He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of the singles "Locked Up" and "Lonely", from his debut album "Trouble". His second album, "Konvicted", earned him a Grammy Award nomination for the single Smack That featuring Eminem. His latest album, "Freedom", was released in 2008. Akon often sings hooks for other artists and is currently accredited with over 200 guest appearances and 32 Billboard Hot 100 songs.
He is the first solo artist to accomplish the feat of holding both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice. He has also founded two record labels, Konvict Muzik and Kon Live Distribution and has a clothing label, Konvict clothing
Akon is a Muslim and has many charities of his own.
Akon's father is the Senagalese drummer Mor Thiam.
Locked Up
Akon Lyrics
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Why I do what I do?
The freedom ain't getting no closer (closer)
No matter how far I go
My car is stolen (stolen)
No registration ('stration)
Cops patrollin' (patrollin')
Now they done stop me and I get locked up
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (I'm locked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out (I'm locked up)
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (I'm locked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out
Heading uptown to re-up (re-up)
Back with a couple keys (keys)
The corner block's on fire (fire)
Undercovers dressed as fiends (fiends)
Making so much money (money)
Product's moving fast (fast)
Put away the stash
As I sold the last bag
Fucked around and got locked up
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (my nigga, I'm locked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out (I got locked up)
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (baby girl, I'm Glocked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out
'Cause visitation no longer comes by (comes by)
Seems like they forgot about me ('bout me)
Commissary is getting empty (empty)
My cell mates eating food without me (without me)
Can't wait to get out and move forward with my life (move on with my life)
Got a family that loves me and wants me to do right
But instead, I'm here locked up
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (oh, I'm locked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out (my nigga, I'm locked up)
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (oh, oh, oh, yeah, I'm locked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out
Can you pay me a visit (they won't let me out)
Send me some magazines (they won't let me out)
Send me some money orders (they won't let me out, no)
Pay me a visit, baby (they won't let me out)
'Cause I'm locked up (they won't let me out)
Where's my lawyer? (They won't let me out)
I'm locked up (they won't let me out, no)
Get me out of here (they won't let me out)
Locked up (they won't let me out)
They won't let me out
Baby, I'm locked up (they won't let me out, no)
Where's my niggas on the block? Tell them I'm locked up
(They won't let me out)
I'm locked up (they won't let me out)
Oh (they won't let me out, no)
Can you please accept my phone call? (They won't let me out)
'Cause I'm locked up (locked up, locked up)
The lyrics of Akon's song Locked Up paint the picture of a man who finds himself in prison, without any hope of being released soon. He reflects on the actions that led to him being locked up, trying to decipher the reason or motive behind his actions. Despite his attempts to distance himself from his past life, he finds himself stuck in prison, unable to attain the freedom he desires. The police have caught up with him, and he is now spending his time behind bars. The freedom he desires remains a distant dream, as his visitors have stopped coming, and his commissary is empty, leaving him at the mercy of his cellmates. The lyrics suggest a sense of despair and hopelessness.
The chorus, "They won't let me out," is repeated throughout the song, creating a sense of frustration and helplessness. The lyrics further suggest that the man is appealing to his friends and family to visit him and help him out of his situation. He implores them to send him some money and magazines, and to accept his phone calls.
The song's lyrics are powerful, and they evoke strong emotions of despair, hopelessness, and frustration. The lyrics remind us of the harsh realities of life and the impact that our actions can have on our lives. Locked Up is a song that touches many people's experiences of being in prison, whether they have been incarcerated themselves, have friends, or family members who have faced such circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm steady tryna find the motive
I'm constantly looking for the reason behind my actions
Why I do what I do?
Trying to understand the motives for their actions
The freedom ain't getting no closer
The freedom they desire is out of reach
No matter how far I go
Regardless of efforts made to achieve freedom
My car is stolen
The artist's car has been stolen
No registration
The car has no registration
Cops patrollin'
Police are on patrol
Now they done stop me and I get locked up
The artist has been stopped and arrested by the police
They won't let me out
The artist is incarcerated and cannot leave their cell
Heading uptown to re-up
The artist is going to buy more drugs
Back with a couple keys
The singer has acquired drugs
The corner block's on fire
The police are in the area undercover
Undercovers dressed as fiends
The police are in disguise
Making so much money
The singer is successful at selling drugs
Product's moving fast
The singer's drugs are selling quickly
Put away the stash
The artist has put away their drugs
As I sold the last bag
The artist has sold their last bag of drugs
Fucked around and got locked up
The singer was arrested
'Cause visitation no longer comes by
The singer is no longer visited by friends or family
Seems like they forgot about me
The artist feels forgotten
Commissary is getting empty
The artist is running out of money in their commissary account
My cell mates eating food without me
The artist's cellmate is eating without them
Can't wait to get out and move forward with my life
The singer is looking forward to getting out of prison and moving on
Got a family that loves me and wants me to do right
The artist has loved ones who support them and want them to make good choices
But instead, I'm here locked up
Despite having people who care about them, the singer is still in prison
Can you pay me a visit
Asking someone to visit them in prison
Send me some magazines
Asking someone to send them magazines in prison
Send me some money orders
Asking someone to send them money orders in prison
Where's my lawyer?
Asking about the location of their lawyer
Get me out of here
Asking someone to help them get out of prison
Where's my niggas on the block? Tell them I'm locked up
Asking someone to inform their friends on the street that they are in prison
Can you please accept my phone call?
Asking someone to accept their phone call from prison
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Aliaune Thiam
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind