Hip-hop, at times, can be one of the most intelligent, deep, and emotionally-inclined genres of music. It really depends on the artist. If the rapper has a background in poetry, any other spoken-word art, or is a multi-talented performer (meaning a rapper, composer, actor, etc.), then their music usually comes across as being very powerful and moving. Of course, on the other hand, you also have hip-hop that’s the complete anti-thesis of the former. I mean, you won’t really find anything artful (or even remotely tasteful) about
50 Cent’s “Candy Shop.” Needless to say, hip-hop delivers a wide spectrum of entertainment values. However, there is one rap sub-genre that stands above all else in terms of ultimate “fun factor.” It is a style of music developed in the southern United States, and it is known simply as “crunk.”
Crunk is a very high-energy, club-oriented type of hip-hop. In musical and lyrical terms, crunk songs and artists are virtually identical. If it wasn’t for sheer differences in ego and attitude, it would be hard to tell them apart. Due to this, crunk rappers have come under the scrutiny of their peers, who claim that the lack of lyrical content and using what are essentially the same beats and melodies. While crunk artists will readily admit that this is true, they counter with the point that crunk is designed to be party music, and it serves this point very well. Perhaps no one accentuates this point better than the self-proclaimed (and rarely refuted on that fact) “Kings of Crunk,” Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz.
This trio of southern rappers has been on the forefront of many pop-culture milestones of the early 21st century. For one, they popularized the term “skeet,” which is slang for ejaculation. That’s quite the legacy, eh? While they’re hardly the most talented producers, vocalists, or lyricists, Lil Jon, Big Sam, and Lil Bo (known collectively as the East Side Boyz) make some damn fun music. Their breakthrough 2002 album, aptly titled
Kings Of Crunk is perhaps the greatest example of that fact. The album’s commercial success was due mostly in part to the hooky lyrics of the album’s second single “Get Low.” Everyone just loved hearing
”To the window/To the wall” blaring out of radios. Since it’s release,
Kings Of Crunk has certifiably gone two times platinum in the U.S. and helped to break Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz’s music into an international market.
Kings Of Crunk does what it’s supposed to do very well: it makes for one hell of a party album. The lyrics are despicably profanity-laden, but hardly feature anything about life on the streets or any of that. Instead, you hear an awful lot of sexually-explicit and complete lewd wordplay, that only serves the whole “party” aspect of the album’s mood.
Kings Of Crunk is just a wonderfully fun experience, that work very well at any of the following events: a rave, a birthday party (21+, obviously), a Bar/Bah mitzvah (wealthy Jewish kids love their God-forsaking hip-hop), or basically any other event that casts a sense of uncomfortable claustrophobia coupled with irritatingly loud music.
Kings Of Crunk, as stated before, is hardly a well-structured album lyrically. I wouldn’t recommend buying a clean version of this album, simply because of that fact that you’d be left with very little actual content. Yes,
Kings Of Crunk is one of the foulest, most disgusting albums I’ve ever heard. You know that bitch of a great aunt of yours that won’t ever die, yet has an enormous inheritance for you in her will? Yeah, that one. Play
Kings Of Crunk for her, and she won’t stand a chance (or, she may just surprise the living hell out of you). Still, for what they are, the lyrics contained on
Kings Of Crunk are extremely fun, and full of energy. In other words, they are just the high-octane type of wordplay a party environment needs. Everything that pours from Lil Jon and The East Side Boyz’s mouths is intoxicatingly hooky, albeit very similar and often repetitive. This hardly detracts from the immersion experience, as the album really doesn’t need to be well-designed at all to accomplish its goal (I can’t stress said fact enough).
The music, on the whole, is also very repetitive. Even though
Kings Of Crunk overflows with groovy beats and funk melodies, they generally tend to vary very little from song to song. I have to admit, though, this formulaic brand of crunk is still infectiously catchy. The music does what it’s supposed to do: it meshes with the lyrics in perfect synergy. In many cases, the beats and samplings seem to be almost as dirty as the lyrics that they complement. Just another point to accent the album’s energetic feel.
Three of the greatest examples of the raw, unfettered power that can be found on
Kings Of Crunk, can be found on the album’s first single, “I Don’t Give A Fuck,” “Throw It Up,” “Knockin’ Heads Off,” and “Rep Your City.” These are the songs that feature faster rapping, with just more pure emotion (including a little bit of anger at times). On the other hand,
Kings Of Crunk offers plenty of songs that are more on the R&B/Soul side. “Nothin’ On,” “Nothing Free,” and “Ooh-na-naa-naa” feature plenty of grittiness (mostly due to the Parental Advisory-esque lyrics), but retain a certain sense of melody combined with a laidback attitude, that offers welcome changes for
Kings Of Crunk at times. Songs like “Pitbull’s Cuban Rideout” come the closest to hitting any types of issues on violence or ethnic tensions. Like any good rap album,
Kings Of Crunk features several skits that either introduce songs, or act as bridges between tracks. On the whole, they seem to provide more comedic relief than anything else. This is especially evident on “Weedman Skit” whose nonsensical quirks can’t help but draw a smile from you.
However,
Kings Of Crunk wouldn’t quite be complete without one of the greatest party songs ever written: “Get Low.” This song is basically the incarnation of fun. With a little help from the
Ying Yang Twins, Lil Jon and The East Side Boyz craft a monstrously catchy song, complete with the fine-tuned points that are incorporated into
Kings Of Crunk on the whole. I mean, it’s hard to not appreciate rapping along to lyrics like this:
Quote:
3,6,9 damn she fine hopin’ she can sock it to me one mo time/
Get low, Get low/
To the window, to the wall, (to dat wall)/
To the sweat drop down my balls (MY BALLS)/
To all these bitches crawl (crawl)/
To all skeet skeet motherfucker (motherfucker!) all skeet skeet got dam (Got
damn/
To all skeet skeet motherfucker (motherfucker!) all skeet skeet got dam (Got
damn)
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While a lyrics sheet may give even the most staid politicians or parents a heart-attack, you can just tell, that in all their despicable glory, they’re brilliantly fun to listen/sing to. “Get Low” is filthy good fun, and my highest recommendation from this album.
On the whole, the only real area where
Kings Of Crunk fails is the oftentimes irritating repetitious sound that spans the record end to end. Things just get a little too ridiculous at times. The same could be said about the lyrics. As degradingly fun as they can be, there just isn’t enough variety. In the end, though,
Kings Of Crunk is a perfect party album, so its mission is accomplished. I really have no problem ratifying Lil Jon and The East Side Boyz’s claims as being the “Kings Of Crunk” after hearing this album. Go out and pick this album up, and then throw a wild summer bash. You’ll never look back. Just be sure that during said party, you serve Lil Jon’s “Crunk Juice” energy drink. I mean, you want to get the whole experience, don’t you?
