Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971) better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, producer and former frontman of the rap group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. He was instrumental in the emergence of the hip hop subgenre

crunk Crunk is a subgenre of hip hop music that emerged in the early 1990s and gained mainstream success during the mid 2000s. Crunk is often up-tempo and one of Southern hip hop's more dance and club oriented subgenres. An archetypal crunk track freq ...

, and is credited with bringing the genre into mainstream success. Lil Jon frequently collaborates with

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

-based rapper

Pitbull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...

Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...

-based rappers

Too Short Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966), better known by the stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper and record producer. He became famous in the West Coast hip hop scene in the late 1980s, with lyrics often based on ...

and E-40 . He participates as one-third of an unofficial trio consisting of Atlanta-based artists

Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...

and

Usher Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** Fiel ...

who frequently create songs together. As a producer, Lil Jon has produced several ''Billboard'' Hot 100 hit singles including "

Salt Shaker Salt and pepper shakers or salt and pepper pots, of which the first item is normally called a salt cellar in British English, are condiment dispensers used in Western culture that are designed to allow diners to distribute grains of edible salt ...

", "

Cyclone In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an anti ...

", " Get Low", "

Snap Yo Fingers "Snap Yo Fingers" is a 2006 American hip hop single by Atlanta-based rapper/producer Lil Jon. It was originally intended to be the first single from Lil Jon's solo debut album, '' Crunk Rock''. However, the release date of ''Crunk Rock'' was sub ...

", " Damn!", "

Freek-a-Leek "Freek-a-Leek" is an American hip hop song co-written and recorded by American rapper Petey Pablo. It was released on December 1, 2003, as the second single from his second album, ''Still Writing in My Diary: 2nd Entry'' (2004). It was produced b ...

", "

Lovers and Friends ''Lovers and Friends'' is an American soap opera that aired on NBC from January 3 to May 6, 1977. When the show didn't catch on immediately, NBC put the show on hiatus for seven months, and then brought it back on December 6, 1977 as a retooled sh ...

", " Goodies" and " Yeah!". As a five-time Grammy award nominee, Lil Jon won a

Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance The Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance (awarded as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration until 2017, and Best Rap/Sung Performance from 2018 to 2020) is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and original ...

with Usher and Ludacris for "Yeah!" In 2013, Lil Jon collaborated with producer

DJ Snake William Sami Étienne Grigahcine (born 13 June 1986), known by his stage name DJ Snake, is an Algerian French music producer and DJ, first achieving international recognition in 2013 by releasing an instrumentation-oriented single called " Turn D ...

and released "

Turn Down For What "Turn Down for What" is a song by French DJ and record producer DJ Snake and American rapper Lil Jon released on December 18, 2013. The song and its viral music video popularized the use of the phrase. The song was particularly successful in Nort ...

" an

EDM EDM or E-DM may refer to: Music * Electronic dance music * Early Day Miners, American band Science and technology * Electric dipole moment * Electrical discharge machining * Electronic distance measurement *Entry, Descent, and landing demonstrat ...

single that, as of 2021, has gone 6× multi-platinum in the United States. The song went on to win the ''Billboard'' Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song. The accompanying music video was nominated for a

Grammy Award for Best Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...

, and has been viewed over 1.13 billion times on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

as of December 2022. Listed as one of the Top ''Billboard'' Music Award Winners of All Time in 2016, Lil Jon achieved his 8th number 1 on ''Billboard''s Rhythmic Chart as a songwriter on "

My Type "My Type" is a song by American indie pop band Saint Motel. It was released as the lead single from their EP of the same name in January 2014. Content On the lyric, "You're just my type - you've got a pulse and you are breathing," singer A.J. ...

" a song by

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

rapper

Saweetie Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper (born July 2, 1993), known professionally as Saweetie (), is an American rapper. After the release of her debut single "Icy Grl" in 2017, she was signed to her then-manager Max Gousse's record label Artistry Wo ...

and was also a songwriter on the rapper's single "

Tap In "Tap In" is a song by American rapper Saweetie, released on June 17, 2020, as the lead single from her upcoming debut studio album '' Pretty Bitch Music''. The song samples rapper Too Short's signature 2006 single "Blow the Whistle", produced by ...

" which reached number 2 on the same chart.

Early life

Lil Jon was born

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

and raised in a middle-class neighborhood located in

Southwest Atlanta : The city of Atlanta, Georgia is made up of 243 neighborhoods officially defined by the city. These neighborhoods are a mix of traditional neighborhoods, subdivisions, or groups of subdivisions. The neighborhoods are grouped by the city planni ...

. He is the oldest of five children born to his father, an aerospace engineer with former military service, and his mother, with a medical career within the military. Three of his siblings would later follow their parents lead and also serve in the United States military. Lil Jon attended Beecher Hills Elementary School and Southwest Middle School, both located within the Atlanta Public School district. His mother described him as a high achiever early on in addition to being independent and a passionate reader. While in middle school, Lil Jon became lifelong friends with Robert McDowell, Dwayne "Emperor" Searcy (future DJ and radio personality for Radio One's

WHTA WHTA (107.9 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Hampton, Georgia, and serving the Atlanta metropolitan area. It is owned by Urban One and it airs an urban contemporary radio format, focused on hip hop music. The studios and offices a ...

), and Vince Philips (named one of Billboard's Top Music Lawyers in 2020), who would become business partners. The foursome quickly became immersed in the

skateboarding Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a ...

culture and would later work at Skate Escape, a popular skate and bicycle shop near the city's iconic

Piedmont Park Piedmont Park is an urban park in Atlanta, Georgia, located about northeast of Downtown, between the Midtown and Virginia Highland neighborhoods. Originally the land was owned by Dr. Benjamin Walker, who used it as his out-of-town gentleman's ...

. While his best friends attended

Benjamin E. Mays High School Benjamin E. Mays High School is a public school located in southwest Atlanta, Georgia, United States, serving grades 9-12. It is a part of the Atlanta Public School System and is a Georgia School of Excellence. The school was established in the ...

, Lil Jon attended Frederick Douglass High School for their

magnet program In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities (usually school boards) as school ...

and was a member of the marching band. The guys also began to frequently attend concerts at the

Masquerade Masquerade or Masquerader may refer to: Events * Masquerade ball, a costumed dance event * Masquerade ceremony, a rite or cultural event in many parts of the world, especially the Caribbean and Africa * Masqueraders, the performers in the West ...

