Something about… AKON
Birth name: Aliaune Thiam
Born: April 16, 1973, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Genre(s): R&B, hip hop, reggae

Occupation(s): Singer-songwriter, record producer

Years active: 2003–present
Label(s): Universal, SRC, Konvict Muzik, UpFront


1. Read the information about Akon and answer the questions.

a. What is Akon’s real name?
b. How old is he?
c. Where was he born?
d. What kind of songs does he sing?
e. When did he begin to work as a singer?
f. Does he still work as a singer?

2. Read the extra information about Akon and answer the questions.

Aliaune Thiam (born April 16, 1973), better known by his stage name Akon (pronounced /ˈeɪkɒn/) is a Senegalese-American hip hop and R&B singer-songwriter. Akon became famous in 2004 after the release of his single "Locked Up" from his album Trouble.
Early life
Akon was the son of a famous Senegalese jazz musician. He learnt how to play several instruments and spent his time between Senegal and America until he was 15, and then permanently moved to Jersey City, New Jersey. He recorded his first song, "Operations of Nature", at the age of fifteen. Akon began writing and recording tracks in his home studio.
a. Underline the verbs in past you find in the text and complete the table:
INFINITIVE PAST
be Was / were






b. Complete the sentences with words from the text.
- A person who writes and sings his / her own songs is a _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
- The name used by an artist (the pseudonym) is the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
- When you go and live in a different house, you _ _ _ _

c. Say if the following sentences are true or false.
- “Locked up” is the name of the album that made Akon famous.
- Akon’s father was born in Africa.
- Akon was living in Senegal until he was 15.
- The title of his first song was Trouble.
3. Listen to the song and fill in the gaps with the missing words.
Lonely I’m Mr. lonely,
I have (1) _ _ _ _ _ _,
To call my own
I’m so lonely, I’m Mr. Lonely
I have (2) _ _ _ _ _ _,
To call my own
I’m so lonely,

Ya! This one here goes out to all my playas out there man, you know? You’ve got there one good girl who has always been there man like took all the b*** then one day she (a) can’t take it no more and decides to leave

I woke up in the middle of the night and I noticed my (3) _ _ _ _ wasn't by my side, could have sworn I was (4) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, for her I was
Fainting, so I had to take a little ride, back tracking over these few years, trying to figure out what I do to make it go bad, (b) ‘cos
Ever since my girl left me, my whole (5) _ _ _ _ came crashing and

I’m so lonely (so lonely),
I’m Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have _ _ _ _ _ _ (I have _ _ _ _ _ _)
To call my own (to call my own) girl

Can’t (6) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I had a girl like you and I just let you walk right out of my life, after all I put (c) u (d) thru u still stuck
Around and stayed by my side, what (7) _ _ _ _ _ _ hurt me is I broke your heart, baby you were a good girl and I had no right, I
Really (e) wanna make things right, ‘cos (8) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ u in my life girl

(chorus)

Been all about the world (f) ain't never met a girl that can take the (9) _ _ _ _ _ _ that you been through
Never thought the day would come where you would get up and run and I (10) _ _ _ _ _ be out chasing u
‘Cos (g) ain’t nowhere in the globe I’d rather be, (h) ain’t no one in the globe I’d rather see then the girl of my dreams that made me
Be so happy but now so lonely

(chorus)

Never thought that I’d be alone, I didn’t hope you'd be gone this long, I just want u to call my phone, so stop (11) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ girl and
Come on home (come on home), baby girl I didn't mean to shout, I want me and you to work it out, I never wished I’d ever
Hurt my baby, and it’s (12) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ me crazy ‘cos...

(chorus)
4. Underline all the verbs in past in the song. Complete the table with them and their infinitives.
PAST (irregular) INFINITIVE PAST (rregular) INFINITIVE
Woke up Wake up noticed notice














5. Some words or expressions in the song are too colloquial. Try to guess their standard English equivalents.
(a) can’t take it no more
(b) ‘cos
(c) u