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ATLANTA (Atlanta News First/Gray News) - Akon, the five-time Grammy-nominated singer who rose to prominence in the early 2000s with his song “Locked Up,” was arrested last week near Atlanta in the city of Chamblee. Akon’s arrest stemmed from a Sept. 10 incident when he was cited by police in Roswell, Georgia, for allegedly driving on a suspended license and driving without proof of insurance. The Roswell police report said Akon’s Tesla Cybertruck was stranded at the intersection of Holcomb Bridge Road and Market Boulevard. According to Chamblee officials, Akon was arrested at around 11 a.m. on Nov. 7 when a Flock camera alerted police that a vehicle registered to someone with a bench warrant arrest was at Tint World, a local business on Chamblee Dunwoody Road. When police arrived, they confirmed the car was registered to Akon, who was standing outside the vehicle. Officers said they approached the singer and informed him of the warrant for not showing up to court. Akon complied with their orders while being detained, according to police. He was taken to the DeKalb County Jail and released a few hours later. Representatives for Akon didn’t immediately respond to requests seeking comment to the Associated Press on Wednesday. Besides being an award-winning performer, Akon, whose full name is Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, is a songwriter, record producer, businessman and philanthropist. His debut single in 2004 coincided with the album “Trouble.” In 2006, his album “Konvicted” featured hits “I Wanna Love You” and “Smack That.” Akon made history as the first solo artist to concurrently hold the top two positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart twice. But Akon has also had a history of arrests and run-ins with law enforcement, primarily for theft by receiving stolen cars and a gun possession charge. While Akon initially exaggerated his criminal past for his music career, he has since clarified the details of his legal troubles. Reports show Akon has only been convicted of one felony, which was for gun possession. In 2007, Akon faced criminal charges after an incident at a concert where he flung a teenager into the crowd and allegedly causing a spectator to suffer a concussion. He later apologized for the incident. Beyond his music career, Akon also founded the Konvict Muzik and KonLive Distribution record labels. He has launched Akon Lighting Africa, an initiative aimed at providing electricity to homes in Africa. Akon is also involved in the philanthropic development of his own city in Senegal.
