"Snap Yo Fingers" and get ready to learn a little more about Lil Jon. He's telling his life story in an upcoming memoir titled I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me, set to arrive on Oct. 20 via Black Privilege Publishing, an imprint of Atria Books/Simon & Schuster.
In the memoir, Lil Jon, born Jonathan Smith, discusses his rise as a pioneer of hip-hop's crunk movement who helped bring Southern rap into the mainstream, starting with his first DJ job at the New York Sound Factory in Atlanta. He reflects on his work with Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz and his collaborations with Usher, Pitbull, Ice Cube, Ciara, Too $hort, the Ying Yang Twins and more. Jon also opens up about deeply personal moments, including shocking family revelations, his commitment to meditation, healthy eating, mindfulness, herbalism and Islam, as well as the passing of his son, Nathan "DJ Slade" Smith, who died from accidental drowning in February, according to a release.
“I’ve worked on a lot of different projects over the years, but this one right here made me dig deep and turn inward,” Lil Jon says in a statement. “Y’all have heard my voice for over three decades, but here's a chance to read what I really have to say about it all, and catch a glimpse into the innermost circles of both my professional and personal worlds."
"I’ve been blessed to amass enormous wins, but with that I’ve also had to endure immense hardships and painful losses privately and publicly ... and I’m finally ready to share that with you all," he continues. "This ride ain’t been an easy one, but who ever said chasin’ your dreams was easy?”
Jon dropped a mindfulness-focused book, Manifest Abundance: Affirmations for Personal Growth, in 2024.
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