This interview comes courtesy of Showcase Magazine
E-40's rise to prominence is pretty much known by everyone.
Even his critics know he's responsible for the "Fa Sheezy's,"
"Oh Boy's," and so on and so forth. So instead of spittin'
recycled game and doing the same story that's been written over
and over again, a fan got a chance to ask all the questions he
has ever wanted answers to and then some.
Showcase: Is there more to E-40 than just slang? According to
the Hip-Hop media that's all you're ever acknowledged for.
E-40: Yeah, there is and people recognize it. The slang is just
one of the bigger things they look at. First of all, I have one
of the most distinctive styles ever put on wax in the world. My
style's different than anybody that raps period, and
everybody's got a little bit of E-40 up in 'em. It ain't just
the words I use, but there's game involved in what I talk
about. Most writers don't get what I’m sayin' because they
ain't never lived it, seen it, did it, been around it or done
anything. It goes over their head, that's why all the stories
on me focus on the slang. But as far as my style and the sh*t
I've been talkin' about for the past sixteen years, [it] has
been way ahead of it's time. Everything I hear now is recycled
game. I've been champion of these streets for many moons.
Show case: When you say every rapper has a lil' E-40 in ‘em, I agree with
you...What I mean by that its' not just slang...
E-40 Oh no, I know...
...I'm talkin' about the way I flip my words and my stop and go delivery.
Showcase: The first person that comes to my mind is Noreaga. My entire
argument for the past two years has been if you can like
N.O.R.E. there's no reason that you can't like E-40.
E-40: Noreaga's a good dude and he uses some of my words, but there's
a difference. People like N.O.R.E. pay homage though. I don't
have a problem with anybody using any of my sh*t, just pay
homage. But you're right though, if you like N.O.R.E. there
shouldn't be a reason for you to not like E-40. There's a lot
of rappers that if you like them, you shouldn't like E-40. No
disrespect to Bone, or anybody else that raps fast. If you can
accept Bone, Mystikal or any of the cats that spit the fast sh*t–
this ain't no disrespect to them, I take my hat off to ‘em–
why wouldn't you like E-40? Their words are just as fast as
mine and I might say mine a lil' clearer. I know we out here in
the west coast where it's real rough out here as far as the
music industry...
Showcase: There is no music industry out here.
E-40: There's nothing. It's even harder if you ain't up under Dre or
affiliated with Snoop no one's tryna f*ck with you. Now I ain't
tryna piss a b*tch, because I've been a man for seventeen years
in this rap game. I ain't tryna make up no excuses or nothing,
but this is obvious sh*t. When you in New York, the MTV's and
BET's are quick to accept sh*t because you're hearing it on Hot
97 and it's in everyone's face. Honestly, all odds are against
us, but I charge it to the microphone and keep on charging. The
real muthaf*ckas in the trenches of the soil and even my cats
in the suburbs out here, they recognize me and know about the
real sh*t goin' on.
Showcase: Have you ever thought about going out to New York and L.A.
just to get in the industry's face?
E-40:I've been to New York and I've got a lot of stuff accomplished
while I was out there. But it's not just New York, you gotta f*
ck around in Atlanta and all those places. My purpose is to get
our spot out here hot and keep it movin'. I might never reach
my peak, but I'll go down as a real underground legend where
kids pull out the crates and say "this dude right here did his
thang." Matter of fact, the fact that I never sold five or six
million on one album probably saved my career. I'd probably be
through right now....but then again, I might not because I got
so much talent and my sh*t is real different. I stick out like
a turtle in a punch bowl.
Showcase:Let's switch it up a lil' bit. What's the status of Sick Wid It
records?
E-40: We're refurbishing, rebuilding.
Showcase: You guys were the pioneers of independent labels, yet you never
prospered like the indies that came up around the same time as
you. For starters, you'd only release an album when an E-40
record would drop and besides 40 and The Click records, there
hasn't been much commercial success as well. What do you
attribute that too? Is that something you're trying to fix or
was Sick Wid It just a way to put your family on?
E-40: There's a lot of talent in my family. I'll put it this way,
it's hard times for the industry period, so it's even worse for
the Bay. We need to start supporting our own music and I'm not
just talking about me, the whole west f*cks with me, I'm
talking about other groups.
