Miami New Times || Lil Jon Article

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Miami New Times || Lil Jon Article

Posted on: Aug 14, 2015

www.miaminewtimes.com/music/lil-jon-just-wont-go-away-and-were-fine-with-that-7814082
Indeed, the King of Crunk was the producer of the early '00s. Ever since his partnership with the East Side Boyz, Jon has been distorting cheap headphones and stock car speakers with bass-heavy beats, methodical hollers, and relentless encouragement to party. The crunk music that he and the East Side Boyz championed came in contrast to the time's Southern sounds, like the conscious efforts of Outkast and the street agendas pushed by groups such as UGK and the Cash Money crew.

But Lil Jon was never meant to be an associated act. Success soon found him in his ultimate form as a solo producer for ridiculous hits such as "Salt Shaker" with the Ying Yang Twins, "Freek-a-Leek" with Petey Pablo, and "Shake That Monkey" with Too $hort. These tracks earned him credits on the soundtrack to our freaky and explorative adolescence. Discontent with the radio, Jon infiltrated sports arenas everywhere with Trick Daddy's "Let's Go" in 2004. The track remixed and even reinvented Ozzy Osbourne's iconic riff in "Crazy Train" for a young, rap-enamored audience.

Hooting and hollering his way through the naughts, Jon collaborated with whichever artists were hot at the time. Usher, E-40, and Sean Paul each had hits produced by Lil Jon. One might even argue that his bass and screams are what made these songs so popular. When we heard Jon yell "OK!" "Yeah!" or "What?!" we knew we were about to be motivated into doing something we might regret the next day.