, to see their favorite bands, including

Agent Orange Agent Orange is a chemical herbicide and defoliant, one of the "tactical use" Rainbow Herbicides. It was used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. It ...

and

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...

. At the age of 15, Smith taught himself how to DJ, and although his parents were strict, they gave him a chance to work on his DJ skills by allowing him to have house parties in the basement of the family home, citing that they would rather have him under their watch than for him to "be in the street somewhere riding out." The parties, hosted by Lil Jon and Searcy " Old E and Chicken Parties", which became extremely popular with teenagers in the area. In addition to working at the skate shop, Lil Jon also began spinning at house parties and working in local

dance clubs A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

as a DJ. Eventually Smith became an in house DJ at Phoenix, a popular Atlanta nightclub at the time. It was there he would meet established music artists such as

Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ. Early life Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an As ...

Notorious BIG Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

Craig Mack Craig Jamieson Mack (May 10, 1971 – March 12, 2018) was an American rapper and record producer, and was famous during his tenure under Bad Boy Records. Early life and career Craig Jamieson Mack was born in The Bronx, New York, and raised on ...

and

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...

Career

1991–2000: So So Def

After graduating high school, Lil Jon continued to work as a DJ in popular downtown Atlanta clubs. It was there he met Atlanta music producer,

. When it came to hiring an A&R to lead his Atlanta-based music label

So So Def So So Def Recordings is an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and owned by producer Jermaine Dupri, specializing in Southern hip hop, R&B and bass music. So So Def has managed artists such as Bow Wow, Kris Kross, TL ...

, Jermaine Dupri stated that "All I could think about was Lil Jon, because he was the person in the clubs. He knew people, DJs knew him. I had to hire him." After he was promoted to Executive Vice President of A&R, Lil Jon recruited local producers and rappers

DJ Smurf Michael Antoine Crooms (born October 5, 1972), better known by his stage name Mr. Collipark (and also known as DJ Smurf), is an American hip hop producer and the president of his own Atlanta-based record label, Collipark Music, which was starte ...

Shawty Redd Demetrius Lee Stewart (born June 21, 1981), better known by his stage name Shawty Redd, is an American record producer and rapper. He is cited as one of the pioneers of the production style which would become synonymous with the trap subgenre. ...

, Raheem the Dream, Playa Poncho with others to create the compilation album series, ''So So Def Bass All Stars'' as his first project. Released on May 22, 1996, the album was a success, selling over 500,000 units and was certified gold by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

on September 19, 1996, four months after its initial release. The album, executive produced by Lil Jon, included the hit single " My Boo" by

Ghost Town DJ's Ghost Town DJ's (often stylized as Ghostown DJs) is an American hip-hop group from Atlanta, Georgia whose members consist of Dj DEMP, Rodney Terry, Greg Street and Kito, which recorded the 1996 hit single, " My Boo". The song was influenced by M ...

. It was sampled by

Ciara Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model and entrepreneur. She released her debut studio album, '' Goodies'' in 2004, which spawned four singles: " Goodies" (featuring Petey Pa ...

in her 2013 hit "

Body Party "Body Party" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Ciara Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model and entrepreneur. She released her debut studio album, '' Goodies' ...

". In 2016, 20 years after its initial release, the song re-entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at No. 29 due to a viral dance video. Lil Jon completed the series, releasing '' So So Def Bass All-Stars Vol. II'' (1997) and '' So So Def Bass All-Stars Vol. III'' (1998). Apart from his label commitments, Lil Jon was a radio personality/DJ on Atlanta radio station,

V-103 WVEE (103.3 FM, "V-103") is a commercial radio station in Atlanta, Georgia. It is owned by Audacy, Inc. and airs an urban contemporary radio format. WVEE is one of the highest-rated stations of the Atlanta radio market according to Nielsen Aud ...

, continued to produce music for outside music artists, and was still working as a DJ at popular clubs around the city.

1995–2005: Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz

Lil Jon collaborated with Big Sam and Lil' Bo to form a musical rap group: the East Side Boyz.

1995–1998: Formation and early releases

In 1996, the group released their debut single, "Who U Wit?". The song is credited as bringing the term "

" into hip-hop currency. In 1997, the group released their debut album '' Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album''. The singles "Who U Wit?" (produced by Lil Jon) and "Shawty Freak a Lil Sumthin" (produced by

DJ Toomp Aldrin Davis (born August 2, 1969), professionally known as DJ Toomp, is an American record producer, songwriter, and DJ. DJ Toomp received his start in 1985, with Atlanta MC Raheem the Dream, producing Raheem’s self-titled record when he was ...

) charted on the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart at No. 70 and No. 62, respectively.

1999–2001: ''We Still Crunk!'' and ''Put Yo Hood Up''

In 2000, through the newly created label Black Market, the group released their breakthrough album ''

We Still Crunk! ''We Still Crunk!!'' is the second studio album by Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. Track listing # "We Still Crunk" # "I Like Dem Girlz" (featuring Jazze Pha) # "Where Dem Girlz At?" (featuring Skyy) # "Bounce Dat Ass" (featuring 6 Shot & Chyna Why ...

'' which featured the single "I Like Dem Girlz" which reached No. 55 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart and No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rap Tracks chart. The team was well equipped with prior experience at promoting albums and worked to grow the group's fan base across radio markets. Promotional

street team A street team is a term used in marketing to describe a group of people who 'hit the streets' promoting an event or a product. 'Street Teams' are promotional tools that have been adopted industry-wide as a standard line item in marketing budgets ...

s that were hired major music labels to promote their

repertoire A repertoire () is a list or set of dramas, operas, musical compositions or roles which a company or person is prepared to perform. Musicians often have a musical repertoire. The first known use of the word ''repertoire'' was in 1847. It is a l ...

, began to talk within music promotion circles on how successful Lil Jon and his team were on the ground and were gaining

radio airplay Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...

radio market A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television station, television and radio broadcasting, ra ...

s that were usually difficult for non local artists to break into. Bryan Leach, formerly an A&R executive at the now defunct New York based label

TVT Records TVT Records (Tee-Vee Tunes) was an American record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 24-year history, the label released 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, ...

