photo by steed media service

CEO/President, Solvi Brands, LLC

In 2003, Lil Jon and late beverage mogul Sidney Frank joined together and formed one of the oddest business partnerships hip-hop had ever seen. After Lil Jon completed a tour that was sponsored by Grey Goose Vodka, Frank was drawn to Lil Jon's candid stage performances and approached him with the idea of creating a beverage. Although their collaborative product, Crunk!!!, instantly became a top selling energy drink in Atlanta, the company was lost in limbo after Frank died in 2006. Now with Tom Mahlke as the CEO and president of Solvi Brands, LLC, Crunk!!! is looking to dethrone the top energy drinks in America.

"Crunk!!! Energy Drink is all about being free," Mahlke says. "Hip-hop is nationwide and our job is to catch up with the demand that we have with consumers." Crunk!!! plans to muscle into the elite top 10 energy drinks sold in the U.S. through an experiential marketing strategy.

"We have a lot of events that will be on college campuses that will coincide with the release of Lil Jon's new album," Mahlke says. "We want to be everywhere so that people can know what we're all about."

For Mahlke and the entire Solvi Brand, Crunk!!! Energy Drink is more than a beverage. "The movement is about self-expression, freedom, and connecting with your individuality," he says. "It's about coming out and not being tied to anything. You have to feel free to be who you are." -amir shaw

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