Crunk
Crunk is a subgenre of southern hip hop that emerged in the early 1990s and gained mainstream success during the early to mid 2000s.[1][2] Crunk is often up-tempo and one of Southern hip hop's more nightclub-oriented subgenres. Distinguishing itself with other Southern hip hop subgenres, crunk is marked and characterized by its energetic accelerated musical tempo, club appeal, recurrent chants frequently executed in a call and response manner, multilayered synths, its pronounced reliance on resounding 808 basslines, and rudimentary musical arrangement. An archetypal crunk track frequently uses a dominant groove composed of a nuanced utilization of intricately multilayered keyboard synthesizers organized in a recurring pattern, seamlessly shifting from a lower to a higher pitch that encompasses the song's primary central rhythm, both in terms of its harmonic and melodic aspects. The main groove is then wrapped up with looped, stripped-down, and crisp 808 dance claps and manipulated snare rolls coupled and accompanied by a bassline of thumping 808 kick drums.[2] The term "crunk" was also used throughout the 2000s as a blanket term to denote any style of Southern hip hop, a side effect of the genre's breakthrough to the mainstream.[3] The word derives from its African-American Vernacular English past-participle form, "crunk", of the verb "to crank" (as in the phrase "crank up"). It refers to being excited or high on drugs.[4]
For other uses, see Crunk (disambiguation).Crunk
Early 1990s, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Etymology[edit]
The term has been attributed mainly to African-American slang, in which it holds various meanings.[5] It most commonly refers to the verb phrase "to crank up". It is theorized that the use of the term came from a past-tense form of "crank", which was sometimes conjugated as "crunk" in the South, such that if a person, event, or party was hyped-up, i.e. energetic – "cranked" or "cranked up" – it was said to be "crunk".[5]
In publications, "crunk" can be traced back to 1972 in the Dr. Seuss book Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!. He uses the term "Crunk-Car" without any given definition.[6] The term has also been traced to usage in the 1980s coming out of Atlanta, Georgia nightclubs and meaning being "full of energy" or "hyped".[7][8] In the mid-1990s, crunk was variously defined either as "hype", "phat", or "pumped up". Rolling Stone magazine published "glossary of Dirty South slang", where to crunk was defined as "to get excited".[3][5]
Outkast has been attributed as the first artist to use the term in mainstream music, in the 1993 track "Player's Ball".[9] A seminal year for the genre was 1996, with the releases of Three 6 Mafia album Chapter 1: The End (featuring "Gette'm Crunk"),[10] and Memphis-based underground hip hop artist Tommy Wright III's album On the Run, which featured the Project Pimp track "Getting Crunk".[11]
Rapper and record producer Lil Jon was instrumental in bringing the term further into the mainstream music scene with his 1997 album titled Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album. He later released other songs and albums using the term, and has been credited by other artists and musicians as galvanizing use of the term as well as mainstreaming the music genre itself.[8]
Lil Jon further popularized the word with his 2004 album Crunk Juice, and has been credited with inventing the potent alcoholic cocktail by that name. This use of "crunk" became synonymous with the meaning "crazy drunk". Non-alcoholic drinks, to which alcohol could be added, were manufactured and marketed under the Crunk brand name, with Lil Jon as spokesman.[12]
The term has continued to evolve, taking on a negative stigma with police, parents and the media. In 2011, the company which manufactured "Crunk" drink brought out an alcoholic version named "Crunk Juice".[13] This drink was allegedly marketed towards 19- to 21-year-olds – those under the US legal drinking age – resulting in Crunk Juice drinking being blamed as a cause of crime or becoming a victim of crime. The mainstream media began publishing stories in which the term "crunk" was used to refer to "crazy and drunk" criminals.[14]
Musical characteristics[edit]
Musically, crunk is heavily influenced by Miami bass, Eurodance, and 1980s-era call-and-response hip hop. The distinguishing feature of the conventional crunk sound is characterized by its extensive utilization of multilayered synthesizers orchestrated in a recurrent arrangement that seamlessly transitions from a lower to a higher pitch to augment the sound's harmonious and melodic qualities. Furthermore, a crunk composition is also complemented by the presence of resonant 808 bass kick drums, textured with crisp 808 dance-oriented hand claps, and adorned with modulated snare rolls. Looped, stripped-down drum machine dance claps and snare rolls coupled with heavy 808 bassline drum rhythms are usually used. The Roland TR-808 and 909 are among the most popular instruments to create crunk compositions with. The drum machines are usually accompanied by simple, repeated synthesizer melodies in the form of ostinato, to create a hypnotic effect, and heavy 808 bass stabs. The tempo of Lil Jon's "Get Crunk" is 78 BPM.[15]
The focal point of crunk is more often emphasized on the beat structure rather than the lyrical content therein. Nevertheless, artists like Lil Jon often convey their lyrics through vigorous vocalization, encompassing chanting, shouting, and screaming. This unconventional approach yields a cacophonous yet intense manifestation of southern hip hop, characterized by its assertive, aggressive, and forceful nature.These lyrics can often be isolated to simple chants ("Where you from?" and "You can't fuck with me" are common examples). Compared with other regional hip hop scenes around the United States, crunk has remained one of American hip hop's club-oriented staples, given the subgenre's particular focus on its allure to club audiences and partygoers who exhibit more energetic musical tastes with a penchant for more dynamic and vibrant musical preferences. Crunk's captivating appeal is expertly tailored to befit the ambient dance floors of Atlanta's southern hip hop nightclub scene, opting for simplistic and repetitious call and response vocal refrains in lieu of more substantive approaches.[3]