Lil Jon's new philosophy on making hit albums: Why wait until you're almost done recording to secure the big-name collaborators? Jon just started recording his Crunk Rock LP in a Las Vegas studio, and he already has a few aces up his sleeve.

"I think me and R. Kelly are about to do some new stuff together," Jon said backstage at the Boost Mobile RockCorps concert at Atlanta's Fox Theatre (see [article id="1534565"]"Jeezy, Lil Wayne, Big Boi Rock The Crowd; Game Remembers 2Pac At ATL Benefit"[/article]). "Two weeks into my record, and we already hooking up. I got with him on my last album, but I waited until I was almost at the end. Hooking up with him early is going to be crazy. I'm supposed to get one with Mariah and I got one with Snoop that's crazy!

"The album is going to be stupid -- as they say in the Bay, 'dumb, yellow bus,' " he added. "It's going to be that crazy. I'm just trying to give people good music on this album. Try something different. Just experiment. People are scared to try things. I'm gonna give them some stuff they would expect so they don't look at me like I'm crazy, but I'mma give them something fresh."

There's no set release date on Crunk Rock, but Jon hopes it drops in the fall, maybe as early as September (see [article id="1532005"]"Lil Jon Wants To Double His Gold By Becoming King Of Rock"[/article]).

The album's first single is "Snap Yo Fingers," and if you want to know the story behind the phat gold rope Jon wears in a video for the song, check out the feature "The New Gold Rush: The Dookie Rope Returns."