, heard about the group and attended their Atlanta show. He was blown away by the group's immense energy. Leach told

HitQuarters HitQuarters was an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It was noted for its in-depth interviews with industry figures, as well as its A&R and manager contact directory, free artist promo pages and song ...

: "It was like early Beastie Boys, when they had the energy of a rock group but they were rapping, and that energy is what crunk music is all about." By 2002, Leach signed Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz to TVT Records with Black Market delivering the albums to the label. The group released the album ''

Put Yo Hood Up ''Put Yo Hood Up'' is the third studio album by Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. It was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies. Track listing # "Y'all Ain't Ready" # "Uhh Ohh"(featuring Khujo Goodie of Goodie Mob & Bo Hagon) ...

'', which combined previously released tracks with new ones. "

Bia' Bia' "Bia' Bia'" is a song by American hip hop group Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz, released as the first single from their third studio album ''Put Yo Hood Up'' (2001), featuring rappers Ludacris, Too Short, Big Kap and Chyna Whyte Stephanie Christ ...

", which featured rappers

, New York based DJ

Big Kap Keith Carter (February 26, 1970 – February 3, 2016), also known as Big Kap and The Wardin, was an American hip-hop DJ who was born in New York City and was later based in Atlanta. Career In 1995, he was a member of hip hop supergroup The Flip S ...

, along with New Orleans rapper

Chyna Whyte Stephanie Christine Lewis, better known as Chyna Whyte, (born September 18, 1976) is an American rapper, songwriter and author. She is best known for her appearance in the Lil Jon & The Eastside Boys song "Bia' Bia'. Chyna Whyte was born and ...

was the group's first single to be played nationally. "Bia' Bia'" peaked at No. 97 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 47 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart. The album was certified gold by the RIAA in June 2002.

2002–2003: ''Kings of Crunk'', Certified Crunk and Part II

In 2002, the group released their sophomore studio album under the label

Kings of Crunk ''Kings of Crunk'' is the fourth studio album by Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. Background ''Kings of Crunk'' was released in October 2002. Based on the success of the album's 2nd single "Get Low", ''Kings of Crunk'' made the top twenty of the ...

with the song "I Don't Give A..." as the first single. The song featured former

No Limit Records No Limit Records is an American record company founded by Master P. The label's albums were distributed by Priority Records, Universal and Koch Records. The label included artists such as Snoop Dogg, Mercedes, Silkk the Shocker, Mystikal, Mia X, ...

artist

Mystikal Michael Lawrence Tyler (born September 22, 1970), better known by his stage name Mystikal, is an American rapper. Early life and education Tyler grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana's 12th Ward. His father, who ran a small neighborhood store, d ...

and former

Ruthless Records Ruthless Records was an American record label founded by Eric "Eazy-E" Wright and Jerry Heller in Compton, California in 1986, where all of the Ruthless trademarks have been owned by Comptown Records, Inc. since 1997. Several artists on the la ...

artist,

Krayzie Bone Anthony Henderson (born June 17, 1973), better known as Krayzie Bone, is an American rapper, singer, producer, and entrepreneur. He is a member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Personal life Henderson comes from a fourth generation famil ...

. It peaked at No. 50 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart. The group's next single, "Get Low" featured fellow Atlanta hip hop group

Ying Yang Twins The Ying Yang Twins are an American hip hop duo consisting of Kaine (born Eric Jackson on December 16, 1978) and D-Roc (born Deongelo/D'Angelo Holmes on February 13, 1979). They are not twin brothers. They did the windows to the walls song. The ...

and became popular in nightclubs nationwide; it reached the top ten on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The album was certified multi-platinum by the RIAA in August 2004. The song was also featured in '' Need for Speed: Underground'', which plays in the main menu as well as gameplay. In 2003, the group released ''

Part II Part Two, Part 2 or Part II may refer to: Films and television * "Part 2" (Twin Peaks), also known as "The Return, Part 2", the second episode of the third season of the TV series ''Twin Peaks'' Music * ''Part Two'' (Throbbing Gristle album), 200 ...

'', a remix album of previously released singles with a two new songs.

2004–2005: ''Crunk Juice'' and break-up

In 2004, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz released what would be the group's last studio album, ''

Crunk Juice ''Crunk Juice'' is the fifth and final studio album by American hip hop group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. It was released on November 16, 2004, under BME Recordings and TVT Records. The production was primarily handled by Lil Jon himself, who ...

''. The lead single "

What U Gon' Do "What U Gon' Do" is a single by Lil Jon & the Eastside Boyz from their album ''Crunk Juice (album), Crunk Juice'' and features Lil Scrappy. It is one of the best known songs that Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz recorded together. The track reached nu ...

" featuring BME Recordings artist

Lil' Scrappy Darryl Raynard Richardson III (born January 19, 1984), better known by his stage name Lil Scrappy, is an American rapper. Richardson was discovered by producer and performer Lil Jon while performing at a bar in Atlanta. Along with labelmates T ...

peaked at No. 22 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, No. 13 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart, and No. 5 on the ''Billboard'' Rap chart. The second single, "Lovers & Friends" featuring Usher and Ludacris, peaked at No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' R&B Chart, and No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Rap chart. The album was certified multi-platinum in January 2005, two months after it was released. In 2005, after releasing six studio albums together and amidst ongoing creative and financial conflicts with TVT, the group disbanded.

2006–present: Solo career

In 2006, Lil Jon, in an attempt to fulfill his obligations to TVT released the single "

". The song was produced by Lil Jon and features BME Recordings artist

E-40 Earl Tywone Stevens Sr. (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. He is a founding member of the rap group The Click, and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 26 studio albums to date, a ...

and

Sean P YoungBloodZ is an American Southern hip hop duo from Atlanta, Georgia composed of J-Bo (born Jeffrey Raymond Grigsby on October 4, 1977) and Sean P (born Sean Paul Ryan Joseph on March 7, 1978). The duo was signed to LaFace Records. They are o ...

. The song peaked at No. 7 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was certified platinum on November 22, 2006. After the song was released, Lil Jon vowed to never to record for TVT Records again. In 2008, TVT Records, embroiled in legal battles, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In 2009, Lil Jon was featured on

Jay Sean Kamaljit Singh Jhooti (born 26 March 1981), better known by the stage name Jay Sean, is a British singer and songwriter. He debuted in the UK's Asian Underground scene as a member of the Rishi Rich Project with "Dance with You", which reached ...

