Akon Reveals His Brothers Impersonated Him at Concerts During His Rise

In a candid revelation, Akon recently shared that during the meteoric rise of his early career, his brothers often stepped in as his legal—and sometimes unauthorized—impersonators to fulfill concert obligations. The “Locked Up” singer discussed this unconventional chapter of his life during an appearance on the Artist 2 Artist podcast, hosted by Jim Jones.

Akon explained that the sheer volume of booking requests during his mid-2000s breakout became impossible for him to manage alone. Rather than turning down lucrative opportunities, his brothers, Bu and Omar Thiam, began filling in for him. While Bu Thiam, who eventually became a prominent music executive, was transparent about his involvement, Akon noted that his brother Omar operated with far more autonomy, often booking shows without the singer’s knowledge.

The physical resemblance between the siblings was so striking that audiences rarely suspected a ruse. “Omar was running it up,” Akon recalled with a laugh, noting that his brother frequently collected significant payments from promoters. The deception was so effective that even industry peers were fooled. Akon recounted a specific instance in New York where Foxy Brown mentioned she was attending his upcoming show in South Carolina. “I’m like, ‘I don’t have no concert in no South Carolina,'” Akon said. “She showed me the flyer and I was like, ‘N***a, this is Omar!'”

Despite the chaotic nature of these unauthorized performances, Akon views the experience as a practical solution to a high-pressure situation. He emphasized that while the arrangements were often unconventional, they were a byproduct of the intense demand for his presence at the time. Today, Akon continues to maintain a busy schedule, currently touring alongside R&B star Ne-Yo on the Nights Like This Tour, while balancing his ongoing entrepreneurial ventures and personal life.