Akon Just Got Arrested

Akon got “Locked Up,” but they did let him out.

A new TMZ report says the “Smack That” singer was arrested in DeKalb County, Georgia last Thursday. The Chamblee Police Department arrested the artist Thursday morning and he was released within six hours.

According to the report, Akon had a warrant out for his arrest after failing to appear for a suspended license. In September, police spotted a Tesla Cybertruck stranded in the middle of Georgia with Akon inside, who told cops the car’s battery had died.

While getting the car towed, one of the officers noticed his license was suspended from missing a court date all the way back in January 23. He was given a citation for driving with a suspended license, but released, and missed that court date as well—which led to a bench warrant and his subsequent arrest last Thursday.

The four-time Grammy-nominated singer, born Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, is one of the most influential artists of the early 2000s.

With “I Wanna Love You” and “Smack That” hitting #1 and #2 on the Billboard charts in 2006 and then “Don’t Matter” and his Gwen Stefani collaboration “The Sweet Escape” hitting #1 and #2 in 2007, he became the first solo artist to occupy the top two positions on the chart two separate times. He also holds the distinct honor of having the most songs by any artist sold as a ringtone—remember those?

In recent years, Akon has turned towards philanthropy, with his project Akon Lighting Africa bringing free, solar-powered electricity to 15 countries on the African continent.