E-40 - The Ambassador of the Bay
By: Katie Patterson
February 10, 2006
At one point or another, the Bay Area held it down with mob music, but since then, its struggled to attain the national spotlight it once enjoyed. These days, the Yay Area’s way of life known as “hyphy” is plowing through state lines with the potential to prove what audiences in Northern California have always known: quality music is all the Bay has ever produced.
Conversing with E-40 is like attending a language class you forgot to study for. The rapper is adept at manipulating and inventing words that can raise an eyebrow of confusion and at the same time reveal an underlying wit and intelligence for those with a trained ear. It is a unique ability that he says has, in many cases, held him back, yet at the same time helped him to gain his legendary status.
Like many Bay Area artists, E-40 has struggled to get his music heard. Just why the Yay’s music faded from the spotlight is hard to pinpoint. Whether it was the lack of local-friendly radio, a loss of interest from major labels, the emergence of other regions, or even the theory that Bay music died along with Tupac, 40 has managed to pull through the dry spells, securing a major label deal and releasing numerous albums without ever sacrificing his unique sound.
“Whether people want to say it or not, I’ve been carrying the Bay on my back for a long time now, for over a decade,” says E-Feezy. “I am going to continue to rep Vallejo and the rest of the Bay all my life.”
Comment As for 40’s plan of attack, he intends to use his “ambassador” status to launch the Bay Area philosophy of life, known as “hyphy,” onto the national plateau. “I’m here quarterbackin’ and being the face of the ‘hyphy’ movement, and letting them know what we’re doing out there,” said 40.
Hyphy, in one of its many forms, is the soundtrack to the Bay Area’s hip-hop culture, and best described as the Bay’s version of crunk. And while each producer, rapper and person living the “hyphy” movement may have his own thoughts on how it should be interpreted, one thing is for sure—hyphy comes from the streets.
First coined by Oakland rapper Keak Da Sneak (in 1995 as a member of 3Xkrazy), advanced by the late Mac Dre (“Get Stupid (Remix)” and “Feelin’ Myself”), introduced on a national level by producer Rick Rock and Federation (“Hyphy”), and now poised to take over the world off the back of E-40, hyphy can best be described as a raw and genuine outpouring of energy. "I feel like ‘hyphy’ is a word of expression and energy, it represents the struggle; it represents controlled chaos; it represents just being you, letting your hair down, doing you," says 40.
According to Keak Da Sneak, the word is a descendant of hyperactive. It is often tied to “thizz”, a word made popular by Mac Dre, the Furly ghost who’s spirit still lies deep in the roots of the movement. The two essentially have the same meaning: they both define an energy. Thizz incorporates the use of the drug ecstasy. Both words describe the ability of a listener to let go and feel the music in their soul. The stunner shades, scrapers, ghost riding, side shows, shaking of dreads and “goin’ dumb” are all elements of the movement that is “hyphy”.
Much like the reaction many neophytes have to 40’s own inventive vocabulary, to anyone who has never experienced “hyphy”, seeing a practitioner ‘go dumb’ often elicits its own bewilderment. And that’s where E-40’s lead single “Tell Me When to Go” comes in. The video, directed by Vallejo-born Bernard Gourley, strives to be a visual depiction of the “hyphy” movement. It is a black-and-white portrayal that feels more like a documentary than a music video. The lack of rented Bentleys, half naked women and overpriced alcohol consumption is refreshing. In its place are shots of parades of cars with people dancing on the hoods, E-40 in the barber shop, Keak in a burger joint, and kids grouped together letting loose and “goin’ dumb”. They are all scenes you might see on an average day in Oakland.
The song is produced by Lil Jon in a collaboration that E-40 finds natural, since he considers "crunk" and "hyphy" to be cousins. And while some may view 40’s move to work with the ‘King of Crunk’ as just another artist jumping on the cash cow that is crunk music, Charlie Hustle does plenty of looking out for the Bay on his latest LP My Ghetto Report Card. Whether it’s hiring his childhood friend to shoot the lead video, using local producers behind the boards, or asking up-and-coming emcees to spit along side him, 40’s always looking out for his kin, while at the same time acknowledging the debt to others who contributed to the movement.
“Even though we are from two different sides of Vallejo, I recognize and acknowledge Mac Dre as a true player and a true talent to this hip hop game that never really got his shine,” 40 explains. “And I feel like he would do the same for me.”
When it comes down to it, as E-40 has shown, those who have staying power are those who bring originality and truth to their music, those who work towards a greater cause. And, 40 is itching to bring the wealth of Bay music back to the national spotlight. “The Bay, we just fixin’ to get ‘em,” he promises.
