How does one go from enjoying a production presence on the albums of virtually every major artist to sliding into obscurity without even a hint as to what prompted the disappearance? That was the million-dollar question in regards to Lil Jon. But the more we searched for answers, the more new thought-provoking questions arose.
Was he still alive?
Was he still making music?
Did people just not like crunk music anymore?
Sadly there were no answers. That is, until we ran into Lil Jon at a quiet Los Angeles photography studio where he agreed to pose for the cover of rolling out. With a new album (Crunk Rock) on the shelves, and a renewed focus on his physical, mental and emotional health, Lil Jon didn’t come across as a man who had been essentially MIA. Instead, we found was man who was at peace with his decisions — even at the cost of having people question his disappearance.
The following is an excerpt from the personal and private conversations from that fateful day with the undisputed King of Crunk. His words — both poignant and pointed — spoke to his sincere belief that crunk wasn’t dead. No, in his eyes, it was simply preparing for a beautiful revival.
Before we get into where you’ve been, let’s talk about the new album, Crunk Rock. How do you feel about the project?
I feel good about it. I‘ve been working on this album for a couple of years now. I revamped it, and I feel like it’s a great project that music needs. It’s not just rap music, [there are] a bunch of different collaborations with songs in different languages, and people from different countries on the album. I just love it, and the response that I’ve been getting from people on my Twitter and on my Facebook has been really positive. A lot of people are saying that the album is unexpectedly good, and I enjoy hearing that.
You mentioned music in other languages. What prompted your decision to make music for other cultures?
I’ve just been traveling a lot. As I visited other countries, I began to see that I had a diverse set of fans. So it was only right that I made music that spoke to all of my fans and not just one particular group. That’s why my music encompasses so much now, because I’ve seen the world and realized that I needed to be speaking to so many different types of people.
So did your travels change how you looked at life and at music?
It wasn’t just the travels. It was an assortment of things. It was the travel, it was me getting older, and it was my experiences with Dave Chappelle. All of those things kind of worked together to shape my perspective on life. It all just helped me see that the world is big … really big. And there are so many perspectives out there. I’ve done shows from Finland and Bulgaria to Australia, and meeting people from those different cultures gave me the courage to try any and everything with my music. By me understanding how limitless the world is, it forced me to remove the restraints on my music. With me, anything goes now, and I’m now willing to try anything.
Now that you’ve developed this mind-set where you are willing to try anything, is there a fear of failure that comes along with it?
No, I have no fear. I was a DJ before I became an artist, so I’ve always been in front of people. Sometimes things work, and other times they don’t. That comes along with me being an entertainer. When it works, great, and when it doesn’t I just keep it moving. 
Everybody wants to know where you’ve been. You wouldn’t believe how many times someone has asked if you were still on the scene.
People in urban circles would say that, but I haven’t gone anywhere. I’ve been right here working. To be honest with you, I’ve probably been busier now than I have ever been in the past. I just stepped outside of the urban market and started making money in other areas. Like I just did a record with Miley Cyrus, and I’m on the new Christina Aguilera album. If you only listen to rap music, then you wouldn’t know that, and you would think that I had disappeared. But that’s not the case. It’s funny that I only get that ‘where have you been question’ within the urban market, because everyone else knows where I’ve been. They know that I’m still here.
Is crunk music dead?
No, I think it’s very alive. I just think that it has evolved. You still have me out here doing my thing, but you also have people like Waka [Flocka Flame] and Soulja Boy who represent the new generation of crunk. They might express the music differently, but it’s all still crunk.
So you’ve been working with other genres. Is that more creatively challenging than your signature urban club bangers?
No, it’s just music. I believe that if you respect a certain artist or a certain genre, then the music will come. I never go into a project with someone unless I genuinely respect what they are doing. As long as that mutual respect is in place, then everything else will fall into place.
Whether the person is white, black or brown, everyone seems to consider you to be the ultimate party starter. Is this a part of the brand that you wanted to create for yourself?
Yeah, it’s kind of crazy how that happened. But that’s just the way it is. People tell me that when I walk into the club they can feel the energy change, because they know the party is about to get out of control. I can’t tell you how many people have had their best club experiences because I’ve been there. So that title has just come about because I’m always in the club, always with the people, and always making sure they have a good time. It’s what I do.
How do you maintain that pace?
It seems like this crazy partying lifestyle would wear you down.
It does, and that’s why I had to get in shape. I had to drop weight, start eating right and get in the gym. That’s the only way that I was going to be able to keep this up. Otherwise, I’d be dragging, and I can’t be in the club saying that I’m not going to get drunk or take shots of Patron. That’s a part of who I am now, and I’ve had to accept that, and work hard to make sure that I can keep it up.
And you’re OK with all of this?
I’m OK with it. It’s what I signed up for, and what I enjoy doing. I just have to do what I can to make sure I keep this thing going.
