crunks

Crunk is a subgenre of hip hop that originated in the Southern United States, particularly Atlanta, in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It is characterized by high-energy performances, call-and-response chants, shouted vocals, and a club-focused sound designed to hype crowds. The term crunk is derived from Southern slang for being excited or enraged, and from phrases such as "get crunk" meaning to amp up the crowd.

Musically, crunk emphasizes bass-heavy production with prominent 808 drums, sparse melodic elements, and repetitive, chant-like hooks. The vocals are delivered with intensity, often layering group shouts and crowd prompts to create a party atmosphere.

Crunk rose to prominence through Atlanta-based acts such as Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz and the Ying Yang Twins, with Lil Jon among the movement's most influential producers. The genre achieved mainstream breakthrough in the early 2000s, notably with tracks like "Get Low" (2002) and Usher's "Yeah!" (2004), which helped popularize crunk beyond the Southern scene.

In the years that followed, crunk influenced broader Southern hip hop and early trap production, though its commercial peak faded by the mid- to late-2000s. The plural "crunks" is uncommon and not widely used. The term is now largely used to describe older crunk tracks or performances, rather than as a current, distinct movement.