships with all of them. He says he wishes to keep his family protected from
4601-555: The French Illinois Country . In 1804, the United States acquired St. Louis as part of the Louisiana Purchase . In the 19th century, St. Louis developed as a major port on the Mississippi River; from 1870 until the 1920 census, it was the fourth-largest city in the country. It separated from St. Louis County in 1877, becoming an independent city and limiting its political boundaries. In 1904, it hosted
4708-576: The French to the U.S. in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase . St. Louis became the capital of, and gateway to, the new territory. Shortly after the official transfer of authority was made, the Lewis and Clark Expedition was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson. The expedition departed from St. Louis in May 1804 along the Missouri River to explore the vast territory. There were hopes of finding
4815-524: The NFL in 2017, alleging the league breached its own relocation guidelines to profit at the expense of the city. In 2021, the NFL and Rams owner Stan Kroenke agreed to settle out of court with the city for $ 790 million. The architecture of St. Louis exhibits a variety of commercial, residential, and monumental architecture . St. Louis is known for the Gateway Arch , the tallest monument constructed in
4922-566: The Premios Lo Nuestro 2010 for "Urban Song of the Year" and "Video Collaboration of the Year". He signed Jayko, a Hispanic R&B and Reggaeton artist, to his label. Akon released his third album Freedom on December 2, 2008, which spawned four singles: " Right Now (Na Na Na) ", " I'm So Paid " (featuring Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy ), " Beautiful " (featuring Colby O'Donis and Kardinal Offishall ) and " We Don't Care ". Freedom
5029-464: The South. It reached its peak population of 856,796 at the 1950 census. Suburbanization from the 1950s through the 1990s dramatically reduced the city's population, as did restructuring of industry and loss of jobs. The effects of suburbanization were exacerbated by the small geographical size of St. Louis due to its earlier decision to become an independent city, and it lost much of its tax base. During
5136-608: The Trinidad concert, and Universal Music Group then forced its removal by issuing a DMCA takedown notice. The Electronic Frontier Foundation joined Malkin in contesting the removal as a misuse of copyright law, citing fair use . In May 2007, UMG rescinded its claim to the video, and the video returned to YouTube. In 2010, Buddhist groups in Sri Lanka vehemently protested a planned concert by Akon, saying his music video with Guetta for " Sexy Chick " insulted Buddhism because of
5243-630: The US. The album was certified platinum after seven weeks, and after sixteen weeks it was certified double platinum. It stayed in the top twenty of the Billboard 200 for 28 consecutive weeks and peaked at number two on four occasions. On November 20, 2007, the RIAA certified the album 'triple platinum' with 3 million units sold in the US. The album included collaborations with Eminem , Snoop Dogg , and Styles P . The first single " Smack That " (featuring Eminem)
5350-412: The United States at 630 feet (190 m). The Arch pays homage to Thomas Jefferson and St. Louis's position as the gateway to the West. Architectural influences reflected in the area include French Colonial , German , early American , and modern architectural styles. Several examples of religious structures are extant from the pre-Civil War period, and most reflect the common residential styles of
5457-414: The agreements for the city have been finalized and the project is underway. He captioned a photo of himself with Senegal president Macky Sall "Looking forward to hosting you there in the future." In June 2020, it was announced that the engineering and consulting firm KE International (the same firm responsible for building Mwale Medical and Technology City ) had been awarded a $ 6 billion contract to build
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#17327803602705564-568: The area encountered by early Europeans included the Siouan -speaking Osage people , whose territory extended west, and the Illiniwek . European exploration of the area was first recorded in 1673, when French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette traveled through the Mississippi River valley. Five years later, La Salle claimed the region for France as part of La Louisiane , also known as Louisiana . The earliest European settlements in
5671-446: The area, and parts of the city are karst in nature. This is particularly true of the area south of downtown, which has numerous sinkholes and caves. Most of the caves in the city have been sealed, but many springs are visible along the riverfront. Coal, brick clay , and millerite ore were once mined in the city. The predominant surface rock, known as St. Louis limestone , is used as dimension stone and rubble for construction. Near
