There’s a void in the hip-hop community. It’s a niche that is desperate need of filling. Some try their hardest to fit in but it’s not the same. I speak of course of the missing crunk element in hip-hop. Its creator, its master Lil’ Jon is absent on the scene.
I say often that thoughtful hip-hop is good but hip-hop is more than just that. It is bass, fun, contemplative, and so many other things.
For want of a better term hip-hop has schizophrenia, maybe a multiple personality disorder.
For a large expanse of time Lil’ Jon and his Eastside Boyz hyped the club up with heavy bass and songs that infiltrated the body and made everyone dance around in an aggressive but at the same time generally fun way.
The songs that always did it for me was “Throw It Up” and “Grand Finale”
There’s that and his ad libs. It always struck me as amazing how yelling certain one or two syllable words seemed to manifest so much emotion.
“Yeah!”
“What?”
“Okay!”
If you were to be completely honest with yourself right now, when you saw Lil’ Jon’s name as the subject of this article you made one or all of those sounds. Come on, be real. Hell, you’re probably doing now.
Lil’ Jon is also responsible for bringing us new talent (Lil’ Scrappy was once affiliated with him), fun music, and club bangers.
“Get Low”, anyone? I remember when everyone felt it important to point from the window all the way over to the adjacent wall. I was a perpetrator as well…and I loved it. Still do when it’s played.
Other club classics he was involve with was “Yeah!”, “Salt Shaker”, and many more.
To me it feels like DJ Khaled is trying his damnedest to be the new Lil’ Jon. To me it will never work.
Granted both are associated with good songs but Khaled is highly annoying. Lil’ Jon’s yells and ad libs somehow prepare your mind and your body for the sheer energy that the next track will be giving you.
Another is the way in which they’re mocked. Khaled’s ridicule is regaled to YouTube videos and random conversations. Lil’ Jon’s was made iconic by Dave Chappelle’s portrayal of him, the same thing he did for the late Rick James.
(You’re probably doing the Rick James thing now, right?)
My point here is rather simple: we need another Lil’ Jon and the Eastside Boyz effort. What? Okay!
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