Crunk
tagStarted 1996Peak 2002-2007Last big hit 2008From Atlanta, United States
Located in 1 route
High-energy Atlanta club rap built for maximum rowdiness: blaring TR-808 and TR-909 drums, simple stabbing synth riffs, screamed call-and-response chants, and minimal lyrics designed to whip a crowd into a frenzy. Lil Jon's shouted ad-libs ('YEAH!', 'OKAY!', 'WHAT!') became the genre's signature.
History
Crunk grew from Memphis and Atlanta club culture in the late 1990s, with Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz's late-'90s records building the blueprint. Their 2002 'Kings of Crunk' and the 2003 smash 'Get Low' broke it nationally. BME and TVT pushed acts like Lil Scrappy and Bonecrusher, and crunk dominated radio and clubs through the mid-2000s.
Defining artists
Essential listening
- Get Low — Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz feat. Ying Yang TwinsSpotifyYouTube
- Never Scared — Bonecrusher feat. Killer Mike & T.I.SpotifyYouTube
- Head Bussa — Lil Scrappy feat. Lil JonSpotifyYouTube
- Salt Shaker — Ying Yang Twins feat. Lil Jon & the East Side BoyzSpotifyYouTube
- Neva Eva — TrillvilleSpotifyYouTube
Sources
- Wikipedia: Crunk
- Wikipedia: Get Low (Lil Jon song)
- Cleveland Scene: Lil Jon's Biggest Head Bussas
- Wikipedia: Kings of Crunk