5778-425: The artists Peter Buffett and Akon has partnered with DoSomething.org, to coincide with the release of "Blood Into Gold". The song focused on human trafficking and featured both artists. David Guetta collaborated with Akon in " Sexy Bitch ", the first house track by Akon. The song reached number 1 in more than six countries and charted at 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 . He produced and recorded " Oh Africa " for
5885-480: The award-winning 'Blues & Soul' in October 2008. In July 2008, a song called " Hold My Hand ", an R&B duet/collaboration between Michael Jackson and Akon, circulated the internet. It was not included in the tracklist for Freedom as Akon previously stated. During an interview with Tavis Smiley , Akon said that Jackson had planned on a high-profile release including a music video until the track had leaked. This
5992-484: The central corridor has seen major investment starting in the early 2010s. Between 2013 and 2018, over $ 50 million worth of residential construction has been built in the neighborhood. The population of the neighborhood has increased by 19% from the 2010 to 2020 Census. The St. Louis Rams of the National Football League controversially returned to Los Angeles in 2016. The city of St. Louis sued
6099-567: The city hosted the World's Fair and the Olympics , becoming the first non-European city to host the games. The formal name for the 1904 World's Fair was the Louisiana Purchase Exposition . Permanent facilities and structures remaining from the fair are located in Forest Park , and other notable structures within the park's boundaries include the St. Louis Art Museum , the St. Louis Zoo and
6206-434: The city, like Theodore Link 's 1894 St. Louis Union Station , and an improved Forest Park. One US Bank Plaza , the local headquarters for US Bancorp , was constructed in 1976 in the structural expressionist style. Several notable postmodern commercial skyscrapers were built downtown in the 1970s and 1980s, including the former AT&T building at 909 Chestnut Street (1986), and One Metropolitan Square (1989), which
6313-415: The city. Phase 1 of construction, which was due to begin in 2023 and be completed in 2026, is to include roads, a hospital, residences, hotels, a police station, a waste facility, a school, and a solar power plant. The project has not begun construction, well past schedule; locals are concerned about a lack of progress. On September 1, 2020, Akon told a news conference that he had laid the first stone of
6420-488: The construction of the Gateway Arch to publicize their effort to gain entry for African Americans into the skilled trade unions, where they were underrepresented. The Department of Justice filed the first suit against the unions under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 . Between 1900 and 1929, St. Louis, had about 220 automakers, close to 10 percent of all American carmakers, about half of which built cars exclusively in St. Louis. Notable names include Dorris, Gardner and Moon. In
6527-448: The early 19th century. The original St. Louis courthouse was built in 1826 and featured a Federal style stone facade with a rounded portico. However, this courthouse was replaced during renovation and expansion of the building in the 1850s. The Old St. Louis County Courthouse (known as the Old Courthouse ) was completed in 1864 and was notable for having a cast iron dome and for being the tallest structure in Missouri until 1894. Finally,
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#17327803602706634-648: The effect of the urban heat island in the city. The city experiences hot, humid summers and chilly to cold winters. It is subject to both cold Arctic air and hot, humid tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico . The average annual temperature recorded at nearby Lambert–St. Louis International Airport , is 57.4 °F (14.1 °C). 100 and 0 °F (38 and −18 °C) temperatures can be seen on an average 3 and 1 days per year, respectively. Precipitation averages 41.70 inches (1,100 mm), but has ranged from 20.59 in (523 mm) in 1953 to 61.24 in (1,555 mm) in 2015. The highest recorded temperature in St. Louis
6741-521: The film. Akon confirmed in an August 2007 interview with the Polish website INTERIA.PL that he worked on a movie called "Cocaine Cowboys", which tells the story of Jon Roberts , the main pilot of the Medellín Cartel . On November 30, 2007, Akon entered the Big Brother house in Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition 2 as a guest. He also appeared on the edition of November 17, 2008, of WWE Raw , with Santino Marella citing him in his speech. He collaborated with music director duo Vishal–Shekhar and