You gotta understand I'm a workaholic. I'm a married man,
I've been married for 12 years. I have a son that's about 16
and another that's about to be nine. All I do is work. I work
harder than damn near any rapper I know, especially around
here. I'm gonna get to your question in a minute. You look at
me and say "Forty's selfish, how come ain't nobody else came
out?" Naw, Forty ain't selfish. I ain't stopped someone from
coming to the studio. Anytime people need studio time, it's
there for 'em.
Right now, the Click, we got solo acts. B-Legit's doing his
thang, Shot's doing his thang and Suga's backed up a lil' bit
because she's into ministry. I'm ain't finna play with God. The
Mossie's on deck. Then me and Mugzi have an artist called Turf
Talk.
Now as far as the label, I ain't gon' say we fell off, we've
always been here. Now my artists, they left on they own because
they had people in they ear. It wasn't because of money, I gave
them money and took care of studio time and gave them videos
and all that sh*t. Honestly, everyone ain't have the same
talent as me. I heard people say that E-40 took advance money
from Jive and spent it on his self. Naw, f*ck that. That money
was comin' from my pocket, not Jive. Forty's a C.E.O., a damn
good rapper that people love and respect–a validated street n*
gga. Artists just be dumb-asses sometimes. They don't get that
you continue to put out albums and sales grow from there.
That's how we did it when we started. I let everyone go when
they asked to be let go and it all comes back to me that I was
hatin’, etc...
Showcase: Who are we talkin' about? A1, Malik...
E-40: I could be talkin' about A-1, Malik, Little Bruce.
Shocase: Levitti, Celly Cel?
E-40: No, Levitti's all good, Celly Cel's all good. I ain't got no
problems with any of these people, it's all just business.
Except for Malik, he was just crazy.
But you know what? As f*cked up as it sounds no one really
cares as long as an E-40 album comes out every nine months. But
let's jump back into the music. What the f*ck is the deal with
your album, why did it get pushed back so much?
We needed more set-up time. We just did the "Quarterbackin' "
video and we're getting ready to work that as the single to
set-up the album.
E-40's rise to prominence is pretty much known by everyone.
Even his critics know he's responsible for the "Fa Sheezy's,"
"Oh Boy's," and so on and so forth. So instead of spittin'
recycled game and doing the same story that's been written over
and over again, a fan got a chance to ask all the questions he
has ever wanted answers to and then some.
Showcase: Is there more to E-40 than just slang? According to
the Hip-Hop media that's all you're ever acknowledged for.
E-40: Yeah, there is and people recognize it. The slang is just
one of the bigger things they look at. First of all, I have one
of the most distinctive styles ever put on wax in the world. My
style's different than anybody that raps period, and
everybody's got a little bit of E-40 up in 'em. It ain't just
the words I use, but there's game involved in what I talk
about. Most writers don't get what I’m sayin' because they
ain't never lived it, seen it, did it, been around it or done
anything. It goes over their head, that's why all the stories
on me focus on the slang. But as far as my style and the sh*t
I've been talkin' about for the past sixteen years, [it] has
been way ahead of it's time. Everything I hear now is recycled
game. I've been champion of these streets for many moons.
Show case: When you say every rapper has a lil' E-40 in ‘em, I agree with
you...What I mean by that its' not just slang...
E-40 Oh no, I know...
...I'm talkin' about the way I flip my words and my stop and go delivery.
Showcase: The first person that comes to my mind is Noreaga. My entire
argument for the past two years has been if you can like
N.O.R.E. there's no reason that you can't like E-40.
E-40: Noreaga's a good dude and he uses some of my words, but there's
a difference. People like N.O.R.E. pay homage though. I don't
have a problem with anybody using any of my sh*t, just pay
homage. But you're right though, if you like N.O.R.E. there
shouldn't be a reason for you to not like E-40. There's a lot
of rappers that if you like them, you shouldn't like E-40. No
disrespect to Bone, or anybody else that raps fast. If you can
accept Bone, Mystikal or any of the cats that spit the fast sh*t–
this ain't no disrespect to them, I take my hat off to ‘em–
why wouldn't you like E-40? Their words are just as fast as
mine and I might say mine a lil' clearer. I know we out here in
the west coast where it's real rough out here as far as the
music industry...
