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|URL = [http://www.liljononline.com Official Website]
|URL = [http://www.liljononline.com Official Website]
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'''Jonathan Mortimer Smith''' (born January 27, 1971),<ref name="latimes">{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2007/mar/12/business/fi-hiphop12|title=Rappers hear siren song of opportunity|last=Semuels|first=Alana|date=March 12, 2007|work=[[LA Times]]|accessdate=2009-09-27}}</ref><ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|last=Birchmeier|first=Jason|title=Lil Jon - Biography|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jbfexqthldke~T1|publisher=Allmusic|date=2006|accessdate=2008-04-11}}</ref> better known by his [[stage name]] '''Lil Jon''', is an American [[rapper]], [[negro]] WHO NEEDS A GOOD WHIPPING, [[actor]] and [[music producer]] who was a member of the group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004. Besides the group, Lil Jon has also produced many hit urban singles. He is famous for his [[catchphrase]], "''YEY-AH!''".
'''Jonathan Mortimer Smith''' (born January 27, 1971),<ref name="latimes">{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2007/mar/12/business/fi-hiphop12|title=Rappers hear siren song of opportunity|last=Semuels|first=Alana|date=March 12, 2007|work=[[LA Times]]|accessdate=2009-09-27}}</ref><ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|last=Birchmeier|first=Jason|title=Lil Jon - Biography|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jbfexqthldke~T1|publisher=Allmusic|date=2006|accessdate=2008-04-11}}</ref> better known by his [[stage name]] '''Lil Jon''', is an American [[rapper]], [[negro]] WHO NEEDS A GOOD WHIPPING, [[actor]] and [[music producer]] who was a member of the group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004. Besides the group, Lil Jon has also produced many hit urban singles. He is famous for his [[catchphrase]], "''IM A NEE-GROO!''".


==Life and career==
==Life and career==

Revision as of 08:53, 13 February 2010

"Little Jon" redirects here. For the character in the Robin Hood legend, see Little John.
Lil Jon

Jonathan Mortimer Smith (born January 27, 1971),[1][2] better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, negro WHO NEEDS A GOOD WHIPPING, actor and music producer who was a member of the group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004. Besides the group, Lil Jon has also produced many hit urban singles. He is famous for his catchphrase, "IM A NEE-GROO!".

Life and career

Lil Jon was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He worked for So So Def Recordings between 1993 and 2000.[2]

Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz

Smith took the stage name Lil Jon and formed musical group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz with hype men/rappers Big Sam and Lil Bo. The group signed to the Atlanta-based Mirror Image Records and were distributed by Ichiban Records. In 1997, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz debuted with Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album. It included singles "Who U Wit?" and "Shawty Freak a Lil' Sumthin'", the latter of which came out in 1998.[2] Both singles charted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at #70 and #62 respectively.[3] Under BME Recordings, the group followed in 2000 with We Still Crunk and scored a hit with "I Like Dem Girlz", which reached #55 on the R&B chart and #3 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz signed to TVT Records in 2001 and debuted there with Put Yo Hood Up. That album combined previously released tracks with new ones. "Bia' Bia'" was the group's first nationally played single; it featured rappers Ludacris, Too Short, Big Kapp, and Chyna Whyte.[2] "Bia' Bia'" peaked at #97 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #47 on the Billboard R&B chart.[3]

In 2002, the group released Kings of Crunk. "I Don't Give A..." was its first single; it featured Mystikal and Krayzie Bone and peaked at #50 on the R&B chart.[3] The group's next single, a collaboration with fellow Atlanta hip hop group Ying Yang Twins titled "Get Low", became popular in nightclubs nationwide and reached the top ten of the Hot 100.Crunk Juice followed in 2004, led by "What U Gon' Do" featuring Lil Scrappy. "What U Gon' Do" peaked at #22 on the Hot 100, #13 on the R&B chart, and #5 on the rap chart; its follow-up, "Lovers & Friends" featuring Usher and Ludacris, peaked at #3 (Hot 100), #2 (R&B), and #1 (rap).[3]

Solo career and production

In addition to leading Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, Lil Jon has also produced many hit urban singles. From 2003 to 2005, while still with the East Side Boyz, Lil Jon produced hits like "Salt Shaker" by Ying Yang Twins, "Yeah!" by Usher, "Freek-a-Leek" by Petey Pablo, "Shorty Wanna Ride" by Young Buck, "Shake That Monkey" by Too Short, "Let's Go" by Trick Daddy, and "Girlfight" by Brooke Valentine.[2] Lil Jon entered the San Francisco Bay Area hyphy music scene in 2006 with his collaborations with Bay Area rapper E-40: Lil Jon produced E-40's single "Tell Me When To Go" and had E-40 and Atlanta rapper Sean P on his own "Snap Yo Fingers".[4]

In 2006, 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] He also began recording a rock music album, Crunk Rock; in May 2006 he began recording in Las Vegas, Nevada because rock band The Killers was recording its upcoming album Sam's Town there.[6]

