The undisputed kings of crunk, became iconic figures spearheading the Dirty South crunk movement that arose in Atlanta around the turn of the century. Loud, belligerent, and larger than life, their leader is a charismatic rapper, and his shouted catch phrases became synonymous with the over-the-top party mindset of a certain era. Equally important as a solo performer, guest collaborator, and celebrity personality, his emphatic yells and husky rhymes were the magical element that drove tracks like his own "Get Low," 's "Yeah!," and 's EDM anthem "Turn Down for What?" to their blockbuster chart status.

Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz formed in the mid-'90s in Atlanta. Originally, was hosting local parties and DJ in area clubs. After meeting in a club while DJ'ing, he began working as an A&R agent for 's So So Def label. While with the label from 1993 to 2000, made a name for himself as a producer with a knack for club remixes. Before long he formed his own group, , comprised of himself, , and .

Essentially a means of showcasing his production talent, signed to Mirror Image Records, an Atlanta-based label distributed by Ichiban Records. In 1997, the label released single "Who U Wit?" as well as the full-length Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album. A second single, "Shawty Freak a Lil Sumtin'," followed in 1998. The regional success of "Who U Wit?" brought with it plenty of outside production opportunities for , and so it wasn't until 2000 that he returned with another album, , this one released independently by BME Recordings. A contract with TVT Records followed, as did the group's label debut, 2001’s , which boasted some previously released material (e.g., "Who U Wit?", ''I Like Dem Girlz"), as well as "Bia' Bia'," the first 's single to get national airplay, thanks in part to the song's fiery guest features from and Too Short.

Led by the single "I Don't Give a @#&%," 2002 album capitalized on 's breakthrough, spawning the Top Five hit "Get Low." Featuring the , "Get Low" was a club phenomenon throughout 2003; Part II, a CD/DVD EP released toward the end of the year, featured dancehall and merengue remixes of the song, along with additional material. 's production style became ubiquitous on urban radio thereafter, as "Salt Shaker" (a production for the ), "Goodies" (), "Yeah!" (), "Freek-a-Leek" (), "Shorty Wanna Ride" (), "Damn!" (), "Let's Go" (), "Culo" (), "Head Bussa" (), "Neva Eva" (), and "Shake That Monkey" (Too Short) all garnered significant airplay in 2003-2004. By this point, the celebrity of was such that comedian Dave Chappelle was memorably satirizing him (especially his signature "yeaaah!" and "whaaat!?" expressions) on a couple episodes of The Chappelle Show.

Toward the end of 2004, "What U Gon' Do," a single featuring , preceded the release of Crunk Juice, a star-studded album featuring guest features on nearly every song. "Friends & Lovers," featuring and , became the most successful single, reaching the Top Three of the Billboard 100. In the wake of Crunk Juice, put his solo career on hold while his label went through bankruptcy hearings. He continued to produce hits for others, including "I'm a King" (, 2005), "Touch" (, 2005), "Girlfight" (, 2005), "Okay" (, 2005), "Presidential" (, 2006), "U and Dat" (, 2006), "Gangsta Gangsta" (, 2006), and "Dime/Tell Me" (, 2006), among others. In 2010, his solo career was back in the forefront with the release of that year's . A year later he competed on the reality television show Celebrity Apprentice, losing to country music star , while 2014 saw him mash crunk with trap and electro on the quintuple-platinum "Turn Down for What," his Top Five dance hit and collaborative single with . Extending his presence in both the hip-hop and electronic worlds, he continued to release singles, including "My Cutie Pie" with , , and , "Live the Night" with W&W and Hardwell, "Take It Off" with and , and a collaboration with , "Supernova (Interstellar)." Echoing the spirit of "Turn Down for What," he issued the raucous "In the Pit" with and in 2017. As fans waited for a new album, kept a steady stream of new material flowing, with the and assisted "Alive" and the characteristically ridiculous “All I Really Want for Christmas” (a Christmas single featuring a cameo from the mascot for Kool-Aid) in 2018. The next year he appeared with on the dubstep ringer "Bang" by , and also offered his own singles "Ain't No Tellin'" (featuring ) and "Taco Tuesday." ~ Jason Birchmeier & Fred Thomas

Credits for Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz