Lil Jon. Photo by Jiccasso Stylez via Wikimedia Commons.
Every Friday, we try to do our best to collect every notable album release in one post. But sometimes, one slips under the radar, and this week's omission is too significant to ignore: it's an album called Total Meditation, a project of guided meditations hosted by crunk legend Lil Jon. That sound you hear is a thousand music critics furiously reassessing their "Best Albums of 2024" list.
Total Meditation was created in conjunction with Kabir Sehgal, a Grammy Award-winning producer and bestselling author. On the opening track "Welcome," Jon reveals that he has a long history with meditation, and claims to perform it before performances or any other activity that requires focus. "You're probably wondering, 'What am I doing here?" Jon says on the track, addressing the skepticism many listeners will have. "The truth is I meditate a lot, and I've been doing so for years."
Speaking with Rolling Stone, Jon discussed the milestones and life changes that led him to take meditation more seriously. "Once I turned 50, a lot of things started to happen. I started going through a divorce. I’m separated right now. Going through that and all of the emotions of the divorce – anger and frustration and all of the ups and downs — I found meditation to calm me and to bring me more at peace; to look at life and situations in a different manner.":
Listen to Total Meditation below via Stereogum. Lil Jon recently worked on Usher's Super Bowl Half-Time show as the musical producer and appeared onstage during the performance.
