Lil Jon
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| Lil Jon | |
|---|---|
 In September 2007.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jonathan Smith[1][2] |
| Born | January 27, 1971 |
| Origin | Atlanta, Georgia, US |
| Genres | Crunk Rapcore Rap rock Hip house Reggaeton Crunkcore |
| Occupations | Rapper, Singer, Producer, Vintner |
| Instruments | Keyboards, Synthesizers, Roland TR-808, Drum Machine, Sampler |
| Years active | Since 1993 |
| Labels | BME Recordings Universal Republic Records TVT Records (2001-2008) |
| Associated acts | Pitbull, The East Side Boyz, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Ying Yang Twins, DJ Drama, T.I., Usher, E-40, Diplo, T-Pain, R.Kelly, Soulja Boy, Lil Wayne, Swizz Beatz, Three 6 Mafia |
| Website | Official Website |
Jonathan Smith (born January 27, 1971),[2] better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American composer, producer, promoter, and rapper. He is best known as a pioneer of the hip hop sub-genre crunk. His work is recognizable by his distinctive hype shouts of "What?!","Hey!", "Yeah!", and "Okay!", which have earned him a part as a regular character in the repertoire of popular comedian Dave Chappelle.
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[edit] Early life
Lil Jon was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from Douglass High School (Georgia) in 1989. He worked for So So Def Recordings between 1993 and 2000, which is where he got his stage name.[3][2]
[edit] Musical career
Lil Jon says that he is a full time rapper who "was inspired by the synthesizer sounds of rave/dance music he heard playing in Atlanta strip clubs."[4]
In 2006 before recording the album Crunk Rock, Lil Jon severed his negotiation with record label TVT. He vowed never to record for TVT Records again, alleging that TVT owner Steve Gottlieb was shortchanging him.[5]
| “ | After a long battle and negotiations with TVT, we worked out our differences. TVT cut the check and now it's time for me to get back to work.[5] | ” |
Jon said in a statement: "Crunk Rock is going to be some next level shit."[5] As part of TVT Records' 2008 bankruptcy auction, Lil Jon withdrew his multi-million dollar objection to the TVT sale proceedings and agreed to TVT’s transfer of his artist agreement to The Orchard. In return, The Orchard released Lil Jon from all future obligations and returned the rights to the master recordings of his constantly delayed LP, Crunk Rock.[6]
[edit] Other endeavors
Lil Jon is a big fan of Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL[7] and writes a blog on NHL.com.[8] On the blog, he has stated that his son plays hockey. Atlanta Thrashers goalie Kari Lehtonen has a picture of Lil Jon on the back of his helmet.[9]
Lil Jon has his own energy drink, called CRUNK!!![10], his own line of Oakley Sunglasses[11], and his own brand of wine, Little Jonathan Winery, which produces a Merlot, a Chardonnay, and a Cabernet Sauvignon.[12]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
with The East Side Boyz
- 1997: Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album
- 2000: We Still Crunk!!
- 2001: Put Yo Hood Up
- 2002: Kings of Crunk
- 2003: Certified Crunk
- 2003: Part II
- 2004: Crunk Juice
Solo Albums
- 2009 Crunk Rock
[edit] Video games
- Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
- 25 To Life (cameo appearance)
- Def Jam: Icon
- Need for Speed: Underground "Get Low"
- Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition Remix
[edit] Filmography
- 2004: Soul Plane
- 2005: Boss'n Up
- 2005: Hip-Hop Honeys: Las Vegas
- 2006: Date Movie
- 2006: Scary Movie 4
- 2008: Smoke and Mirrors
- 2009: Pimp My Ride International
[edit] References
- ^ Semuels, Alana (March 12, 2007). "Rappers hear siren song of opportunity". LA Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2007/mar/12/business/fi-hiphop12. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
- ^ a b c Birchmeier, Jason (2006). "Lil Jon - Biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jbfexqthldke~T1. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1441760/bio
- ^ Scratch Magazine | The Blueprint of Hip-Hop
- ^ a b c "Lil Jon Readies Rock Album" (Online interview). SOHH.com. http://www.sohh.com/articles/article.php/8400/1. Retrieved February 22 2006.
- ^ VIBE: Lil Jon Goes to the Orchard
- ^ Golbez, Jez (2007-04-24). "Lil' Jon, the Big NHL Fan". FanHouse. http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/04/24/lil-jon-the-big-nhl-fan/. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
- ^ Chan, Lorne (2007-05-22). "Blogged Down". MySanAntonio.com. http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA052207.2D.ChanBlog.37f81d3.html. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
- ^ "For The Record: Quick News On Britney Spears, Notorious B.I.G., Carrie Underwood, Elliott Yamin, Paris Hilton & More". MTV News. 2007-04-17. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1557393/20070417/spears_britney.jhtml. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
- ^ "Crunk!!! Energy Drink". BevNet. 2003-01-06. http://www.bevnet.com/reviews/crunk/. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
- ^ Reid, Shaheem (2004-11-01). "Lil Jon - Big Chips". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/bands/l/lil_jon/news_feature_041101/. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
- ^ "Little Jonathan Winery". 2009-23-10. http://littlejonathanwinery.com/. Retrieved 2009-23-10.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lil Jon |
- Official website
- Complete Discography of Lil Jon[dead link]
- Lil Jon at the Internet Movie Database
- Lil Jon at MySpace
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