Aisha Lascaux, host:
I’m really into meditation. It helps calm my mind and ease my anxiety. And this week I tried a new guided meditation.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG “MINDFUL BREATHING”)
Lil Jon: Take a deep breath through your nose and slowly exhale through your mouth.
Lascaux: But are you wondering who it is? Give me another hint.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “TURN DOWN FOR WHAT”)
Lil Jon: (Singing) Why would you say no? Why do you say no?
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG “GET LOW”)
Lil Jon: (Singing) Stop it already. Then wiggle it. Stop. Then wiggle it.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG “YEAH!”)
Asher: Asher, Asher.
Lil Jon: Lil Jon.
Lascaux: Yes, it’s the same person (lol). It’s rapper and DJ Lil Jon, and he’s now asking you to say no. His latest project is a guided meditation album called “Total Meditation.” And Lil Jon joined us. Welcome to the show.
Lil Jon: Hey. Hey, thanks for coming. Thank you for inviting me.
Lascaux: Okay. As I mentioned earlier, I practice meditation when I feel anxious and overwhelmed. This is very effective and helps you calm down.
Lil Jon: Yeah.
Lascaux: Is that why you started practicing? Was it anxiety?
Lil Jon: Yeah, it was anxiety and a little bit of stress. A lot of things hit me at the same time and I’m 50 years old and trying to face and deal with my life, my marriage, and a lot of other things and move on and get over those things. And then I meditate before I go on stage, I take a little break here and there, I take a little breath here and there, I take some time for myself. But at this particular point in my life, I really realized that I needed to dig a little deeper into it. So I meditated every day, said my affirmations every day, and all of that calmed me down, calmed down any crazy thoughts or emotions I would have, calmed me down, gave me some peace. .
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG “RELIEF ANXIETY”)
Lil Jon: Your mind is clear and calm.
Lascaux: I could have immersed myself in meditation and just listened to other people. Why did I feel like I should take the lead on this, should it be my voice?
Lil Jon: I’ve learned to listen to the universe and it never steers me wrong. And one of the things I learned during this time was to accept what the universe brings to you. Because acceptance brings peace. But I also realized that this is what I should do next. It’s just – an epiphany came to me and it’s like you’re supposed to help a bunch of people and this is how you can do it.
Lascaux: Of course, a lot of people think of you as a party guy, a screaming club DJ. Did you also want to tell people that there is more to you? , to give people another side of you, that you are a well-rounded person?
Lil Jon: I don’t just walk around screaming, yeah, what, OK, all day…
Lascaux: (Laughter).
Lil Jon: …and every day. And sometimes you have to say no. I have to rest. I have to sleep. You must drink lots of water. You must take care of your health. You know, people are having heart attacks and strokes. I know one guy who had triple bypass surgery. And that affected me and I started getting healthy at first. Because I looked at him and thought he was 10 years younger than me. So, around 2010 or 2012, my health journey began.
Lascaux: You still DJ regularly in clubs. So I read that you’ve significantly reduced your drinking. And obviously you’re meditating. But I was reading that and thinking, maybe being in the club isn’t exactly the most central experience. As below…
(laughs)
Lascaux: …How do you balance that? Like…
Lil Jon: But you have to look at the club as a release.
Lascaux: Oh, I see.
Lil Jon: It’s a release.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG “SHOT”)
Lil Jon: (singing) Shot, shot, shot, shot, shot, shot. everyone.
Some people need to be released. Some people need to be in social situations with other people. Some people need to be with friends and family. Music can also be therapeutic.
Lascaux: Yes.
Lil Jon: Dancing can also be therapeutic. It’s good for the soul, it’s good for the heart. That’s all good. Connecting with others is good for your mind, body, and soul. That’s all great. So it works for me. Look, you can still do it. And I’m spreading good energy to people. I give them meditation and fun times at the club.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG “BOOST FOCUS”)
Lil Jon: Come on, let’s really experience the moment.
Lascaux: Your music is really super high energy. And you can see how it affects people’s mood. It’s like this is back in time. Maybe we’ll do a song like “Kadobussa.” Such a song – people go wild on the dance floor. I remember the men getting so excited that all the women left the dance floor. And they would be throwing bows and things like that.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG “HEAD UGLY”)
Lil Jon: I’m Lil Jon. got it. (singing) We’re some head boobs. We are some ugly heads. I will crush those who hate me. We are some ugly heads.
Lascaux: But now you’re obviously creating a very calming sound for this meditation album. Can you talk about how you use sound to elicit different emotions?
Lil Jon: Whenever I create a song, I have to find the right ones – I call them characters. It’s literally like finding the right voice to bring the right mood and feel to the song or what you’re talking about. So it took me a while to find the right voice, the right tone. One of the things people have told me is that they were surprised at how calm and soothing my voice was.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG “RELIEF ANXIETY”)
Lil Jon: Let’s focus on our breathing.
Lascaux: When it comes to meditation, what is the most difficult part of meditation for you?
Lil Jon: I think the hardest thing for anyone is to disconnect from the matrix. It’s always been difficult for me to really formally meditate because I’m always thinking about the future. But you learn that you can pause. And when they come back, they’re much calmer. Your mind is clear. Taking a break really fueled my creative process.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG “IMAGINE NATURE”)
Lil Jon: But the sun is shining on your face. You are just sitting there, lying on the earth.
RASCOE: So what you’re saying is, this, this level of acceptance, again, when you think about taking care of your body, black men in general have higher mortality rates from diseases like cancer. . that. Too many black entertainers, especially black male entertainers, die at relatively young ages.
Lil Jon: Yeah.
Lascaux: You’ve been into things like meditation and therapy. Also, I heard that you had a colonoscopy (lol)…
Lil Jon: Yeah, yeah.
Lascaux: …recently. It’s like you’re trying…
Lil Jon: So you’re turning 50. You have to understand that.
Lascaux: Yes. You have to do it. Are they trying to send a message to black men that they should look after themselves and that there is no shame in doing so?
Lil Jon: 100 percent. And releasing this album also means that mental health is something that’s really important to me because men, especially black men, are suffering and we’ve been raised to just suffer in silence. And, you know, no matter what, you get through it. No problem. You know, deal with our own problems.
Lascaux: Just cheer up, you know?
Lil Jon: Oh, I’m fine. So with this album, it’s kind of showing us, “Hey, listen to this meditation.” It helps give you a different perspective on things. it calms you down. And try it with an open mind and see how it helps you.
Lascaux: That’s Lil Jon, the rap artist and meditation guide. Thank you very much for speaking to her.
Lil Jon: Oh, don’t worry. thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG “FEEL GRATITUDE”)
Lil Jon: Now, let’s both take a deep breath.
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