Lil Jon - Crunk Or Die T-shirt 2xl CDs • Vinyl Records • LPs • Music Albums

over militaristic synths and machine-gun drums. Jon was raised on a diet of hardcore and punk as well as hip-hop, and more than any other rap producer, he understands the raw power of the guitar: "Don't Fuck Wit Me," a bizarre, uncomfortable incitement to domestic violence in the working-class home, could pass for a Suicidal Tendencies outtake. Jon doesn't get much credit for his range as a producer: "Aww Skeet Skeet," featuring DJ Flexx, is an utterly convincing go-go track. And "Lovers and Friends" -- which lifts from Mary J. Blige's "Everything" -- is a liquid love song any R&B thug would be grateful to have on his album.

Jon and his East Side Boyz aren't much as far as rapping is concerned -- they're more cheerleaders than MCs. To Jon's credit, he understands his shortcomings, closing the album with the outstanding "Grand Finale," featuring Nas, Bun B, T.I. and Ice Cube -- talented rappers who prove that you can do more to Jon's music than mosh.

No longer confined to the South, Lil Jon's distinctive brand of crunk music has made him a superstar from coast to coast. On his fifth LP, he and his Eastside Boyz compadres team up with some of the industy's biggest names, including Nas, Snoop, Usher, Ice Cube and Ying Yang Twins.