Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz

At its best, Crunk Juice isn't so much a recapitulation of Lil Jon's previous work as an amplification of it. The beats are beatier. The synths are synthier. The screaming is screamier. "It's the most incredible experience you ever felt in your fuckin' life!" he declares on the title cut,...

By Michael Roberts

December 9, 2004

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At its best, Crunk Juice isn't so much a recapitulation of Lil Jon's previous work as an amplification of it. The beats are beatier. The synths are synthier. The screaming is screamier. "It's the most incredible experience you ever felt in your fuckin' life!" he declares on the title cut, and while there's plenty of hyperbole in that statement, his words accurately convey his crazed exuberance. Throughout tracks like "Get Crunk," he takes the concept of doin' it to death so seriously that he's lucky not to be wearing a solid-gold coffin.

If there's a problem here, it's Lil Jon's intermittent attempts to broaden his sonic palette. The guest stars just keep coming -- among them Usher, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube. Yet only Chris Rock, who does some amusing cameo bellowing, nears the loony heights Lil Jon reaches every time he opens his yap. "Stop Fuckin' Wit Me" is barely even a song, but when the main man shouts, "I'm havin' a hard fuckin' life right now, and I'm gonna give y'all some of my fuckin' pain!", it hurts so good.

Although Crunk Juice goes down rough, take a swig anyway. You'll be glad you did.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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