Odds are you've heard Lil Jon's rugged voice adorn a synth- and drum-filled instrumental before.
The 54-year-old emcee is a veteran of Southern hip-hop and its subgenre, crunk. Like any veteran, Lil Jon is used to the spotlight, finding success both within a group and on his own.
All of this has amounted to a 30-year career unlike many others. Lil Jon is a familiar face in an ever-changing industry. And although he might not be as marquee as he once was, he is still capable of headlining major spectacles.
He'll get a chance to do so on Thanksgiving. The NFL tasked him with manning its halftime show during the Ravens-Bengals game. It's the latest in a series of performances for the platinum-selling artist.
So, just where is Lil Jon from? And what, if any, connection does he have to Baltimore? Here's what you need to know.
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Where is Lil Jon from?
Lil Jon hails from Atlanta, one of African-American music's most consequential birthplaces. His sound was shaped by a number of different influences, many of whom came from similar surroundings to him, including OutKast and DJ Toomp.
Armed with the musical stylings of Atlanta and nearby Memphis, where Three 6 Mafia was embracing similar sounds, Lil Jon found his voice. He helped popularize crunk with his releases with the East Side Boyz, summarily earning the title, "The King of Crunk."
That sound has gone on to influence a wide array of musicians, including Atlanta-based MCs Young Thug and Lil Wookie.
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Is Lil Jon a Ravens fan?
While Lil Jon is performing at the Ravens-Bengals game, he is a fan of another side named after a bird — the Falcons.
Lil Jon is an avid Atlanta sports fan, embracing all three major American sports sides that are housed in the city as well as the Thrashers before they moved to Winnipeg. He has performed at a fair few Falcons games over the years, most recently lending his vocals to a Week 13 matchup between Atlanta and the Chargers last season.
In addition to his passion for Atlanta-based teams, Lil Jon also shares an affinity for the various sporting franchises that play in Las Vegas. He embraced the Sin City after a 2017 mass shooting left 60 dead. Lil Jon told the Las Vegas Weekly that he was moved by the city's response to the tragedy — so much so that it moved him to root for any team that called it home.
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“I was here when the tragedy happened, and the one good thing that came out of that was the city came together,” Lil Jon said in 2023. “That’s part of why I support all of the teams, because we support each other. And that’s what Vegas is about. The slogan is Vegas Strong—we’re all together. So anything Vegas I’m gonna support, win or lose, because this is my second home. Everybody in this city is basically like my family.”
Lil Jon has performed at a Raiders-Chargers game earlier in the season, cementing his status as one of Las Vegas' highest-profile supporters.
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