Today, April 16, is the birthday of singer, producer and Konvict Muzik CEO Akon.

With more than ten years in the business, Akon has delivered melodic hits and discovered some of the biggest talents in pop culture. The Senegalese-American singer first shot to stardom in 2004 with his single "Locked Up" off his debut album Trouble. His sophomore album Konvicted dropped in 2006 via Motown and thanks to the hit singles "Smack That," "I Wanna Love You" and "Don't Matter," debuted at number two on the Billboard 200.

To date, Akon has dropped three albums of his own and is currently working on his fourth, Stadium. As a genre-crossing artist, Akon has worked with everyone from Eminem to Rihanna and Gwen Stefani. And even as a vet, Akon shows no signs of slowing down. The man has been spotted in the studio with hip-hop contemporaries like Chance The Rapper, Ty Dolla $ign, Migos and Future.

Aside from music, Akon has been very vocal about community service and improving living conditions in his native country of Senegal. Last summer, he started an initiative to supply millions of Africans with solar power.

Happy Birthday, Akon!

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