As the godfather of yesteryear's crunk movement, Lil Jon seemed to disappear for a while, letting other rap trends like hyphy and AutoTune balladry take over. Now, the Atlanta-based rapper is aiming to return to the top of the rap game with his highly anticipated new album.
Hilariously titled Crunk Rock, the album is Jon's first without his Eastside Boyz, making it a solo album of sorts. But that doesn't mean Jon worked alone - the album has attracted the guest talents of artists like R. Kelly, Akon, Soulja Boy, the Game, Ice Cube, Elephant Man, Pitbull and even some Warped Tour-friendly acts like 3Oh!3 and Whole Wheat Bread.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Lil Jon explained the reasoning for such a diverse cast of guests, explaining that he wanted to blur the genre boundaries.
"I kind of took Crunk Rock to another level," he said. "It's not just dealing with crunk music and rock - it's basically a lifestyle. Living life to the fullest, getting crazy, getting crunk and just partying... I'm just trying to make everybody have fun and make 'em dance again. Because in rap, people stopped partying. You go to a hip-hop party and people just stand around trying to look hard and cool. I want people to wild out and sweat and mosh pit again."
Looking into the future, the rapper has some even bigger ideas for collaborations, including a spot from Kings of Leon. Depending on the timing, their collaboration might even make it onto Crunk Rock. "I'm trying to get them on a song," Lil Jon explained. "Hopefully they call me back. I think the record I would do with them would be nuts."
Crunk Rock will be out on November 24.
Hilariously titled Crunk Rock, the album is Jon's first without his Eastside Boyz, making it a solo album of sorts. But that doesn't mean Jon worked alone - the album has attracted the guest talents of artists like R. Kelly, Akon, Soulja Boy, the Game, Ice Cube, Elephant Man, Pitbull and even some Warped Tour-friendly acts like 3Oh!3 and Whole Wheat Bread.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Lil Jon explained the reasoning for such a diverse cast of guests, explaining that he wanted to blur the genre boundaries.
"I kind of took Crunk Rock to another level," he said. "It's not just dealing with crunk music and rock - it's basically a lifestyle. Living life to the fullest, getting crazy, getting crunk and just partying... I'm just trying to make everybody have fun and make 'em dance again. Because in rap, people stopped partying. You go to a hip-hop party and people just stand around trying to look hard and cool. I want people to wild out and sweat and mosh pit again."
Looking into the future, the rapper has some even bigger ideas for collaborations, including a spot from Kings of Leon. Depending on the timing, their collaboration might even make it onto Crunk Rock. "I'm trying to get them on a song," Lil Jon explained. "Hopefully they call me back. I think the record I would do with them would be nuts."
Crunk Rock will be out on November 24.