6848-426: The finest cities in America". He dispatched his 14-year-old stepson, Auguste Chouteau , to the site, with the support of 30 settlers in February 1764. Laclède arrived at the future town site two months later and produced a plan for St. Louis based on the New Orleans street plan. The default block size was 240 by 300 feet, with just three long avenues running parallel to the west bank of the Mississippi. He established
6955-414: The first part of the century, St. Louis had some of the worst air pollution in the United States . In April 1940, the city banned the use of soft coal mined in nearby states. The city hired inspectors to ensure that only anthracite was burned. By 1946, the city had reduced air pollution by about 75%. De jure educational segregation continued into the 1950s, and de facto segregation continued into
7062-449: The government of Senegal, through Sapco-Senegal, Senegal's state-owned tourist and coastal development company, issued an ultimatum to Akon: start work or lose 90% of the land allocated for the project. Akon has confirmed that a reality television show is in the works. It will be called My Brother's Keeper , and the point is that Akon's two nearly identical brothers will go around in Atlanta posing as him fooling people into thinking that it
7169-501: The late 1990s as many of the old factory and warehouse buildings were converted into lofts. The American Planning Association designated Washington Avenue as one of 10 Great Streets for 2011. The Cortex Innovation Community , located within the city's Central West End neighborhood, was founded in 2002 and has become a multi-billion dollar economic engine for the region, with companies such as Microsoft and Boeing currently leasing office space. The Forest Park Southeast neighborhood in
7276-415: The late 19th century and early 20th century. The largest and most ornate of these is the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis , designed by Thomas P. Barnett and constructed between 1907 and 1914 in the Neo-Byzantine style. The St. Louis Cathedral, as it is known, has one of the largest mosaic collections in the world. Another landmark in religious architecture of St. Louis is the St. Stanislaus Kostka , which
7383-430: The non-profit Akon Lighting Africa in 2014 and has begun development on his own city in Senegal, which is scheduled for completion in 2028. Forbes ranked Akon 80th (Power Rank) in the Forbes Celebrity 100 in 2010 and 5th in the 40 Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa list, in 2011. Billboard ranked Akon number 6 on the list of Top Digital Songs Artists of the decade. He was listed by Guinness World Records as
7490-423: The north, and the grounds of the Gateway Arch, to the south. Today the road deck has been restored, allowing vehicular and pedestrian traffic to cross the river. The St. Louis MetroLink light rail system has used the rail deck since 1993. An estimated 8,500 vehicles pass through it daily. On August 22, 1876, the city of St. Louis voted to secede from St. Louis County and become an independent city, and, following
7597-438: The number 8 position in the US and number 5 in the UK. "Ghetto" became a radio hit when it was remixed by DJ Green Lantern to include verses from rappers 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. The album is a hybrid of Akon's silky, West African-styled vocals mixed with East Coast and Southern beats. Most of Akon's songs begin with the sound of the clank of a jail cell's door with him uttering the word "Konvict". In 2005, he released
7704-497: The number-one selling artist for master ringtones in the world, with 11 million sold by December 2007. Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam was born on April 16, 1973, in St. Louis , Missouri , to a Muslim family. His mother is dancer Kine Gueye Thiam ( née Gueye), and his father is percussionist Mor Thiam . Mor Thiam was born to a Toucouleur family of Quranic scholars in Kaolack , Senegal. Akon spent
7811-562: The opening act for Gwen Stefani . However, Universal Music Group did not take action against Akon, but rather simply ordered the video clip be removed from video-sharing site YouTube due to copyright infringement . Conservative commentator and Parents Television Council founder Brent Bozell called this "corporate irresponsibility". Right wing political commentators Michelle Malkin , Laura Ingraham , and Bill O'Reilly criticized Akon for "degrading women". Malkin uploaded commentary about Akon to YouTube , using footage from music videos and
7918-666: The promotional single "Dirty Work", featuring Wiz Khalifa , which was released in February 2013, peaking at number 31 on the Rhythmic Billboard charts . Later that year, on November 11, 2013, Akon released a standalone single titled " So Blue ". On January 1, 2015, Akon released five singles from Stadium . He also announced that the album would be a quintuple album, broken up into five genres (Euro, Pop, Urban, Island & World). All singles failed to chart. In November 2015, Akon announced via his official website that he
