Comedy - the E-40 cartoon
Expanding his Game
BAY AREA EMCEE E-40 SIGNS MAJOR-LABEL DEAL, PURSUES WIDE RANGE OF BUSINESS VENTURES
By Marian Liu
www.mercurynews.com/mld/m...432667.htm
With his distinct style of delivering rolling, rapid-fire rhymes with a vernacular that has spread even in the South, E-40 is an underground legend and ambassador for the Bay Area hip-hop scene.
With almost two decades in the rap game, the man born Earl Stevens has become what he likes to call ``a young Russell Simmons.'' He is a partner in a popular San Jose hip-hop club, owns some Fatburger franchises in the Bay Area, plans to launch his own brand of liquor and energy drink, has produced a slang dictionary, and is working on producing a cartoon series.
Each Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m., this Vallejo emcee hosts a radio show called ``E-Feezy'' on KMEL-FM (106.1). This Sunday, though, E-40 will be performing at the KMEL Summer Jam as part of a hip-hop and R&B lineup at Shoreline Amphitheatre.
Now in his 30s, E-40 is sipping wine rather than the six 40-ounce beers a day that gave rise to his nickname. His latest album, ``The Ghetto Report Card'' won't come out until early next year, but it has some firepower behind it -- Lil Jon is producing half the album; E-40's son, Droopy, and Sacramento producer Rick Rock are working on the other half.
The Mercury News spoke with the newly signed artist in Los Angeles over the phone from the Warner Bros. Records studio office.
Q Is it going to be any different on a major label?
A Ain't nothing going to change as far as my talent. The style ain't going to change, none of that. Just going to upgrade the whole situation -- I'm going to adjust with the times. I'm not one of those dudes who's been in the game since Kermit the Frog was a polliwog. I'm one of those dudes that has been in the game ever since then, but at the same time, I ain't just fell off the boat. I stayed in the mix in the whole thing, readjusted myself, reinvented myself and pushed reset.
Q Do you have any worries about going into the mainstream?
A I ain't aiming to go mainstream. If it happens, it happens. But it ain't going to be intentional, like I'm going to have this big crossover song that is going to reach out to this, that and MTV. If it gets on MTV, I want it to be true, I want it to be what I really do. I ain't selling out for nothing, do you feel me?
Q You've been in the rap business since the '90s and have consistently put out hit after hit. How did you persevere?
A Really just a lot of faith in God, having a fire in my heart from growing up as a youngster -- being the oldest of four and my mama raising us, and seeing her work three or four jobs. . . . It gave me the motivation and the test of fortitude to continue to pursue my career because there's been times I've wanted to quit.
Q How would you describe your unorthodox style of spitting rhymes?
A It's a start, stop and go, scoot type of style. I'll be on the beat one minute, and I'll lag but I'll still be on the beat, then I'll get back and spit a couple of fast words, then I might just flow for a good three seconds fast, then I'll slow it up and say something that everybody can say. Then I get back on the slow beat and then I go fast again -- it's like everything that I'm saying makes sense, and it's up to date, and it's 'hood, and it's soil, and it's game involved. I'm not lacking in my macking.
Q What do you think of the Bay Area hip-hop scene getting more of a spotlight lately?
A I take my hat off to Bay Area radio, because now everybody that's getting airplay is looking ahead and saying, ``I have this competition right here, I have to step it up.'' You can't come mediocre, you have to come the best you can come.
Q What do you think of the new Bay Area artists, like the Team, Keak da Sneak and Frontline?
A I'm with the whole Bay Area movement, and I want them to shine. . . . I have super respect and love, and I know it's likewise, I'm sure. I was in it when every artist in the Bay was hot, so I don't trip on it. I know I'm the ambassador, but being the ambassador doesn't mean selling the most units or being the dopest rapper -- I'm the voice and face of the Bay.
Q Why did you start a franchise of Fatburger?
