Blame Dave Chappelle for taking Lil Jon away from “us.” Ever since he started making his “A Day In the Life of Lil Jon” skits on his sketch comedy show, Lil Jon was taken from nightclubs in the South to living rooms all over America. “That Dave Chappelle skit was funny, and it was good for business,” says Jon. “I thank him in every interview and every time I talk to him. Those skits made me a pop and cultural icon that will be recognized forever.” To his credit, Jon has taken full advantage and transformed himself into one of the most recognizable figures in music. Producing hits for everyone from Usher to Pitbull, Jon has proven himself to be one of the more diverse producers of the past decade. With his new album Crunk Rock (finally) hitting stores this summer, Jon sat down with OZONE to talk about partying all over the world and becoming bigger than the sound he helped create. Where in the world are you right now? I’m in New York right now, but I go to Brazil tomorrow. I have four or five shows and I’m shooting a video out there. We all know what Brazil is known for. Is this going to be an NSFW video? If I get some crazy stuff, I guess I’ll make the Magic City version, but Brazil style. I have a song called “Machuka.” In Brazil they have Bali Funk; it’s like Miami bass music [was] in the 80s. They talk about the same shit, and they even have the dancers. I did the song with Mr. Catra and Mulher File. You’ve been making party music for 15 years now. Did you think what you were doing back then would take you to where you are now? I just wanted to make good records, from the beginning until now. I’m known as the party guy. When I step in the room, people want to start getting drunk. This has taken me around the world from Brazil to Australia. I just got back from Bulgaria and Finland. I was in Malaysia; I’ve been all around the world. Toured Australia three times. Toured the whole U.S.; been everywhere. Argentina, Sweden, Switzerland. I never thought starting with “Who You Wit’” that it would get this big. Your new album Crunk Rock has been five years in the making. Have you made any changes from what it was originally supposed to be? Really, just two major changes. I started off collaborating with a lot of rock musicians and then me and the label I was signed to [TVT Recordings] fell out and they went under. There was a break, then the new label that bought them, acquired me. Then I got out of that deal and signed to Universal Republic. I wanted to come fresh so I went and got Swizz Beatz and Drumma Boy right away. I stepped back from producing myself so I can concentrate on the vocals. It gave me a new energy. It was a combination of things that made it feel fresh again. I started DJing again all over the world, so I was back in my roots. I didn’t have so much pressure on my back because I didn’t have to do everything. Do you miss producing at all? Nah! That’s a lot of stress and work to do. Making 15 songs and pulling hits out of that? I did production work on this album, but I gave most of it to other cats. I don’t miss doing whole albums. I might do that again after this album comes out. Eventually I’m gonna get back in the studio and make records for other people again. But I had to get this record out. I signed a contract, so I have to get this record out.
In working with other producers, did you encourage them to do their own thing? Did they come in trying to make their own version of your beats? I tell them what I’m looking for and let them do them. We figure out what direction we’re going in after that. I got a lot of respect for Drumma Boy because he went in and knocked out 10 beats right away. Producers and rapper work a lot faster that they did in years past, due to technology and the overall standards for music not being as high anymore. How do you feel about the frequency a rapper or producer can just crank music out now? Well, the records I was making with the Eastside Boyz, those records never went away. They’re still here. To me, it’s to each his own. If you’re putting out a new mixtape every month and that’s how you’re eating, do what you do. But for me, that doesn’t work. To me you’re just giving away music. But if that’s how you get your buzz up, do what you do. A lot of the songs you made, people criticized for the same reason they do a lot of music now. It was thought of as just “easy” to make. What actually goes into the song-making process for you? I go in, get the beat done. Vibe to it, write, then go lay it down. I’ve got a song on the new album called “Get In, Get Out” where I freestyle on it. When I made it, I listened to the beat, recorded a verse, got out, listened, went back in, got out. I never did that before. Back when we started doing it, studio time was very valuable, so we couldn’t afford to waste time. We had to do the beat and the vocals before we even hit the studio. On this album I just did a bunch of new different shit and had fun making it. Granted your album still has the word in it, and you own the energy drink CRUNK!!!, but do you think you have surpassed “crunk music?” I started off doing crunk. But everything I get on, I make it crunk. “Crunk” is always going to mean “a lot of energy.” With the album, it went from being about the rock songs, to being about a crunk rock lifestyle. That means can’t nobody can’t tell you shit, we want to have a good time, forget about the messed up shit. Just living life to the fullest. So it’s not just about crunk music anymore. I’ve got Waka Flocka, Pastor Troy and Soulja Boy on there, so it’s still there. A lot of people who are fans of your older work say your style has changed. Do you see the difference? The thing with me is that I’ve always been able to do other shit. I had “Yeah” with Usher when I had the Kings of Crunk album out. I did Pitbull’s big songs too; I can do different stuff. My fanbase is broader than crunk music because I can jump on other records. I’ve got different records that appeal to every fan I got. This new album showcases every Lil Jon you know. I’ve got a song with Ying Yang that may remind you of “Get Low.” You’ve toured all over the world. Do you see a difference in the way people party or react to your kind of music? In the urban club, people don’t get crunk anymore. When crunk was at the forefront people were slamdancing and the whole nine. Now in the urban clubs people are just standing around looking at each other. When you go to the house music clubs, they’re going crazy, wilding out. I’m trying to bring energy back to urban clubs. Niggas want to stand on tables and wild out again. Thanks to Waka Flocka, he’s helping bring that shit back. We’ve actually talked. He said he grew up on crunk and he’s bringing it back. You’ve been around for a minute and you’re considered to be the originator of a sound, so that makes you a elder statesman. Are you trying to reach back to the younger cats at all? Me and Waka done had conversations. He’s spitting my lyrics to me. I’ve talked to Roscoe Dash; he said his brother played nothing but crunk. Travis Porter invited me out to rock with them. I respect anybody who respects me. They’re showing the upmost respect by calling me an O.G. in this shit. //
OZONE MAG // 55