workaholics anonymous
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ou probably envision Lil’ Jon as a caricature, a cartoon figure who pops up all over the Top 10 list sporting sunglasses, a platinum grill, and an ever-present pimp cup. Even if some hip-hop purists don’t fully appreciate the crunk revolution Jon has spearheaded, you really can’t hate on a man who pulls in five figures to scream patented phrases like “Okaaaay!” and “Yeaaaah!” Now, that’s a pimp! But who would’ve guessed that Jonathan actually scours the health food stores for quality multi-vitamins, loves to cook, and spends his days off curled up on the couch with his family?
top. “We’ve stepped up the production for this new album, ‘Kings of Crunk’,” he assured me back then, “I think we just put so much energy into the music that you can’t deny the record.”
The music industry is a hoax; a façade; an image. It’s all about perception, and Jon knows this well. Your favorite rapper isn’t ballin’ as hard as you think he is, and in the same way, Lil’ Jon, contrary to popular belief, isn’t crunk all the time. After years of watching and learning the game, first as a DJ and later as an A&R for Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def, Jon successfully created himself as a brand. The recent Dave Chappelle skits, “A Day in the Life of Lil’ Jon,” are further proof that Jon has secured his place in pop culture. He’s recognized by mainstream America on a level that few rappers besides Snoop Dogg have reached. But it didn’t happen overnight.
Several years and two million records later, Lil’ Jon is one of the most sought-after producers in the game. Poor concert attendance is no longer a problem. Strolling through the streets of Little Havana for Miami’s Calle Ocho festival amongst a posse of bodyguards, he attracts fans of all ages and races begging for autographs or photos. After a few hours of screaming “Yeahhh!” underneath the Miami sun with Pitbull, Jon slides into a limo waiting on the back streets. He fields a few calls from celeb friends like Usher (“What up, my nigga?!?”) en route to the Hit Factory, where he perfects a “sexy” beat for Christina Milian before heading back to his South Beach mansion to continue work on Lil’ Jon & the East Side Boyz’ third album. Later that night, Jon rolls through Club Deep to finish filming for Pitbull’s “Culo” video. All in a day’s work. Like a true workaholic, even at the peak of his career, he’s still focused and driven. We dragged Jon out of a recording session in Atlanta’s Stankonia Studios to figure out what makes this workaholic tick.
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What do your parents do for a living? My dad is deceased, and my mom is in the Army. She works at a hospital also as a supervisor in the operating room. Right now she’s been called into active duty, so she’s away with the Army.
nce upon a time, the Palladium had earned its reputation as the grimiest club in Central Florida. Every time someone got shot, the club changed its name and reopened. Backstage activities were always off-the-record, and cameras were strictly prohibited. Name any rapper and they’d probably performed there at least once. A bizarre group which most assumed was a one-hit fluke, the Ying Yang Twins, came through and performed their take on a Disney classic, “Whistle While you Twerk.” At that time, Lil’ Jon and the East Side Boyz (Lil’ Bo and Big Sam) were just names without a face. Their show was canceled when about fifteen people showed up. I reluctantly pulled up to their tour bus parked at a nearby hotel for our scheduled interview. Based on their singles, “Bia Bia” and “Who You Wit,” I was prepared for the worst, envisioning a mass of gold-grilled thugs hovering around my tape recorder in clouds of weed smoke, mumbling something unintelligible. Inside the tour bus, however, I was shocked to meet three polite grownass men who spoke clearly, didn’t smell, and even remembered me at their video shoot a month later. Most rappers would be discouraged if their concert only drew fifteen people, but Jon didn’t seem phased. During the interview, it was clear that Jon and the Boyz understood the game inside and out and knew what they’d have to do to get to the
What other side gigs do you have besides being an artist and producer? We’ve got BME the label through Warner Bros with Trillville, Lil’ Scrappy, and Bohagon, and we got the label through TVT with Lil’ Jon, Chyna Whyte, and Oobie. Then we’ve got the Crunk energy drink, and we got the porn, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz “American Sex Series.” Are you starring in the porno? Nah, I’m just wildin’ out, talkin’ shit. Hypin’ shit up, so to speak. What’s the function of the East Side Boyz? (laughing) What’s the function? Well, we all write the stuff together. We do everything together. I’m like the Quincy Jones of the group, I produce and coordinate everything. I’m the one that ties everything together. What’s a typical day like in the life of Lil’ Jon? Well, today I got up around 2 or 3, ate breakfast, came straight to the studio, and I’ll probably be here til 6am. I’m in the studio finishing up Trillville & Scrappy’s album, so I’m mixing as well as doing new tracks. Then, I’m also on the phone handling other things at the same time. When I’m on the road, I’m usually doing shows, doing TV, hosting parties, networking, stuff like that. When you’re at a club do you feel like you’re working? I’m always working when I to a club, period. A club is
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OZONE MAGAZINE MARCH 2004
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