's double platinum single "

Do You Remember Do You Remember(?) may refer to: * "Do You Remember" (Jay Sean song), 2009 * "Do You Remember" (Jarryd James song), 2015 * "Do You Remember?" (The Beach Boys song) * "Do You Remember?" (Phil Collins song), 1990 * ''Do You Remember?'' (album), ...

" that was featured in the film remake of ''

The Karate Kid ''The Karate Kid'' is a 1984 American martial arts drama film written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen. It is the first installment in the ''Karate Kid'' franchise, and stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue and W ...

''. On June 8, 2010, Lil Jon release his first solo album, ''

Crunk Rock ''Crunk Rock'' is the solo debut album and sixth overall album by American crunk artist Lil Jon, released on June 8, 2010 by BME and Universal Republic. The characters at the bottom of the album's cover are Japanese katakana characters, which re ...

'', through

Universal Republic Records Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an i ...

. It featured artists such as

LMFAO LMFAO (an initialism for Laughing My Freaking Ass Off or Laughing My Fucking Ass Off) are an American electronic dance music duo consisting of Redfoo and Sky Blu. Redfoo is the youngest son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and Nancy Le ...

, 3OH3,

Ice Cube An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be produc ...

Waka Flocka Flame Juaquin James Malphurs (born May 31, 1986), known professionally as Waka Flocka Flame, is an American rapper. Signing to 1017 Brick Squad and Warner Bros. Records in 2009, he became a mainstream artist with the release of his singles "O Let's ...

, Stephen Marley,

Damian Marley Damian Robert Nesta "Jr. Gong" Marley (born 21 July 1978) is a Jamaican DJ, singer, lyricist and rapper. He is the recipient of four Grammy Awards. Early life, education and family Damian Marley is the youngest son of reggae musician Bob Marle ...

and more. The album peaked at No. 8 on the ''Billboard'' R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart and reached No. 5 on the ''Billboard'' Rap Albums chart. The single "Hey" featuring 3OH3 was also featured on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

's ''

Jersey Shore Soundtrack ''Jersey Shore'' is an American reality television series that ran on MTV from December 3, 2009, to December 20, 2012. The series follows the lives of eight housemates at a vacation home in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, on the Jersey Shore in s ...

'' with the entire cast appearing in the music video. The second single, " Outta Your Mind" was featured in the film ''Project X'' and used by Alex & Twitch on the

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

television series, ''So You Think You Can Dance'', which is considered to be the finest hip-hop routine ever performed on the show.

2011: Turbulence

On May 14, 2011 Alongside with

Steve Aoki Steven Hiroyuki Aoki (, ; born November 30, 1977), best known as Steve Aoki, is an American DJ, record producer, music programmer, and record executive.

Laidback Luke Lucas Cornelis van Scheppingen (born 22 October 1976), better known under his stage name Laidback Luke, is a Dutch DJ and music producer. He notably remixed the Robin S. song, " Show Me Love" which charted at No. 11 on the UK charts in 2009. He ...

They released the song "

Turbulence In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is fluid motion characterized by chaotic changes in pressure and flow velocity. It is in contrast to a laminar flow, which occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers, with no disruption between ...

". It was released on May 14, 2011, as a digital download in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and was released on July 17, 2011, as an EP. The

radio edit In music, a radio edit or radio mix is a modification, typically truncated or censored, intended to make a song more suitable for airplay, whether it be adjusted for length, profanity, subject matter, instrumentation, or form. Radio edits may als ...

version of the song was included on the bonus track version of Steve Aoki's debut album '' Wonderland''. The song is also the current official goal song for the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

. In July 2011, he released a song with

called "Drink" through

Ultra Records Ultra Records is an American record label formed in New York City in 1995 by former PolyGram and Virgin Records executive Patrick Moxey. As of December 23, 2012, Ultra entered a global partnership with Sony Music, giving its artists access to ...

. It was used in the trailer for the film '' The World's End''. In 2012, he appeared on three songs featured in the film ''

Step Up Revolution ''Step Up Revolution'' (released in some countries as ''Step Up 4: Miami Heat'') is a 2012 American 3D dance film directed by Scott Speer (in his feature film directorial debut) and written by Amanda Brody. It serves as a sequel to ''Step Up ...

'' and on the film's soundtrack. He would go on to perform one of the songs from the film, "

Goin' In "Goin' In" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez. The song features American rappers Flo Rida and Lil Jon, although the latter is uncredited for his part in the song. It was co-written by Joseph Angel, Tramar Dillard, David Qui� ...

" with

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...

on the season finale of TV show ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

''. In 2013, Lil Jon collaborated with

and released "

Turn Down for What "Turn Down for What" is a song by French DJ and record producer DJ Snake and American rapper Lil Jon released on December 18, 2013. The song and its viral music video popularized the use of the phrase. The song was particularly successful in Nort ...

" on

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

. The song reached No. 1 on ''Billboards

Rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to: * Related to rhythm * Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics * Rhythmic (chart) The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...

and

Hot Dance/Electronic Songs The Dance/Electronic Songs chart has been published weekly by ''Billboard'' since January 2013. It is the first chart to be published that ranks the most popular dance and electronic songs according to audience impressions, digital downloads, s ...

charts, No. 2 on the

Dance/Mix Show Airplay Dance/Mix Show Airplay (formerly Hot Dance Airplay) is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. History The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic d ...

chart, No. 4 on the

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

, and No. 5 on the

Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

. The song has had significant use in media and was certified 6× platinum by the RIAA. Lil Jon also partnered with

Zumba Zumba is a fitness program that involves cardio and Latin-inspired dance. It was founded by Colombian dancer and choreographer Beto Pérez in 2001, and by 2012, it had 110,000 locations and 12 million people taking classes weekly. Zumba is a ...

Fitness to create a new nightclub tour titled "Zumba Nightclub Series" and for the Zumba Fitness series, he released a new song called "Work". On July 22, 2014, Lil Jon released the single "

Bend Ova "Bend Ova" is a single by American rapper and producer Lil Jon released on July 22, 2014 as the follow-up to his highly successful single "Turn Down for What". The track features a guest verse by American rapper Tyga Michael Ray Nguyen-Steven ...