8025-472: The public eye. As of December 2022, he has 9 children and four wives. Akon is a Muslim and a teetotaler . Akon owned a diamond mine in South Africa and denied the existence of blood diamonds (also known as "conflict diamonds") in a 2007 interview, saying: "I don't believe in conflict diamonds. That's just a movie. Think about it. Nobody thought or cared about conflict diamonds until Blood Diamond
8132-620: The record labels Konvict Muzik in 2004 and KonLive Distribution in 2007, through which he has signed commercially successful acts including Lady Gaga , T-Pain , R. City , Kardinal Offishall , Jeffree Star and French Montana , among others. In addition, he holds a separate career in production and songwriting predominantly for artists on the labels, but also for other artists such as Michael Jackson , Snoop Dogg , Lionel Richie , Leona Lewis , Sean Paul , Whitney Houston , Mario , and Estelle , among others. Akon has since been prolific in charitable and philanthropic endeavors. He launched
8239-619: The release of his debut studio album Trouble (2004), which became his commercial breakthrough and spawned the R&;B -styled follow-up, " Lonely " the following year. His second album, Konvicted (2006), was met with continued success and was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards , while its lead singles, " I Wanna Love You " (featuring Snoop Dogg ) and " Smack That " (featuring Eminem ), both received nominations for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration . The songs simultaneously peaked at numbers one and two on
8346-581: The rest of the family to Atlanta , Georgia. Akon attended William L. Dickinson High School in Jersey City. When still in high school, he became part of the Refugee Camp, the extended musical family of the Fugees . In 1996, 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
8453-534: The same time, Akon collaborated with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg on " Kush ", charting on number 36 on the Billboard charts. The single was first intended to from Dr. Dre's forthcoming album Detox ; however, it was removed from the final album track list, with the album eventually being unreleased. He also contributed " We Are the World: 25 for Haiti ", a charity single in aid of the 2010 Haiti earthquake . After an almost three-year hiatus from solo work, Akon released
8560-661: The second in the Midwest over the Mississippi River after the Hennepin Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis. The bridge connects St. Louis, Missouri to East St. Louis, Illinois . The Eads Bridge became a symbolic image of the city of St. Louis, from the time of its erection until 1965 when the Gateway Arch Bridge was constructed. The bridge crosses the St. Louis riverfront between Laclede's Landing, to
8667-610: The show that he is a fan of the English Premier League club Chelsea F.C. In April 2007, Akon drew criticism for an onstage act that included simulated sex with Danah Alleyne — a 15-year-old girl at the time who is the daughter of a pastor and sister of Crime Watch host Ian Alleyne — at the Zen Nightclub in Port of Spain , Trinidad and Tobago, as part of a fake contest, despite the club's statement to have
8774-567: The single "Lonely" (which samples Bobby Vinton 's " Mr. Lonely "). The song reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 , and topped the charts in Australia, the UK and Germany. His album also climbed to number one in the UK in April 2005. When music channel The Box had a top ten weekly chart, which was calculated by the number of video requests, Akon's "Lonely" became the longest-running single on
8881-562: The singles "Want Some", "Hypnotized" and "Good Girls Lie", upon striking a new record deal with Atlantic Records . In April 2016, Akon appeared in the Chinese reality TV show I Am a Singer along with the Taiwanese singer Jeff Chang . Later that year, he was featured on the remix of Joey Montana 's single " Picky ", and featured alongside Chris Brown on Gucci Mane 's Michael Jackson tribute single "Moonwalk". In late 2017, he released
8988-644: The song " Soul Survivor ". In December the same year, his manager Robert Montanez was killed in a shooting after a dispute in New Jersey . In 2006, Akon and Young Jeezy suggested plans for a collaborative album. Akon started his new record label KonLive Distribution under Interscope Records . His second album, Konvicted , was released in November 2006 and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 , selling 286,000 copies in its first week. After only six weeks, Konvicted sold more than one million records in
9095-635: The song's sales, streaming and views are being donated to Feeding America and the Anthony Robbins Foundation as relief to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic . In 2018, Akon announced he was working with the Senegalese government to build a tourist city with a cryptocurrency -based economy named Akon City, using Akon's own cryptocurrency, Akoin, at the transactional center. On January 13, 2020, Akon shared on Twitter that