A Back in the day, if you listened to any of my raps, I'm always talking about buying a franchise, and not buying an $85,000 car before you buy a house. . . . The first thing I wanted to get was a Popeye's chicken . . . I was looking on the Food Channel and they're saying that hamburgers are No. 1. So my wife, she's good friends with Merton Hanks, ex-49er. Merton knows Chester McGlockton, he's doing the Fatburgers, so I called Chester. He's [McGlockton] a good friend and my neighbor before he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. He played for the Oakland Raiders at the time . . . Chester knows I'm a stable guy, good dude, family man, businessman, and we got together and put in on 10 of them. The first one opened up two weeks ago (in Pleasant Hill), and the second opens up in Redwood City, hopefully in March. Me and Chester got all the rights of them in Northern California.
Q Why did you choose San Jose (175 N. San Pedro St.) for your Ambassador's Lounge club?
A I went in with Menassa from the B-Hive (a hip-hop club that was on First Street in downtown San Jose) and we became business partners, and say let's put a new face to this, because we found a bigger building. It holds 637 people, capacity. Let's put some flat screens up and let's fix this place up and let's do it. Everything unfolded and we got one of the popping clubs in the Bay Area. You know, I ain't nothing but a young Russell Simmons. Just call me mini-Russell, you dig?
KMEL Summer Jam
David Banner, Trillville, Keyshia Cole, Frontline, E-A-Ski, Common, Talib Kweli, Goapele, Ying Yang Twins, E-40, the reunion of Jodeci, John Legend, 112, Damian Marley, Lyfe Jennings and Teairra Marí
Where: Shoreline Amphitheater, One Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View
When: Noon Sunday
Tickets: $18-$65; (40 998-8497, (415) 421-8497 or www.ticketmaster.com
E-40's hall of game
Hometown: Vallejo
Albums: Nine since 1994
Nicknames: Fonzarelli, 40 Water, Charlie Hustle, the Ballatician
Part-owner: Ambassador's Lounge in San Jose, Fatburger franchises
In the works: His own brand of liquor, an energy drink, a cartoon series
Host: Radio show ``E-Feezy'' on KMEL-FM (106.1)
Some rap partners: Too Short, Tupac Shakur, Fabolous Afroman, Petey Pablo, B-Legit, Keak da Sneak, Suga-T, Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz
Source: E-40.com
Expanding his Game
BAY AREA EMCEE E-40 SIGNS MAJOR-LABEL DEAL, PURSUES WIDE RANGE OF BUSINESS VENTURES
By Marian Liu
www.mercurynews.com/mld/m...432667.htm
With his distinct style of delivering rolling, rapid-fire rhymes with a vernacular that has spread even in the South, E-40 is an underground legend and ambassador for the Bay Area hip-hop scene.
With almost two decades in the rap game, the man born Earl Stevens has become what he likes to call ``a young Russell Simmons.'' He is a partner in a popular San Jose hip-hop club, owns some Fatburger franchises in the Bay Area, plans to launch his own brand of liquor and energy drink, has produced a slang dictionary, and is working on producing a cartoon series.
Each Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m., this Vallejo emcee hosts a radio show called ``E-Feezy'' on KMEL-FM (106.1). This Sunday, though, E-40 will be performing at the KMEL Summer Jam as part of a hip-hop and R&B lineup at Shoreline Amphitheatre.
Now in his 30s, E-40 is sipping wine rather than the six 40-ounce beers a day that gave rise to his nickname. His latest album, ``The Ghetto Report Card'' won't come out until early next year, but it has some firepower behind it -- Lil Jon is producing half the album; E-40's son, Droopy, and Sacramento producer Rick Rock are working on the other half.
The Mercury News spoke with the newly signed artist in Los Angeles over the phone from the Warner Bros. Records studio office.
Q Is it going to be any different on a major label?
A Ain't nothing going to change as far as my talent. The style ain't going to change, none of that. Just going to upgrade the whole situation -- I'm going to adjust with the times. I'm not one of those dudes who's been in the game since Kermit the Frog was a polliwog. I'm one of those dudes that has been in the game ever since then, but at the same time, I ain't just fell off the boat. I stayed in the mix in the whole thing, readjusted myself, reinvented myself and pushed reset.
Q Do you have any worries about going into the mainstream?
