Lil Jon is known to fans as the "King of Crank". A multifaceted talent allows him to be called not only a musician, but also an actor, producer and screenwriter of projects.
The childhood and youth of Jonathan Mortimer Smith, the future "King of Crank"
Jonathan Mortimer Smith was born on January 17, 1971 in Atlanta, USA. His parents were employees in the military corporation Lockheed Martin.
The family lived modestly and raised five children. Jonathan, as the eldest, took care of his younger siblings. Parents brought up children in severity. Seeing the genuine passion of the eldest son for music, they supported him.
Jonathan Smith received his school education according to the magnetic method at the oldest American school named after F. Douglas. The school was created specifically for African American students from poor families. Many graduates of this school later became famous artists, lawyers and politicians.
While studying at school, the guy became friends with Robert McDowell and Vince Philips. Teenagers were united by a common passion for skateboarding. But the guys needed money, and they began to earn extra money in a sports equipment store.
First activity in Lil Jon music
A feature of the magnetic method of education was a clearly defined specialization. Jonathan became interested in electronic music. In order to somehow train his skills, he became the organizer of a special music party Old Engand Chicken Parties.
Teenagers who liked electronic music came to listen to Jonathan. The opinion of parents regarding their son's concerts: "It is better to be under the supervision of parents than to roam the streets."
Soon the talented DJ moved from the basement to the dance clubs of his hometown. Then he met a man who influenced the musical biography of a young artist.
Acquaintance with Jermaine Dupree (owner of So So Def Recordings) helped Jonathan get into a record company. This is where his professional musical journey began.
Stages of the creative path of Lil Jon
Once in the recording studio, a talented guy got a high position in the regional office of the company.
Jonathan (Lil Jon) was writing music back in 1993 when he was 22 years old.
The first project of the young performer and composer in 1996 was the album Def Bass All-Stars. The Atlanta rappers helped him record the collection. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA and was followed by a series of LPs.
In parallel with this, in 1995, the musician created the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. The name testified to the origin and place of residence of the members of the collective. All of them were residents of the eastern region of Atlanta.
In 1997, the band released their debut project, Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album. It was he who popularized the new style of crunk music (crank). The album consisted of 17 pieces of music, and one of them is Who U Wit? became very popular in Atlanta.
But listeners were not ready for the new style. And in the absence of an advertising company, the sale of the album was a "failure".
The band's second album, We Still Crunk! (2000) suffered the same fate as the former. Despite the apparent failure, behind it was an invisible success. A representative of the New York recording studio signed an agreement with the musicians. Thus, they were provided with popularization at the country level.
The third album, Put Yo Hood Up! (2001) (supported by TVT Records) was hugely popular and went gold. Bia, Bia from this album got into the 20 most downloaded tracks according to the specialized website.
The album Kings of Crunk appeared the following year - double platinum. And the song Get Low still sounds in popular world clubs. It was this work that was the soundtrack to the popular game Need for Speed: Underground. At the end of 2003, this album entered the list of the 20 best-selling in America.
The album Crunk Juice, which was released in 2004, was also double platinum.
"Vacation" in the work of Lil Jon and its continuation
After such a resounding success, the musician took a break in his work for 6 years. The reason for this was conflicts with TVT Records. Fulfilling obligations under an agreement with a recording studio, the musician released the solo composition Snap Yo Fingers. Then the contract between them was broken.
He returned only in 2010 with the solo project Crunk Rock. The musician recorded his album at the Universal Republic Records recording studio.
The real "breakthrough" was the single Turn Down for What, recorded in 2014 with DJ Snake. This musical composition scored a record 203 million views on YouTube. The duo won the MTV Video Music Awards for Best Director.
Then the musician presented a new solo album Party Animal in 2015.
What is known about Lila John's family and his philanthropy?
Lil Jon is married to Nicole Smith. They didn't form a relationship for a long time. In 1998, they had a son, and in 2004 they formalized the relationship. The son of a famous father is now known to the public as DJ Slade. Father and mother are very proud of him.
The showman does not advertise his personal life. On the Internet, you can find photos and video information only about the professional or charitable activities of the star.