9202-550: The southern boundary of the city of St. Louis (separating it from St. Louis County ) is the River des Peres , practically the only river or stream within the city limits that is not entirely underground. Most of River des Peres was confined to a channel or put underground in the 1920s and early 1930s. The lower section of the river was the site of some of the worst flooding of the Great Flood of 1993 . The city's eastern boundary
9309-520: The surrounding countryside. In hindsight, many of these original settlers thought of these first few years as "the golden age of St. Louis". In 1763, the Native Americans in the region around St. Louis began expressing dissatisfaction with the victorious British, objecting to their refusal to continue to the French tradition of supplying gifts to Natives. Odawa chieftain Pontiac began forming
9416-686: The time. Among the earliest is the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France (referred to as the Old Cathedral ). The Basilica was built between 1831 and 1834 in the Federal style. Other religious buildings from the period include SS. Cyril and Methodius Church (1857) in the Romanesque Revival style and Christ Church Cathedral (completed in 1867, designed in 1859) in the Gothic Revival style. A few civic buildings were constructed during
9523-558: The top of the chart, spanning over fifteen weeks. Akon was then featured on two other singles, P-Money 's "Keep on Callin'" off the album Magic City , and the other with New Zealand rapper Savage with the single " Moonshine ", which had become a success in both New Zealand and Australia, reaching number one in the New Zealand charts. A year later in 2005, he made his first critically acclaimed guest appearance on Young Jeezy 's debut album, Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 , with
9630-422: The track "Like I Never Left". Akon collaborated with Pitbull on the single " Shut It Down " from the album " Rebelution " and worked with Matisyahu to remix his single " One Day " on his album Light . He also co-produced singer Natalia Kills ' debut single, " Mirrors ", from her debut album, Perfectionist . IsThereSomethingICanDo.com, launched On March 25, 2009, The social action collaboration project between
9737-522: The war. These areas remained under Spanish control until 1803, when they were transferred to the French First Republic . During the American Revolutionary War , St. Louis was unsuccessfully attacked by British-allied Native Americans in the 1780 Battle of St. Louis . The founding of St. Louis was preceded by a trading business between Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent and Pierre Laclède (Liguest) in late 1763. St. Maxent invested in
9844-489: The wayside as well. "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." Music mogul Devyne Stephens, the president of Upfront Megatainment, first heard about Akon when rapper Lil Zane brought him along to Stephens' rehearsal hall, a place that at the time saw talents such as Usher and TLC being developed. The relationship between Stephens and Akon began as
9951-545: The western banks of the Mississippi River, in the Midwestern United States just south of the Missouri -Mississippi confluence . Much of the area is a fertile and gently rolling prairie that features low hills and broad, shallow valleys. Both the Mississippi River and the Missouri River have cut large valleys with wide flood plains. Limestone and dolomite of the Mississippian epoch underlie
10058-504: Was "Lonely", and I said, 'this kid is official – this is a huge record." Foster and SRC CEO Steve Rifkind immediately boarded a private plane to Atlanta to meet the young artist. Akon knew of Foster's work as producer Knobody and so there was a mutual respect for one another and the pair hit it off. Akon's solo debut album, Trouble , was released on June 29, 2004. It spawned the singles " Locked Up ", " Lonely ", " Belly Dancer (Bananza) ", " Pot of Gold " and " Ghetto ". "Locked Up" reached
10165-538: Was a center of the Native American Mississippian culture , which built numerous temple and residential earthwork mounds on both sides of the Mississippi River. Their major regional center was at Cahokia Mounds , active from 900 to 1500. Due to numerous major earthworks within St. Louis boundaries, the city was nicknamed as the "Mound City". These mounds were mostly demolished during the city's development. Historic Native American tribes in
10272-423: Was admitted as a state in 1821. St. Louis was incorporated as a city in 1822, and continued to develop largely due to its busy port and trade connections. Immigrants from Ireland and Germany arrived in St. Louis in significant numbers starting in the 1840s, and the population of St. Louis grew from less than 20,000 inhabitants in 1840, to 77,860 in 1850, to more than 160,000 by 1860. By the mid-1800s, St. Louis had