A I ain't aiming to go mainstream. If it happens, it happens. But it ain't going to be intentional, like I'm going to have this big crossover song that is going to reach out to this, that and MTV. If it gets on MTV, I want it to be true, I want it to be what I really do. I ain't selling out for nothing, do you feel me?
Q You've been in the rap business since the '90s and have consistently put out hit after hit. How did you persevere?
A Really just a lot of faith in God, having a fire in my heart from growing up as a youngster -- being the oldest of four and my mama raising us, and seeing her work three or four jobs. . . . It gave me the motivation and the test of fortitude to continue to pursue my career because there's been times I've wanted to quit.
Q How would you describe your unorthodox style of spitting rhymes?
A It's a start, stop and go, scoot type of style. I'll be on the beat one minute, and I'll lag but I'll still be on the beat, then I'll get back and spit a couple of fast words, then I might just flow for a good three seconds fast, then I'll slow it up and say something that everybody can say. Then I get back on the slow beat and then I go fast again -- it's like everything that I'm saying makes sense, and it's up to date, and it's 'hood, and it's soil, and it's game involved. I'm not lacking in my macking.
Q What do you think of the Bay Area hip-hop scene getting more of a spotlight lately?
A I take my hat off to Bay Area radio, because now everybody that's getting airplay is looking ahead and saying, ``I have this competition right here, I have to step it up.'' You can't come mediocre, you have to come the best you can come.
Q What do you think of the new Bay Area artists, like the Team, Keak da Sneak and Frontline?
A I'm with the whole Bay Area movement, and I want them to shine. . . . I have super respect and love, and I know it's likewise, I'm sure. I was in it when every artist in the Bay was hot, so I don't trip on it. I know I'm the ambassador, but being the ambassador doesn't mean selling the most units or being the dopest rapper -- I'm the voice and face of the Bay.
Q Why did you start a franchise of Fatburger?
A Back in the day, if you listened to any of my raps, I'm always talking about buying a franchise, and not buying an $85,000 car before you buy a house. . . . The first thing I wanted to get was a Popeye's chicken . . . I was looking on the Food Channel and they're saying that hamburgers are No. 1. So my wife, she's good friends with Merton Hanks, ex-49er. Merton knows Chester McGlockton, he's doing the Fatburgers, so I called Chester. He's [McGlockton] a good friend and my neighbor before he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. He played for the Oakland Raiders at the time . . . Chester knows I'm a stable guy, good dude, family man, businessman, and we got together and put in on 10 of them. The first one opened up two weeks ago (in Pleasant Hill), and the second opens up in Redwood City, hopefully in March. Me and Chester got all the rights of them in Northern California.
Q Why did you choose San Jose (175 N. San Pedro St.) for your Ambassador's Lounge club?
A I went in with Menassa from the B-Hive (a hip-hop club that was on First Street in downtown San Jose) and we became business partners, and say let's put a new face to this, because we found a bigger building. It holds 637 people, capacity. Let's put some flat screens up and let's fix this place up and let's do it. Everything unfolded and we got one of the popping clubs in the Bay Area. You know, I ain't nothing but a young Russell Simmons. Just call me mini-Russell, you dig?
KMEL Summer Jam
David Banner, Trillville, Keyshia Cole, Frontline, E-A-Ski, Common, Talib Kweli, Goapele, Ying Yang Twins, E-40, the reunion of Jodeci, John Legend, 112, Damian Marley, Lyfe Jennings and Teairra Marí
Where: Shoreline Amphitheater, One Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View
When: Noon Sunday
Tickets: $18-$65; (40 998-8497, (415) 421-8497 or www.ticketmaster.com
E-40's hall of game
Hometown: Vallejo
Albums: Nine since 1994
Nicknames: Fonzarelli, 40 Water, Charlie Hustle, the Ballatician
Part-owner: Ambassador's Lounge in San Jose, Fatburger franchises
In the works: His own brand of liquor, an energy drink, a cartoon series
Host: Radio show ``E-Feezy'' on KMEL-FM (106.1)
Some rap partners: Too Short, Tupac Shakur, Fabolous Afroman, Petey Pablo, B-Legit, Keak da Sneak, Suga-T, Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz
Source: E-40.com
