Crunk

Crunk is a type of Hip Hop developed in Atlanta and Memphis in the late 1990s and is defined by a raucous sound featuring ostinato synthesizer stabs, truncated 808 handclaps, skittering percussive rolls, and uptempo, bare drum programming derived from Memphis Rap. Its lyrical content is its most unique aspect, consisting of call-and-response commands and offbeat shouts. It is credited with shifting popular hip hop in the 2000s from a lyrical genre to a club-focused one with production emphasized over songwriting. While there is debate over who ultimately created crunk, Atlanta producer Lil Jon and his group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz are typically credited with its creation as he applied his experience making Atlanta Bass to the sound of “get-buck” music coming from Memphis club scene with producers like DJ Paul and Juicy J, who are sometimes credited as the genre's true creators. This combination of deep bass with minimalist drum programming would serve as its sonic foundation in their debut release Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album. Tracks such as 8Ball & MJG’s “Lay It Down” and Three 6 Mafia’s “Tear da Club Up” were particularly influential.