crunk-sounding songs that pre-date crunk?

"Make 'Em Say 'Unngh!'" perhaps?

yeah i would say beats-by-the-pound were a pretty big influence on crunk

there are a couple "before there was crunk" type comps that have come out lately, which are all just miami bass. which i guess is another answer.

Alkaholics?

Hmm, the conundrum here is that some miami bass (per strongo) started being referred to as crunk before it really sounded like today’s crunk. Booty Mix Vol. 4 : Dogs Get Crunk was released in 1999 and features very un-crunk sounding tracks from Lil Jon and Jazze Pha alongside the 69 Boyz and Sir Mix-A-Lot.

Maybe Onyx for the shouting? But I haven't heard that stuff in a while.

The "Crunk Classics" comp on TVT has an UGK song from 1993 ("Pocket Full of Stones (remix)"), but it doesn't sound all that much like crunk to me.

[[[there are a couple "before there was crunk" type comps that have come out lately, which are all just miami bass. which i guess is another answer.]]]

The one's I'm aware of in this vein are just Paul Klein marketing scams. Look through Empire Musicwerks/Hot Productions compilation from the mid-90's on, you'll see the same songs being repackaged with different banners. No David Banners though.

I always think the missing link between Miami Bass and Crunk is New Orleans Bounce, dating back to at least DJ Jimi's "Where They At" around 91/92. I could be wrong though as I fell off the bandwagon around that same time.

some g-funk perhaps

Not in vocal delivery but how about Genuwine's "Pony"?

Wes Borland fronted a band called Krank (there should be an umlaut over the 'a') before he joined Limp Bizkit. Maybe this is what you're after...

the "so-so def bass allstars" series is maybe a place to see where bass music started morphing into what we call crunk. Lil' Jon used to produce these series when he was more of a label a&r/producer rather than an artist himself. Vol. 3, from 1998, features some guys called the Ying Yang Twins along with bass pioneers like MC ADE and DJ smurf.

Yeah, besides Onyx, I'd have to say Time Zone's "World Destruction".. although it's about twice as fast as most crunk, more awkward, and has more cowbell.

"I got five on it!"

I totally assumed "Party Up (Up In Here)" was a new crunk joint when I first heard in late '03.

[[[the "so-so def bass allstars" series is maybe a place to see where bass music started morphing into what we call crunk. Lil' Jon used to produce these series when he was more of a label a&r/producer rather than an artist himself. Vol. 3, from 1998, features some guys called the Ying Yang Twins along with bass pioneers like MC ADE and DJ smurf. ]]]

Smurf produced that new Ying Yang Twins track, and Lil Jon made plenty of Bass songs himself before slowing it down (including a very fast bass version of Who Let the Dogs Out).

Basically, Miami Bass gew out of Rick Rubin produced slow/mid-tempo bass heavy songs in the mid-80's, and over the years, it went from 100 bpm to 150 bpm...then overnight, Krunk slowed it down. Rick Rubin told Lil Jon that he likes his music because it reminds him (Rick) of music he used to make.

But I still insist that New Orleans Bounce was partly the inspiration to move away from late 90's booty-bass and into midtempo 808's again.

"Gimmie what you got fo' a poke-chop!"

"Wordy Rappinghood," Tom-Tom Club
"Rump Shaker," Wreckx-N-Effect
"Bottle of Smoke," the Pogues
"Yours Is No Disgrace," Yes
"Supper's Ready," Genesis

"Rock'n'Roll Part 2"

"Dance to the Music," Bad Brains
"Murder She Wrote," Cyndi Lauper

haha

Maybe "Hobo Humpin Slobo Babes" for the chorus? I haven't heard since whenever...

soso def allstars seconded, also this, which maybe technically is "crunk" but i don't think anyone was calling it that, back then --

Rhythm & Quad 166 Vol.1
EastWest Records, 1998

A1
Unknown Artist
R&Q Intro (2:06)
Featuring - Bonecrusher of Lyrical Giants

A2
Carl Mo
Bass Is Lo (3:54)
Vocals - Zae'

A3
Mixzo
Swing My Way (4:35)
Featuring - Envyi , K.P.

A4
Emperor Searcy
Let's Ride (3:46)
Featuring - Lil' Flavor , Lil' Jon & The East Side Boyz

B1
DJ Smurf (2)
Shake for Me (4:00)
Featuring - MC Shy D , Pop (3)

B2
B.M.E.
Kissable Spot (3:26)
Featuring - Romance

B3
DJ Sammy Sam
Get The Party Crunk (4:10)

B4
T. Storm
MC Foul Mouth (Skit) (2:08)

C1
Carl Mo
Don't Wanna Lose Your Love (5:35)
Featuring - Babydoll (2)

C2
A-Town Players
Player Can't You See (6:06)

C3
Emperor Searcy
Bass Dealer (3:04)

D1
DJ Sammy Sam
Stationwagonpimpin' (3:55)
Featuring - Skinny Man (2)

D2
T. Storm
1-800-ATL-PIMP (Skit) (1:44)

D3
C-Love & L-Rock
R&Q 166 (Quadcappella) (5:03)

D4
Mixzo
It's About Time (5:20)
Featuring - Envyi

Rodney O & Joe Cooley - Everlasting Bass