Lil Jon is known for his exuberant nature, but the “Turn Down For What” rapper was uncharacteristically quiet when he sat down on his couch Jennifer Hudson Show on Thursday (February 22) to talk about his role at Usher's halftime performance during Super Bowl LVIII earlier this month.
“Yeah, it's pretty crazy to be a part of something like that,” he said of his position joining Ush to watch their 2004 hit “Yeah!” during the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show ever, for which he also served as musical director.
The low-key MC said none of this made him nervous because he's turning those butterflies into energy that he uses to bring in new fans, though he worked on the preparation “very hard work… putting the show together was very difficult because it's the Usher's biggest show of his career.” In addition to Jon, the show featured cameos from Alicia Keys, HER, Ludacris, Jermaine Dupri and Will.i.am.
And while he was responsible for shaping the 13-minute flight through Usher's catalog, Lil Jon said he had to listen to the singer's suggestions about which songs would make the cut, which was the “hardest part” of the process . “We narrowed it down and then he tweaked it all the way through,” laughed Jon, noting that, unlike Usher, you won't find him on skates anytime soon.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary Confessions hit “Yeah!” Jon recounted how he leaked the final song recorded for Usher's multi-platinum LP — “Burn” had already been selected as the lead single — after speaking with producer Jermaine Dupri, who told Jon to “do what you do.” Although Usher's record company sent a cease and desist to stations playing “Yeah!” at the time, a DJ at New York's Hot 97, knowing it was a hit, resisted, kept playing it, and framed the letter on her wall as a memento.
Elsewhere in the interview, Jon talked about his new Total Meditation album and his renewed focus on guided meditation and prioritizing his mental and physical health. “You go up, but then you have to come down!” said John.
Watch Lil Jon on Hudson's show below.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/lil-jon-talks-hardest-part-usher-2024-super-bowl-halftime-show-yeah-1235613387/
