Jonathan Smith (born January 17, 1972), better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, hype man, and producer. He is best known as a pioneer of the sub-genre of hip hop known as "crunk" (a combination of elements of Bounce Music, Disco music, Southern hip hop and bass music). His group, The Eastside Boyz, which includes Big Sam and Lil Bo, is one of crunk's most notable acts. He is also a prolific producer for other groups, and frequently makes guest appearances. Biography Personal life He was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and subsequently moved to Atlanta, Georgia. He grew up in a "lower middle class" background. Lil Jon graduated from Douglass High School in Atlanta, Georgia in 1989. He hosted a radio show on BET and started doing remixes for artists like Matty-K, Jamaal, Too $hort, Kim Murdah, Xscape, and Total. He worked for So So Def between 1993 and 2000. Lil Jon is a big f