It's about time, really. Lil Jon popularised it (and made an energy drink out of it),
Urban Outfitters and umm, Flippin' Sweet Gear sold t-shirts announcing its arrival, and even our parents have heard the kids use it, so it feels right to have "crunk" added to Webster's Dictionary. (But where is Oxford in all of this?)
Though it's certainly dropped in influence since four years ago when it picked up steam, crunk remains a strong presence in hip-hop and pop culture - according to stats, people can't seem to stop reading our 2003 feature on the subgenre, "Crunk In the Trunk".
AllHipHop.com reports that alongside crunk, other words that will be added to the 2007 update of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition include "Bollywood," "DVR," "ginormous," "smackdown," and "snowboardcross" (which I've never even heard of), among others. But one thing those words don't have is Lil Jon making a statement about the accomplishment.
"I told yall "crunk aint dead," he told AllHipHop.com. "It's amazing that the word has become that popular. We been saying 'crunk' in Atlanta [for] as long as I can remember. All I did was put it on a record and let the world know our lifestyle! We live to get crunk n the south and I guess Webster's dictionary recognized that and how big the music has been in the last 10 years." Lil Jon's next record, brilliantly titled, Crunk Rock, will be released shortly.
DJ Paul of Three 6 Mafia also added: "Crunk music is coming back with the release of our new album Last 2 Walk on December 4. Three 6 Mafia/Hypnotize Minds is independent and rich because of the crunk style. Back in the day before crunk it was 'buck.' 'Get Buck' music strait outta Memphis Tennessee and Three 6 was the first group to go nationwide and see a major deal with the sound, but no one oringally wanted to sign us. We was doing things and concepts that rock groups did like in the "Tear The Club up '97' video, which was ten years ago, we was jumping in the crowd, being carried, mosh pitting, wearing masks, just straight wild s**t! Onyx was also doing the wildness back then too. Label's was scared but when we got a gold album in 1997, the labels started signing crunk artists and the rest is 'dictionaried' history!"
Here is the official listing that will appear in the dictionary, according to Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: crunk
Pronunciation: 'kr??k
Function: noun
Etymology: crunk, word of fluctuating meaning used during the 1990s in lyrics of the rap groups OutKast and Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz Date: 2000
: a style of Southern rap music featuring repetitive chants and rapid dance rhythms
Crunk at its finest...
Though it's certainly dropped in influence since four years ago when it picked up steam, crunk remains a strong presence in hip-hop and pop culture - according to stats, people can't seem to stop reading our 2003 feature on the subgenre, "Crunk In the Trunk".
AllHipHop.com reports that alongside crunk, other words that will be added to the 2007 update of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition include "Bollywood," "DVR," "ginormous," "smackdown," and "snowboardcross" (which I've never even heard of), among others. But one thing those words don't have is Lil Jon making a statement about the accomplishment.
"I told yall "crunk aint dead," he told AllHipHop.com. "It's amazing that the word has become that popular. We been saying 'crunk' in Atlanta [for] as long as I can remember. All I did was put it on a record and let the world know our lifestyle! We live to get crunk n the south and I guess Webster's dictionary recognized that and how big the music has been in the last 10 years." Lil Jon's next record, brilliantly titled, Crunk Rock, will be released shortly.
DJ Paul of Three 6 Mafia also added: "Crunk music is coming back with the release of our new album Last 2 Walk on December 4. Three 6 Mafia/Hypnotize Minds is independent and rich because of the crunk style. Back in the day before crunk it was 'buck.' 'Get Buck' music strait outta Memphis Tennessee and Three 6 was the first group to go nationwide and see a major deal with the sound, but no one oringally wanted to sign us. We was doing things and concepts that rock groups did like in the "Tear The Club up '97' video, which was ten years ago, we was jumping in the crowd, being carried, mosh pitting, wearing masks, just straight wild s**t! Onyx was also doing the wildness back then too. Label's was scared but when we got a gold album in 1997, the labels started signing crunk artists and the rest is 'dictionaried' history!"
Here is the official listing that will appear in the dictionary, according to Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: crunk
Pronunciation: 'kr??k
Function: noun
Etymology: crunk, word of fluctuating meaning used during the 1990s in lyrics of the rap groups OutKast and Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz Date: 2000
: a style of Southern rap music featuring repetitive chants and rapid dance rhythms
Crunk at its finest...
