21 Celebs You Didn’t Know Were From Africa
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6. AKON
Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Bongo Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, better known as Akon, is a celebrated American rapper who was born in St. Louis, Missouri, but spent the better part of his childhood in Senegal, which he considers his native land.
Akon’s father, Mor Thiam, is a famous Senegalese percussionist and his mother is a dancer, so music was an important part of his growing up. In Senegal, Akon learned to play several instruments and enjoyed playing with his father. The family moved back to the US when he was seven. They settled in Union City, New Jersey, but continued to travel back and forth between USA and Senegal.
When his career took off, thanks to hits like “Locked Up,” “Smack That” and “ I Wanna Love You,” Akon decided to invest a large sum of his increasing wealth in a diamond mine in South Africa, which came at the height of the blood diamonds controversy. Initially he negated the existence of blood diamonds but later admitted that they do exist but that his mine is avoiding their use and that he gives a part of the profits to local communities and charities.
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