Showcase: There is no music industry out here.
E-40: There's nothing. It's even harder if you ain't up under Dre or
affiliated with Snoop no one's tryna f*ck with you. Now I ain't
tryna piss a b*tch, because I've been a man for seventeen years
in this rap game. I ain't tryna make up no excuses or nothing,
but this is obvious sh*t. When you in New York, the MTV's and
BET's are quick to accept sh*t because you're hearing it on Hot
97 and it's in everyone's face. Honestly, all odds are against
us, but I charge it to the microphone and keep on charging. The
real muthaf*ckas in the trenches of the soil and even my cats
in the suburbs out here, they recognize me and know about the
real sh*t goin' on.
Showcase: Have you ever thought about going out to New York and L.A.
just to get in the industry's face?
E-40:I've been to New York and I've got a lot of stuff accomplished
while I was out there. But it's not just New York, you gotta f*
ck around in Atlanta and all those places. My purpose is to get
our spot out here hot and keep it movin'. I might never reach
my peak, but I'll go down as a real underground legend where
kids pull out the crates and say "this dude right here did his
thang." Matter of fact, the fact that I never sold five or six
million on one album probably saved my career. I'd probably be
through right now....but then again, I might not because I got
so much talent and my sh*t is real different. I stick out like
a turtle in a punch bowl.
Showcase:Let's switch it up a lil' bit. What's the status of Sick Wid It
records?
E-40: We're refurbishing, rebuilding.
Showcase: You guys were the pioneers of independent labels, yet you never
prospered like the indies that came up around the same time as
you. For starters, you'd only release an album when an E-40
record would drop and besides 40 and The Click records, there
hasn't been much commercial success as well. What do you
attribute that too? Is that something you're trying to fix or
was Sick Wid It just a way to put your family on?
E-40: There's a lot of talent in my family. I'll put it this way,
it's hard times for the industry period, so it's even worse for
the Bay. We need to start supporting our own music and I'm not
just talking about me, the whole west f*cks with me, I'm
talking about other groups.
You gotta understand I'm a workaholic. I'm a married man,
I've been married for 12 years. I have a son that's about 16
and another that's about to be nine. All I do is work. I work
harder than damn near any rapper I know, especially around
here. I'm gonna get to your question in a minute. You look at
me and say "Forty's selfish, how come ain't nobody else came
out?" Naw, Forty ain't selfish. I ain't stopped someone from
coming to the studio. Anytime people need studio time, it's
there for 'em.
Right now, the Click, we got solo acts. B-Legit's doing his
thang, Shot's doing his thang and Suga's backed up a lil' bit
because she's into ministry. I'm ain't finna play with God. The
Mossie's on deck. Then me and Mugzi have an artist called Turf
Talk.
Now as far as the label, I ain't gon' say we fell off, we've
always been here. Now my artists, they left on they own because
they had people in they ear. It wasn't because of money, I gave
them money and took care of studio time and gave them videos
and all that sh*t. Honestly, everyone ain't have the same
talent as me. I heard people say that E-40 took advance money
from Jive and spent it on his self. Naw, f*ck that. That money
was comin' from my pocket, not Jive. Forty's a C.E.O., a damn
good rapper that people love and respect–a validated street n*
gga. Artists just be dumb-asses sometimes. They don't get that
you continue to put out albums and sales grow from there.
That's how we did it when we started. I let everyone go when
they asked to be let go and it all comes back to me that I was
hatin’, etc...
Showcase: Who are we talkin' about? A1, Malik...
E-40: I could be talkin' about A-1, Malik, Little Bruce.
Shocase: Levitti, Celly Cel?
E-40: No, Levitti's all good, Celly Cel's all good. I ain't got no
problems with any of these people, it's all just business.
Except for Malik, he was just crazy.
But you know what? As f*cked up as it sounds no one really
cares as long as an E-40 album comes out every nine months. But
let's jump back into the music. What the f*ck is the deal with
your album, why did it get pushed back so much?
We needed more set-up time. We just did the "Quarterbackin' "
video and we're getting ready to work that as the single to
set-up the album.