" featuring

Tyga Michael Ray Nguyen-StevensonMicheal Ray Stevenson ...

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

. The song was featured in the two part series finale of the NBC TV show ''

Parks and Recreation ''Parks and Recreation'' (also known as ''Parks and Rec'') is an American political satire mockumentary sitcom television series created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series aired on NBC from April 9, 2009, to February 24, 2015, for 125 ...

''. " Take It Off" featuring

Yandel Llandel Veguilla Malavé (born; January 14, 1977), known professionally as Yandel, is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter and the half member of the reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel. He released his first solo album, ''Quien Contra Mí'', in 2003. ...

and

Becky G Rebbeca Marie Gomez (born March 2, 1997), known professionally as Becky G, is an American singer and actress. She first gained recognition in 2011 when she began posting videos of herself covering popular songs online. One of her videos caught t ...

was released on July 22, 2016, and the single "Alive" was released in 2018, featuring

Offset Offset or Off-Set may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Off-Set", a song by T.I. and Young Thug from the '' Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' * ''Offset'' (EP), a 2018 EP by singer Kim Chung-ha * ''Offset'' (film), a 200 ...

and

2 Chainz Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (or Tity Boi), is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, al ...

Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint. Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...

. In December 2018, Lil Jon released the Christmas single "All I Really Want for Christmas" (featuring Kool-Aid Man) in cooperation with the

Kool-Aid Kool-Aid is an American brand of flavored drink mix owned by Kraft Heinz based in Chicago, Illinois. The powder form was created by Edwin Perkins in 1927 based upon a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack. History Kool-Aid was invented by E ...

brand of soft drinks. In 2018, Lil Jon appeared in volume two of the

Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...

-led soundtrack for the film '' Superfly''. The following year, he appeared in the soundtrack for ''

Spies in Disguise ''Spies in Disguise'' is a 2019 American computer-animated spy comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Loosely inspired by the 2009 animated short ''Pigeon: Impossible'' by Lucas Martell, the film is dire ...

'', curated by

Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Robbi ...

Other ventures

BME Recordings

In 2004, Smith, McDowell, Phillips and Searcy launched BME Recordings in a joint venture with

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

and released '' The King of Crunk & BME Recordings Present: Trillville & Lil Scrappy'' (2004) with Lil Jon producing most of the album. The album single "Some Cut" has been a favorite of samplers over the years. The label entered the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...

hyphy The term hyphy ( ) is Oakland slang meaning "hyperactive". More specifically, it is an adjective describing the hip hop music and the culture associated with the area. The term was first coined by Oakland rapper Keak da Sneak. History The hyp ...

music scene with Bay Area rapper

, releasing the album, ''

My Ghetto Report Card ''My Ghetto Report Card'' is the ninth studio album by American rapper E-40. It was released on March 14, 2006, by BME Recordings, Sick Wid It Records and Warner Bros. Records. ''My Ghetto Report Card'' was supported by two singles: "Tell Me When t ...

'' (2006) with the Lil Jon produced single "

Tell Me When to Go "Tell Me When to Go" is the first single from E-40's BME/Warner Bros. debut, ''My Ghetto Report Card''. Keak da Sneak is also featured on the track. It was produced by Lil Jon, and one of the first singles to kick off the hyphy movement on a nat ...

". The label released the album ''

Bred 2 Die, Born 2 Live ''Bred 2 Die, Born 2 Live'' (stylized as ''Bred 2 Die · Born 2 Live'') is the debut studio album by American rapper Lil Scrappy. The album was released on December 5, 2006 by Warner Bros. Records, BME Recordings, Reprise Records and G-Unit Re ...

'' (2006) by Lil Scrappy.

Acting career

In 2003, Lil Jon was the voice of Jang Ryang in the American remake of the South Korean film ''

Volcano High ''Volcano High'' () is a 2001 South Korean martial arts action comedy film. It revolves around a troublemaking high school student named Kim Kyung-soo (portrayed by Jang Hyuk) who finds himself transferred to the last school that will take him, ...

'', broadcast on MTV. After he was famously parodied by comedian

Dave Chappelle David Khari Webber Chappelle ( ; born August 24, 1973) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for his satirical comedy sketch series ''Chappelle's Show'' (2003–2006), which he starred in until quitting in the middle of p ...

, he would go on to make numerous appearances on the

Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...

series ''

Chappelle's Show ''Chappelle's Show'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedians Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show and starring in the majority of its sketches. Chappelle, Brennan, and Michele Armour were th ...

''. He has since appeared on various TV shows including

André 3000 André Lauren Benjamin (born May 27, 1975), better known as André 3000, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a part of southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi. B ...

's animated series ''

Class of 3000 ''Class of 3000'' is an American animated musical television series created by André 3000 (best known as a member of the hip hop duo Outkast) for Cartoon Network. The series follows superstar and music teacher Sunny Bridges (voiced by 3000), ...

'', ''

Crank Yankers ''Crank Yankers'' is an American adult puppet television show produced by Adam Carolla, Jimmy Kimmel and Daniel Kellison. It features actual crank calls made by show regulars and celebrity guests, while re-enacted onscreen by puppets for a vis ...

'', ''

Robotomy ''Robotomy'' is an American animated television series created by Michael Buckley and Joe Deasy. The series ran from October 25, 2010 to January 24, 2011 on Cartoon Network. The series revolves around Thrasher (Patton Oswalt) and Blastus ( Joh ...

'', ''

Hell's Kitchen Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton, is a neighborhood on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is considered to be bordered by 34th Street (or 41st Street) to the south, 59th Street to the north, Eighth Avenue to the eas ...

'', ''

Tiny House Nation ''Tiny House Nation'' is an American reality television series. It is a tiny house movement-inspired series which features renovation experts John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin who assist families around the country building their desired houses th ...

'', '' Hollywood Puppet Show'', ''

'', '' About A Boy'', ''

Celebrity Apprentice ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' is an American television reality competition series. It was a variation of ''The Apprentice'' series, hosted by then real estate developer (later 45th president of the United States The president of the Unite ...

