Senegalese-American singer, Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam, also known as Akon, has said that as an African child growing up in the continent, he knows what poverty looks like.

The singer said this during an interview with TMZ, on Monday.

He revealed that he was actually happier when he was poor adding that being successful comes with a lot of problems and complications.

Akon said, “Nobody can sit there and tell me, that I didn’t go through poverty. I was the young African kid, barefoot and playing soccer in the village with no electricity, no running water.

”I knew what that looked like, believe me, I know what poverty looks like.

”But I also know what success looks like, and from my personal experience, I’m having more problems successfully dealing with all that comes with success than I had when I was poor. I was actually happier when I was poor.”