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E-40 (born Earl Stevens on November 15, 1967 in Vallejo, California), also known as Charlie Hustle, Charlie Sniph, 40 Fonzarelli, Ebonics, The Boss Tycoon, The Ambassador of the Bay, 40 Belafonte, E-Pheezy, Forty Boy, Fortywater, Tha Forty Boy, and E-4-0, 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.
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.
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.
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 with his early EP, The Mail Man, featuring the underground hit Captain-Save-a-Ho.
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 nationally popular, 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."
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.
E-40 released a new single "U And Dat" in April 2006, which features T-Pain and Kandi Gurl, and is produced by Lil Jon.
E-40 also features on DJ Shadow's new album The Outsider, on a track called Dats My Part.
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.
Trivia
- 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.
- Has become one of the major players in bringing attention to the Bay Area's current Hyphy movement.
- 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.
Discography
- For a full discography of albums and singles, see E-40 discography.
Albums
External Links
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