'', and ''

All-Star Celebrity Apprentice ''The Celebrity Apprentice 6'' (also known as ''All-Star Celebrity Apprentice'' or ''The Apprentice 13'') is the sixth installment of the Reality television#Reality competition/game shows, reality game show, ''Celebrity Apprentice'', which premier ...

'', ''

Bar Rescue ''Bar Rescue'' is an American reality television series that airs on Paramount Network (formerly Spike during the first five seasons). It stars Jon Taffer, a long-time food and beverage industry consultant specializing in nightclubs, bars and pu ...

'', ''

The Bachelorette A bachelorette is an unmarried woman. Bachelorette may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Bachelorette'', a reality television dating show part of ''The Bachelor'' franchise with numerous versions: ** ''The Bachelorette'' (American TV ser ...

'', ''

Hip Hop Squares ''Hip Hop Squares'' is an American television game show originally hosted by Peter Rosenberg, which debuted on MTV2 on May 22, 2012. The show is a licensed format of CBS Television Distribution's ''Hollywood Squares'' (King World Productions, CBS ...

'', and a commercial for

Bud Light Anheuser-Busch, a wholly owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, is the largest brewing company in the United States, with a market share of 45 percent in 2016. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and nearly 20 in othe ...

. Lil Jon is a fan of the television show '' The Walking Dead'' and has made multiple appearances as a guest on ''

Talking Dead ''Talking Dead'' is a live television aftershow in which host Chris Hardwick discusses episodes of the AMC television series '' The Walking Dead'', '' Fear the Walking Dead'' and '' The Walking Dead: World Beyond'' with guests, including celebrity ...

''. On January 29, 2019, a

Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi was ...

Super Bowl commercial Super Bowl commercials, colloquially known as Super Bowl ads, are high-profile television commercials featured in the U.S. television broadcast of the Super Bowl, the championship game of the National Football League (NFL). Super Bowl commercia ...

featuring Lil Jon, rapper

Cardi B Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus (, ; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper and songwriter. She first gained popularity as an influencer on Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to early 2017, she appeared as ...

and actor

Steve Carell Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He played Michael Scott (The Office), Michael Scott in ''The Office (American TV series), The Office'' (2005–2011; 2013), NBC’s adaptation of the The Office (B ...

was released.

Musical style and influences

Jason Birchmeier of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

has described Lil Jon's production as "bass-heavy", and his album ''

'' as having "a long and varied list of guest rappers to accompany the beats". Describing that album with guest performers, Birchmeier remarked: "The end result is an album that resembles a street-level mixtape rather than a traditional artist-oriented album". Lil Jon was specifically influenced by

2 Live Crew 2 Live Crew is an American hip hop music, hip hop group from Miami, Florida, which had its greatest commercial success from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. The group's most well-known line up was composed of Luther Campbell, Luke Campbell, Fr ...

8Ball & MJG 8Ball & MJG is an American hip hop duo from Memphis, Tennessee. They met at Ridgeway Middle School (Memphis, Tennessee) in 1984. In 1993, the duo released their debut album ''Comin' Out Hard''. They went on to release ''On the Outside Looking In ...

Three 6 Mafia Three 6 Mafia is an American Hip hop music, hip hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip hop group, they would eventually go on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album ''Mys ...

, OutKast,

Geto Boys Geto Boys (originally spelled Ghetto Boys) was an American hip-hop group originally formed in Houston, Texas. The Geto Boys enjoyed success in the 1990s with the group's classic lineup consisting of Bushwick Bill, Scarface and Willie D, earning ...

UGK UGK (short for Underground Kingz) was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas, formed in 1987, by Chad "Pimp C" Butler and Bernard "Bun B" Freeman. They released their first major-label album, ''Too Hard to Swallow'', in 1992, followe ...

N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered ...

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...

, and

Sir Mix-A-Lot Anthony L. Ray (born August 12, 1963), better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his 1992 hit song "Baby Got Back", which peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' ...

. Alex Henderson, also of AllMusic, contrasted Lil Jon's style of "rowdy, in-your-face, profanity-filled party music" with other

Southern rap Southern hip hop, also known as Southern rap, South Coast hip hop, or dirty south, is a blanket term for a regional genre of American hip hop music that emerged in the Southern United States, especially in Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, Memphi ...

pers, those who "have a gangsta/thug life agenda" and those who convey "serious sociopolitical messages". Lil Jon has also found influence in rock music, having worked with

Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popula ...

and

Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Originally formed in 1993 ...

. He expresses this influence in his aggressive delivery and 'yelling' style of rap. He was seen on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time program wearing a

Bad Brains Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Originally a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power, they are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this ...

T-shirt, and he used to listen to

Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd ( ) is an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida. The group originally formed as My Backyard in 1964 and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (lead vocalist), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Ju ...

while growing up in the South in the 1970s. For Trick Daddy's "Let's Go", Lil Jon sampled the bass line from

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...

's "

Crazy Train "Crazy Train" is the debut solo single by English heavy metal vocalist Ozzy Osbourne and was released in 1980 from his debut album as a solo artist, ''Blizzard of Ozz'' (1980). A live version of the song recorded in 1981 from the album ''Trib ...

Personal life

Since 2004, Lil Jon married his wife Nicole and together they have a son, Nathan (known as DJ Young Slade). Lil Jon has stated that one of his greatest joys is seeing everything come full circle with his son, who has been DJing since the age of 11. He is an avid fan of all of Atlanta's sports teams which included the

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

Atlanta Thrashers The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 seaso ...

until they relocated to

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

in 2011. He has since become a fan of the

Vegas Golden Knights The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. Founded in 2017 as an expan ...

, and appears in the team 2019 documentary Valiant. He is also a fan of

University of Tennessee Volunteers The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...

, which adopted his hit song "Turn Down for What" on third downs, changing it to "Third Down for What". On October 4, 2014, Lil Jon made an appearance via Jumbotron encouraging the Volunteers to beat the

University of Florida Gators The Florida Gators are the College sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville, Florida, Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni an ...

also visited the team, giving them a pep talk. Lil Jon has been using his star power and wealth to help children in underdeveloped countries gain access to a proper education. He has helped to fund two schools in the village of Mafi Atitekpo in

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

, in partnership with the charity

Pencils of Promise Pencils of Promise (PoP) is a non-profit organization that builds schools and increases educational opportunities in the developing world. Pencils of Promise was founded by Adam Braun. Since its founding in October 2008, the 501(c)(3) organiz ...

