Lil Jon has written a new memoir, which will be published this fall and boasts the exceptional title, I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me.
The book will find the hit-making King of Crunk and master ad-libber offering an expansive look at his life and career. To give a sense of that scope, People notes that the book begins not with Lil Jon’s own birth, but the birth of his mother in Alabama.
“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 said 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.”
According to a page for the book on the Simon & Schuster website, I Only Shout will find Lil Jon reflecting on his early exposure to music, as well as his rise in, and role shaping, the Atlanta hip-hop scene of the late-Nineties and early-2000s. He’ll offer recollections of creating countless hit records like “Get Low” and “Yeah!”, as well as working with artists like Ice Cube, Usher, Ciara, Pitbull, and more.
Lil Jon is also expected to explore more personal topics, including some unspecified, but reportedly “shocking” family revelations. He’ll also write about the recent death of his son, Nathan Smith, and his relationship with meditation, mindfulness, and Islam.
“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,” Lil Jon said, “and I’m finally ready to share that with you all. This ride ain’t been an easy one, but whoever said chasin’ your dreams was easy?”
I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me is available to preorder now. The book is set to arrive Oct. 20 via Simon & Schuster’s imprint Black Privilege Publishing.












Albini and Whinna in an undated Polaroid snapshotCourtesy of Heather Whinna
2nd grade Courtesy of the Albini Family
7th grade Courtesy of the Albini Family
11th grade Courtesy of the Albini Family
Big Black in 1986Gail Butensky
Albini built Electrical Audio to embody his recording philosophy in a physical space.© Monfourny Renaud/DAPR/ZUMA
Albini got seriously into poker in his later years, as seen in this photo from the 2008 All Tomorrow’s Parties festival.Roger Kisby/Getty Images
Albini and Whinna founded the Letters to Santa charity in 1996.Courtesy of Heather Whinna
Whinna (center), Kim Deal (right), and Electrical Audio staff unveil the Steve Albini Way street sign in November 2024.Althea Legaspi
Althea Legaspi
Althea Legaspi
