Yo, in case you ain’t know, I go by the name of Akon...
And I’m from (Af-ree-caa! Af-ree-caa!)
Home of the Goree Islands - I’m from Senegal, West-side
(Af-ree-caa! Af-ree-caa!)
So I’mma share with you where I’m from
And how I was comin’ up
(Af-ree-caa! Af-ree-caa!)

So what you know about the struggles
That my people went through
So you can live the way you live now
So what you know about seeing that brand new mother
Givin’ away her newborn child
So what you know about Mr. Amadou Diallo
The Senegalese cop shot down
So what you know about how people love to percieve us
When we come into a brand new town
So what you know about the Goray Islands
Where all the slaves were shipped from
So what you know about being born in America
To avoid immigration

Still from the ghetto-ooohhs of Senagal
(Af-ree-caa! Af-ree-caa!)
Comin’ from the ghetto-ooohhs of Senegal
(Af-ree-caa! Af-ree-caa!)
Comin’ from the ghetto-ooohhs of Senegal
(Af-ree-caa! Af-ree-caa!)
Yes, I’m comin’ from the ghetto-ooohhs of Senegal
(Af-ree-caa! Af-ree-caa!)

So what you know about Chebou Jen, Yassa, Cheraay and Maafay
My favourite foods
So what you know about niggas throwin’ rocks
Bustin’ shots at the military invadin’ my hood
So what you know about kids with automatic machines
Waiting for the war to get on that side
So what you know about how God comes first in our lives
Everything that we do is for Allah
So what you know about that Holy place called Touba
Where Prophets are born
So what you know about comin’ here, gettin’ money
And investing it back home

Right in the ghettooo of Senagal
(Af-ree-caa! Af-ree-caa!)
Give it to the ghettooo of Senegal
(Af-ree-caa! Af-ree-caa!)
Take it to the ghettooos of Senegal
(Af-ree-caa! Af-ree-caa!)
Send it right to the ghetto-ooohhs of Senegal
(Af-ree-caa! Af-ree-caa!)

Now see that’s just a little piece of how it is
(Af-ree-caa! Af-ree-caa!)
See, but we can come together
And make it ’lot better back home
(Af-ree-caa! Af-ree-caa!)
So don’t complain about how they treat me here
Take your millions of dollars there, back to
(Af-ree-caa! Af-ree-caa!)
We own that land, we owned those diamonds
(Af-ree-caa! Af-ree-caa!)
We kings man, we don’t take orders, we give ’em
Think about it