10379-589: Was also home to several brass era automobile companies, including the Success Automobile Manufacturing Company ; St. Louis is the site of the Wainwright Building , a skyscraper designed in 1892 by architect Louis Sullivan . In 1900, the entire streetcar system was shut down by a several months-long strike , with significant unrest occurring in the city & violence against the striking workers. In 1904,
10486-576: Was announced as his sixth album, scheduled for December of the same year, but was never released. Akon also started a project Akon Lighting Africa in 2014 which provides electricity in 15 countries of Africa . He also launched his own charity for underprivileged children in Africa called Konfidence Foundation. Akon was included as a guest appearance in Pitbull 's "I Believe That We Will Win (World Anthem)" official music video, in which all proceeds from
10593-474: Was certified platinum in the US. Rap singer Nelly suggested that Akon, Pharrell , and T-Pain had talked about forming a rap supergroup in 2009. Akon and Konvict Muzik produced hip hop/rock group Flipsyde 's 2009 release, State of Survival , released via KonLive Distribution and Cherrytree Records . He was also the executive producer of Kardinal Offishall's fourth solo album Not 4 Sale . The first single " Dangerous ", which featured Akon peaked at No. 5 on
10700-525: Was founded by B. F. Bowles in St. Louis, and at the time no other college in St. Louis County admitted black students. In the first half of the 20th century, St. Louis was a destination in the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South seeking better opportunities. During World War II , the NAACP campaigned to integrate war factories. In 1964, civil rights activists protested at
10807-430: Was intended to be the lead single for his fourth album El Negreeto but didn't appear on the final version of the album. The album was expected to be released on August 30, 2019, but was pushed back and released on October 4, 2019. On September 6, 2019, Akon released " Cómo No " featuring Mexican-American singer Becky G , as the lead single from El Negreeto . He released the album Akonda on October 25, 2019. Konnect
10914-481: Was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards , but lost to Justin Timberlake and T.I. 's " My Love ". " I Wanna Love You ", featuring Snoop Dogg , was the second single released in September, it would go on to earn Akon his first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, and Snoop's second. "I Wanna Love You" topped the US charts for two consecutive weeks. In January 2007,
11021-473: Was planning to release his fourth album Stadium in four versions: Stadium-Island , Stadium-Urban , Stadium-World and Stadium-House . These editions of the album will be available exclusively via the Stadium mobile app which is supported by ads but allows fans to stream the albums. The album was indefinitely postponed, and might get released in the near future. In late 2015 and early 2016, Akon released
11128-425: Was released in August 2006 and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks. On October 5, 2006, Akon broke a record on the Hot 100, as he achieved the largest climb in the chart's 48-year-history with "Smack That" jumping from number 95 to 7. The leap was fueled by its number six debut on Hot Digital Songs with 67,000 downloads. The record has since been broken several times. "Smack That"
11235-494: Was released." However, he has since stated that he does accept that blood diamonds exist and that he is partial-owner of an African mine that is dedicated to avoiding the use of blood diamonds while also donating profits to local communities. In 2020, he revealed he bowed out due to the underlying ramifications of the business, he claimed "it's worse than the drug business". Akon appeared on the ITV2 show The Hot Desk . He stated on
11342-518: Was struck down in a court challenge, by the NAACP, after which racial covenants were used to prevent the sale of houses in certain neighborhoods to "persons not of Caucasian race". Again, St. Louisans offered a lawsuit in challenge, and such covenants were ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1948 in Shelley v. Kraemer . In 1926, Douglass University , a historically black university
11449-526: Was to become the city of St. Louis. (French lands east of the Mississippi had been ceded to Great Britain and the lands west of the Mississippi to Spain; Catholic France and Spain were 18th-century allies. Louis XV of France and Charles III of Spain were cousins, both from the House of Bourbon. ) The French families built the city's economy on the fur trade with the Osage, and with more distant tribes along
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