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]

MTV News reported in March 2008 that Crunk Rock was taking more time to complete than Lil Jon already planned.[7] 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 Crunk Rock.[8]

Musical style

Jason Birchmeier of allmusic has described Lil Jon's production as "bass-heavy" and his album Put Yo Hood Up as having "a long and varied list of guest rappers to accompany the beats". With the guest performers featured on that album much more than the East Side Boyz, Birchmeier remarked: "[T]he end result is an album that resembles a street-level mixtape rather than a traditional artist-oriented album".[9] Alex Henderson, also of allmusic, compared Lil Jon's style of "rowdy, in-your-face, profanity-filled party music" to other Southern rappers' gangsta rap sound that he perceived as delivering "serious sociopolitical messages".[10] Lil Jon has also found influence in rock music, having worked with Rick Rubin and Korn.[11] For Trick Daddy's "Let's Go", Lil Jon sampled the bass line from Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train".[6]

Other endeavors

Lil Jon has his own energy drink, called CRUNK!!!, which was launched with Sidney Frank in 2002, after Frank's Grey Goose company had sponsored hip hop tours which included Lil Jon.[12][13] When Frank died, former Kimberly-Clark executive Tom Mahlke took over as chief executive, and during 2008 the drink took an estimated $15 million in sales.[12] He launched his own line of Oakley Sunglasses in 2004,[14] and his own brand of wine, Little Jonathan Winery, which produces a Merlot, a Chardonnay, and a Cabernet Sauvignon.[15][16]

Lil Jon and his group also worked on a series of pornography releases, with the Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz American Sex Series released in 2004.[17]

Personal life

Lil Jon is a big fan of Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL[18] and writes a blog on NHL.com.[19] 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.[20] In April 2009, Lil Jon acquired the former cell phone number of Miley Cyrus; despite that, he still received messages intended for Cyrus.[21]

Discography

Main article: Lil Jon discography
Main article: Lil Jon production discography

Albums

with The East Side Boyz

Solo Albums

Video games

Filmography

See also

References

  1. ^ Semuels, Alana (March 12, 2007). "Rappers hear siren song of opportunity". LA Times. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
  2. ^ a b c d e Birchmeier, Jason (2006). "Lil Jon - Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  3. ^ a b c d "Lil Jon > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". allmusic. Retrieved December 23, 2009.
  4. ^ Reid, Shaheem (February 28, 2006). "Lil Jon Has Big Plans For E-40 And The Hyphy Movement". MTV News. Retrieved December 23, 2009.
  5. ^ a b "Lil Jon Readies Rock Album" (Online interview). SOHH.com. Retrieved 22 February 2006. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  6. ^ a b Reid, Shaheem (May 17, 2006). "Lil Jon Wants To Double His Gold By Becoming King Of Rock". MTV News. Retrieved December 23, 2009.
  7. ^ Reid, Shaheem (March 6, 2008). "Lil Jon Isn't A Rock Star Just Yet, But He's Keeping Busy With E-40, Extreme Athletes". MTV News. Retrieved December 23, 2009.
  8. ^ VIBE: Lil Jon Goes to the Orchard
  9. ^ Birchmeier, Jason (May 22, 2001). "Put Yo Hood Up: Review". allmusic. Retrieved December 23, 2009.
  10. ^ Henderson, Alex (2002). "Kings of Crunk: Review". allmusic. Retrieved December 23, 2009.
  11. ^ Reid, Shaheem (May 12, 2004). "Lil Jon Bangs Head, Creates 'Crunk-Rock'". MTV News. Retrieved December 23, 2009.
  12. ^ a b O'Malley Greenburg, Zack (2008) "The Business of Hip-Hop: From Kotex To Crunk", Forbes, August 18, 2008, retrieved 16 January 2010
  13. ^ "Crunk!!! Energy Drink". BevNet. 2003-01-06. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  14. ^ Reid, Shaheem (2004-11-01). "Lil Jon - Big Chips". MTV News. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  15. ^ "Little Jonathan Winery". 2009-10-23. Retrieved 2009-10-23.
  16. ^ Moody, Nekesa Mumbi (2008) "Lil Jon Gets Into Winemaking", Fox News, April 04, 2008, retrieved 16 January 2010
  17. ^ Edlund, Martin (2004) "Hip-Hop’s Crossover to the Adult Aisle", New York Times, March 7, 2004, retrieved 16 January 2010
  18. ^ Golbez, Jez (2007-04-24). "Lil' Jon, the Big NHL Fan". FanHouse. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  19. ^ Chan, Lorne (2007-05-22). "Blogged Down". MySanAntonio.com. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  20. ^ "For The Record: Quick News On Britney Spears, Notorious B.I.G., Carrie Underwood, Elliott Yamin, Paris Hilton & More". MTV News. 2007-04-17. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  21. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (April 16, 2009). "Lil Jon Gets Miley Cyrus' Old Phone Number". MTV News. Retrieved December 23, 2009.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lil Jon.
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