E-40

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For the European route, see European route E40.
E-40
E-40 promotional picture from his website.
E-40 promotional picture from his website.
Background information
Birth name Earl Stevens
Also known as 40 Belafonte, Mr. Flamboyant, 40, E-Feezy, Charlie Hustle, The Ambassador of the Bay, 40 Water, DummyMaine,
Born November 15, 1967
Origin Vallejo, California
Genre(s) West Coast hip hop, Hyphy
Instrument(s) Rapping
Years active 1992 – present
Label(s) Sick Wid It/Jive Records (1994–2005)
Sick Wid It/BME/Warner Bros. (2006–present)
Associated
acts		 The Click
Website http://www.e-40.com

Earl Stevens (born November 15, 1967 in Vallejo, California), best known by his stage name E-40 is a Bay Area rapper. E-40 has, along with family members The Click (B-Legit, D-Shot, Suga T), increased recognition of his hometown of Vallejo, California and surrounding cities including Oakland, Richmond, San Francisco and San Jose in hip hop music. He currently lives in Danville, California. He has been a major factor in popularizing the hyphy movement (a hip-hop cultural sub-style that originated in and is unique to the Bay Area, similar to crunk in the American South), and has released records regularly through his independent record label, Sick Wid It Records. E-40 has garnered a number of nicknames from other rappers and fans; also known as Charlie Hustle, Charlie Sniph, 40 Fonzarelli, The Ambassador of the Bay, 40 Belafonte, E-Pheezy Fortywater, Forty Boy, and E-4-0 to name a few.

Contents

[edit] Early career

After a talent show at Grambling State University, E-40 and his cousin B-Legit decided to attempt a career in rap. They moved back to Vallejo and teamed up with D-Shot, E-40's brother, to form the group Most Valuable Players. E-40's gospel singing uncle (see "I got the game from my Uncle Saint Charles") helped them put out the record. E-40's sister, Suga T, was then added to the group to form The Click.[1]

The "40" in "E-40" was chosen by Earl as a reference to "40s" - 40 ounce bottles of malt liquor. The "E" was simply derived from Earl's first name.[2]

After the release of The Click's first album, Down and Dirty, E-40's local solo debut, Federal, was released. E-40 then gained statewide recognition[citation needed] with his early EP, The Mail Man, featuring the underground hit Captain-Save-a-Ho.

[edit] Later career

E-40 has released over ten albums, including those with The Click. He has also appeared on numerous film soundtracks and guest appearances on other rap albums. His distinctive voice and rapid lyrical delivery have resulted in collaborations with many West Coast hip hop stars, including Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur, Brotha Lynch Hung and Too $hort.

After completing a deal with Jive Records he signed with Lil Jon's BME Recordings and Warner Bros. Records. E-40's single "Tell Me When To Go," featuring Keak Da Sneak, has become popular throughout the United States, and E-40 has appeared on MTV's Direct Effect and BET's 106 and Park. Publicity for E-40 and the greater Hyphy Movement was achieved through the recent MTV feature "My Block: The Bay." He later released "U And Dat" in April 2006, which features T-Pain and Kandi Gurl, and is produced by Lil Jon.

E-40's new album "My Ghetto Report Card" debuted at #1 on the Billboard Rap Album chart (#3 overall) on March 14th, 2006. Released through Sick Wid It/BME/Warner Bros. Records, the album was produced by Lil Jon, Rick Rock, and E-40's son, Droop-E. He is also featured on DJ Shadow's new album The Outsider, on a track called "Dats My Part". He also collaborated on Tech N9ne's Everready [The Religion] CD. The track is called "Jellysickle." He contributed his rapping to the official remix of It's Okay (One Blood) by fellow West-coast rapper The Game along with 24 other rappers.

E-40 hosts a weekly radio show on the KMEL. The show focuses on local talent, and is very highly-rated.

E-40 was recently a guest on Tech N9ne's new album Everready (The Religion). The song is called "Jellysickle."

[edit] Entrepreneurship

In addition to record sales E-40 has ventured into other business opporitunities. Along with NFL player Chester McGlockton E-40 has opened a Fatburger franchise in Pleasant Hill, California. E-40 recently authored the book, E-40's book of slang to be published by Warner Books. He also has his own line of liqour called Cloud 9, and he opened the now-defunct Ambassador's Lounge, a nightclub in Downtown San Jose.[3]

[edit] Trivia

[citation needed]

  • Has worked with artists such as Tech N9ne, Lil Jon, 2Pac, T-Pain, Twiztid and other famous Bay Area rappers Keak da Sneak and Yukmouth.
  • Opened a Fatburger in Pleasant Hill, California with former Raiders defensive tackle Chester McGlockton.
  • After several Sick Wid It independent successes, particularly the success of The Mailman, which debuted at #13 in 1993 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and spawned the Northern California hit "Captain Save-A-Hoe", E-40 signed an unprecedented 3.5 million dollar deal in 1994 with Jive records to promote & distribute himself & his whole Sick Wid It roster, which included The Click (as a group & solo albums for each member), Celly Cel, Little Bruce, and The Mossie. Many previously independently released albums (primarily via his uncle St. Charles' Solar Music Group) were re-released, sometimes with changes in content (the popular example of this being The Click's Down & Dirty, or E-40's Federal. The Mailman, the first of several albums re-released in 1994, had 2 tracks added to qualify it as a full LP)
  • Has come under some criticism with old fans over his recent trend of making pop sounding, radio friendly Crunk singles, along with fellow West Coast Rap star Too $hort. Some have labeled both as "sellouts", although this attitude still remains to fans in the California area, who grew up listening to a harder sound from both.
  • Appears on The Game's "One Blood" Remix, also featuring (in verse order): Jim Jones, Snoop Dogg, Nas, T.I., new Game verse, Fat Joe, Lil Wayne, N.O.R.E., Jadakiss, Styles P., Fabolous, Juelz Santana, Rick Ross, Twista, Kurupt, Daz, WC, E-40, Bun B, Chamillionaire, Slim Thug, Young Dro, The Clipse and Ja Rule.

[edit] Discography

For a full discography of albums and singles, see E-40 discography.

[edit] Albums

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes and References

  1. ^ West Coast 2k interview with B-Legit
  2. ^ E-40 has stated this several times over-the-air on the radio.
  3. ^ Podcast interview with E-40


E-40
Studio albums: Federal | In A Major Way | Tha Hall of Game | The Element of Surprise
Charlie Hustle: The Blueprint of a Self Made Millionaire | Loyalty and Betrayal | Grit & Grind
Breakin News | The Best of E-40: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow | My Ghetto Report Card
Hit Singles: "Sprinkle Me" | "1-Luv" | "Things'll Never Change" | "Rapper's Ball" | "Nah, Nah..."
"Rep Yo City" | "Automatic" | "Tell Me When To Go" | "U And Dat"
Discography
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