. The first, Abomayaw D.A. Kindergarten, opened in October 2017. The second school, Mafi Atitekpo DA Primary School, broke ground in January 2018 and will enroll 313 children. In 2019, Pencils of Promise honored both Lil Jon and

Trevor Noah Trevor Noah (born 20 February 1984) is a South African-born comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and former television host. He was the host of ''The Daily Show'', an American late-night talk show and satirical news progra ...

in recognition of their charitable efforts at the charity's annual gala. In 2018, a 16-year-old student of Douglass High School reached out to rapper and alumnus

Killer Mike Michael Santiago Render (born April 20, 1975), better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, actor, and activist. Mike made his debut on Outkast's 2000 LP ''Stankonia'', and later appeared on their Grammy-winning single " ...

via

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

in a last-chance attempt to raise money to cover expenses for the marching band to travel to

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

to march in the annual

Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "Fat ...

parade. To his surprise, Killer Mike not only responded voicing his support, but he also recruited fellow alumni Lil Jon and T.I., who both jumped at the chance to help out their alma mater. Together with additional donors, the trip was covered for the students. Lil Jon supports his hometown of Atlanta and is one of Atlanta's famous residents that appear on the LED screen in Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to welcome new arrivals to the city. He also appears on the Jumbotron at

Mercedes Benz Stadium Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. Opened in August 2017 as a replacement for the Georgia Dome, it serves as the home stadium of the Atlanta Falcons of the National ...

to hype up fans during

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...

and

Atlanta United Atlanta United FC, commonly known as Atlanta United, is an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference. Founded in 2014, Atlanta United began pl ...

games. During

Super Bowl LIII Super Bowl LIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2018 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Confe ...

held in Atlanta in 2019, Lil Jon appeared in the

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

's "This Is Atlanta" promotional video to welcome incoming visitors to the city, alongside fellow Atlanta residents, former

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...

basketball player

Dominique Wilkins Jacques Dominique Wilkins (born January 12, 1960) is an American former professional basketball player who primarily played for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Wilkins was a nine-time NBA All-Star, a seven-time All ...

, former

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

baseball player

Chipper Jones Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones Jr. (born April 24, 1972) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2012. The Braves chose Jones with the first overall p ...

, civil right icons Congressman

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

and former congressman,

Ambassador to the United Nations A permanent representative to the United Nations (sometimes called a "UN ambassador")"History of Ambassadors", United States Mission to the United Nations, March 2011, webpagUSUN-a. is the head of a country's diplomatic mission to the United Nati ...

and

Mayor of Atlanta Here is a list of mayors of Atlanta, Georgia. The mayor is the highest elected official in Atlanta. Since its incorporation in 1847, the city has had 61 mayors. The current mayor is Andre Dickens who was elected in the 2021 election and took of ...

Andrew Young Andrew Jackson Young Jr. (born March 12, 1932) is an American politician, diplomat, and activist. Beginning his career as a pastor, Young was an early leader in the civil rights movement, serving as executive director of the Southern Christian L ...

, rappers

Big Boi Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a member of the southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside André 3000. ...

and

, singer Chili (

), comedian

Jeff Foxworthy Jeffrey Marshall Foxworthy (born September 6, 1958) is an American actor, author, comedian, producer and writer. He is a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, with Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, and Ron White. Known for his "You might be a ...

, and television personality

Ryan Seacrest Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American media personality and producer. He is the co-host of ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'', as well as the host of multiple media shows including ''American Idol'', ''American Top 40'', and '' ...

. Organized by musician Jermaine Dupri, a host of Atlanta area high school drummers, local brass musicians and the

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is an American orchestra based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The ASO's main concert venue is Atlanta Symphony Hall in the Woodruff Arts Center. History Though earlier organizations bearing the same name date b ...

also appear and supply the underlying music. Lil Jon also appeared in CBS Sports' official open of the network's coverage of the game.

Discography

Solo albums

*''

'' (2010)

Collaborative albums

*'' Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album'' (with the East Side Boyz) (1997) *''

We Still Crunk!! ''We Still Crunk!!'' is the second studio album by Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. Track listing # "We Still Crunk" # "I Like Dem Girlz" (featuring Jazze Pha) # "Where Dem Girlz At?" (featuring Skyy) # "Bounce Dat Ass" (featuring 6 Shot & Chyna W ...

'' (with the East Side Boyz) (2000) *''

'' (with the East Side Boyz) (2001) *''

'' (with the East Side Boyz) (2002) *''

'' (with the East Side Boyz) (2004)

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

(stylized as GRAMMY) is an award presented by the Recording Academy to recognize achievement in the music industry.

MTV Video Music Awards

MTV Video Music Award The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...

(abbreviated as a VMA) is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. , - , rowspan="4",

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, , rowspan="4", "

" (with

) , , MTV Clubland Award , , , - , Best Direction , , , - , Best Visual Effects , , , - , Best Art Direction , ,

American Music Awards

The

American Music Award The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produc ...

s is an annual awards ceremony created by

Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American radio and television personality, television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 198 ...

in 1973. Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz has received two nominations, winning one for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Band/Duo/Group. , - ,

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

, , Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz , , Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Band/Duo/Group , , , - , , , Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz , , Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Band/Duo/Group , ,

Filmography

Film

*2004: ''

Soul Plane ''Soul Plane'' is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Jessy Terrero (in his feature film directorial debut). The film stars Tom Arnold, Kevin Hart, Method Man and Snoop Dogg. Supporting actors include Mo'Nique, Loni Love, K.D. Aubert, D.L. ...

'' *2005: ''

Boss'n Up ''Boss'n Up'', a musical film inspired by Snoop Dogg's album '' R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece'', debuted on 6 December 2005. The film was released in DVD format, and was the first film made under Snoop Dogg's newly-founded production co ...

'' (with

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

) *2006: ''

Date Movie ''Date Movie'' is a 2006 American romantic comedy parody film written by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, directed by Seltzer, and produced by Paul Schiff and Friedberg. It was released on February 17, 2006 by 20th Century Fox and stars Alys ...

