Rapper-producer Jonathan "Lil Jon" Smith is best known for turning everyday words like "yeah" and "okay" into bloodcurdling sonic extravaganzas. He's crafted hits for the likes of Usher and Ludacris; ...

I fucked up, and I’ll admit it. A few months back I reviewed a compilation called Crunk Classics, with songs by dirty south superstars like Lil Jon and Petey Pablo, and I tore it a new asshole. “TVT’s ...

Hip-hop and booze are a match made in marketing heaven. Jay-Z made $2.5 million last year endorsing Budweiser and others; Diddy pushes Ciroc Vodka; Kanye West appears in Absolut ads. But Lil Jon went ...

The current #1 song in America isn't Memphis rap, but it wants to be Memphis rap so badly. Drake's new album Honestly, Nevermind is mostly a full-length exploration of house and club music styles, but ...

Police are warning about a new alcoholic energy drink that is as strong as wine and which they claim is responsible for a wave of anti-social behaviour. Cans of American-made 'Crunk Juce' are being ...

Lil Jon may not have coined the word “crunk,” but he deserves credit for “Crunk & B.” That’s what the Atlanta rapper-producer calls Usher’s “Yeah!,” the song he co-wrote and produced that’s been No. 1 ...

With its irresistible hip-hop beats and shouted refrains, crunk music incites a fervor in fans that’s reminiscent of a religious experience. “I would define crunk as more of a spirit,” explains rapper ...

White tees that stretched to the knee. Gold grills on teeth and cars. And accents slathered with so much sauce they forced the words to shapeshift. The crunk era of hip-hop took Andre 3000’s prophetic ...