'' *2006: ''

Scary Movie 4 ''Scary Movie 4'' is a 2006 American science fiction parody film. It is the sequel to ''Scary Movie 3'' and the fourth installment in the ''Scary Movie'' film series, as well as the first film in the franchise to be released under The Weinstein ...

Television

*''

'' (2003) *''

The Sharon Osbourne Show ''The Sharon Osbourne Show'' is an American talk show that ran for one season (2003–2004) on various US channels. Cancellation The show was eventually canceled due to poor ratings and scathing attacks by critics as being too focused on Os ...

'' (2003) *''

MadTV ''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by '' Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reunion show in 2015 to celebrate the twentiet ...

'' (2003) *''

All of Us ''All of Us'' is an American sitcom television series that premiered on the UPN network in the United States on September 16, 2003, where it aired for its first three seasons. On October 1, 2006, the show moved to The CW, a new network formed by ...

'' (2004) *''

Like Family ''Like Family'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on The WB from September 19, 2003 to April 22, 2004. The series stars Holly Robinson Peete and Kevin Michael Richardson and lasted one season. ''Like Family'' was created and produ ...

'' (2004) *''

How I'm Living This is a list of current and upcoming programming on BET (Black Entertainment Television). Current programming Original programming Drama Comedy Unscripted =Docuseries= =Reality= Continuations These shows have been picked up by BET for ...

'' (2004) *''

'' (2005) *''

The Andy Milonakis Show ''The Andy Milonakis Show'' is an American sketch comedy television show starring Andy Milonakis, which aired on MTV2, the first season having aired on MTV. The program premiered on June 26, 2005 and ended with its three-season run when it w ...

'' (Season 1 Episode 1 (2005)) *''

MTV Cribs ''MTV Cribs'' (also known as ''Cribs'') is an American documentary television show that originated on MTV and features tours of the private homes of celebrities. It originally aired from 2000 to 2010. In 2017, MTV produced short-form episodes o ...

'' (2005) *''

Wild 'n Out ''Wild 'N Out'' is an American sketch comedy and improv game show series that was created and is hosted by musician and comedian Nick Cannon currently airing on VH1. It debuted on July 28, 2005 on MTV. In April 2019, the series had been renew ...

'' (2006) *''

Criss Angel Mindfreak ''Criss Angel Mindfreak'' is an American reality television series that aired on A&E from July 20, 2005, to September 8, 2010. It centers on stunts and street magic acts by magician Criss Angel. Releases See also * List of ''Criss Angel Mindfr ...

'' (2006) *''

Pimp My Ride UK ''Pimp My Ride UK'' is a British reality TV show which is presented by rapper Lady Leshurr. The programme initially ran on MTV UK from 2005 to 2007 and was revived as a show for MTV's YouTube channel in 2022. The show is an adaption of the Ameri ...

'' (Host) (2006) *''

'' (voice) (2007) *''

'' (2007) *'' Freaknik: The Musical'' (voice only) (2010) *'' Ridiculousness'' (2012) *''

The Celebrity Apprentice ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' is an American television reality competition series. It was a variation of ''The Apprentice'' series, hosted by then real estate developer (later 45th president of the United States) Donald Trump from 2008 to 2015, an ...

'' (Season 11 (2011) and All Stars (2013)) *''

The Jenny McCarthy Show Jenny McCarthy Jennifer McCarthy Wahlberg (' Jennifer Ann McCarthy; born November 1, 1972) is an American actress, model, and television personality. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for ''Playboy'' magazine and was later named the ...

'' (2013) *''

Watch What Happens Live ''Watch What Happens Live! with Andy Cohen'' (abbreviated ''WWHL'', previously named ''Watch What Happens Live!'') is an American pop culture-based late-night talk show hosted by Andy Cohen, that premiered on Bravo on July 16, 2009. The show feat ...

'' (2013) *''

Master of the Mix ''Master of the Mix'' is a reality television series and disc jockey competition. The 2010 season of the show had eight episodes and seven disc jockeys. The show was hosted by Just Blaze and judged by Kid Capri. Biz Markie was a regular guest. ...

'' (guest judge) (2013) *''

The Eric André Show ''The Eric Andre Show'' is an American surreal sketch comedy television series which began airing on May 20, 2012. The show premiered on Adult Swim and is a parody of late night talk shows. The series is hosted by comedian Eric André and forme ...

'' (2014) *'' About A Boy'' (2014) *''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

'' (2014) *''

Comedy Bang! Bang! ''Comedy Bang! Bang!'' (formerly ''Comedy Death-Ray Radio'') is a weekly comedy audio podcast, which originally began airing as a radio show on May 1, 2009.A Special Thing Forums:Comedy Death-Ray Radio starts today! Popularly known as ''Humanit ...

'' (2015) *''

'' (2016) *''

Hollywood Medium With Tyler Henry Tyler Henry Koelewyn (born 1996) is an American reality show personality who appears in the series ''Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry'' as a clairvoyant medium. The series began its broadcast on the E! Television Network in the United States ...

'' (2016) *''

'' (2017) *''

'' (2018) *''

'' (2018) *'' Hollywood Puppet Show'' (2018) *''

The Rap Game ''The Rap Game'' is an American reality television series. The series premiered on January 1, 2016, on Lifetime. The winners of seasons 1-5 respectively, were Miss Mulatto, Mani, Nova, Street Bud and Tyeler Reign. Other notable contestants that ...

'' (2019)

Video games

*''

Tony Hawk's American Wasteland ''Tony Hawk's American Wasteland'' is a skateboarding video game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. It is the seventh entry in the '' Tony Hawk's'' series and was released initially for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox in ...

'' (2005) *''

Def Jam Icon ''Def Jam: Icon'' is a fighting video game, the third in Electronic Arts's ''Def Jam''-licensed hip-hop video game series. The game was developed by EA Chicago, the first ''Def Jam'' game not to be developed by AKI Corporation. Unlike the prev ...

'' (2007)

References

External links

Official website
* {{Authority control 1972 births Living people 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians African-American crunk musicians African-American DJs African-American male rappers African-American record producers American hip hop DJs American hip hop record producers Grammy Award winners for rap music Rappers from Atlanta Rappers from Georgia (U.S. state) Atlantic Records artists Epic Records artists Geffen Records artists Interscope Records artists Republic Records artists TVT Records artists Universal Records artists The Apprentice (franchise) contestants 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American people