E-40
Earl Tywone Stevens Sr. (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. He is a founding member of the rap group The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 26 studio albums to date, appeared on numerous movie soundtracks, and has also done guest appearances on a host of other rap albums. Initially an underground artist, his 1995 solo album In a Major Way opened him up to a wider audience. Beginning in 1998, he began collaborating with mainstream rappers outside the San Francisco Bay Area. He rose to higher mainstream popularity in 2006 with his single "Tell Me When to Go", which was produced by Lil Jon.
For other uses, see E40.
E-40
Earl Tywone Stevens[1]
40 Water
November 15, 1967
Vallejo, California, U.S
East Bay, California, U.S.
- Rapper
- songwriter
- entrepreneur
- actor
1986–present
- Heavy on the Grind
- Sick Wid It
- Atlantic
- Caroline
- Jive/BMG
- BME/Warner Bros.
- RBC Records
2
Early life[edit]
Stevens was born in Vallejo, California.[2][1] He grew up with his siblings raised by a divorced mother who worked three jobs, and he became interested in hip hop after hearing "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang.[3][4] Beginning in fourth grade, Stevens played the snare and bass drum.[3] He graduated from Hogan High School in Vallejo in 1985.[5][6] Stevens played baseball in high school, recorded music with his siblings, and sold their recordings from the back of a car.[7] After high school, Stevens enrolled at Grambling State University in 1986 with his cousin Brandt Jones and attended the school for one year.[8][9][10][3]
Music career[edit]
1986–1999[edit]
Stevens made his rap debut as E-40 in 1986 with Jones (performing as B-Legit), sister Suga-T, and brother D-Shot in the group Most Valuable Players. After impressing fellow students with a rap remix of the school song and a Grambling State talent show, Most Valuable Players released a single, "The King's Men".[11][3] The group later became The Click and released the EP Let's Side in 1990.[2] The EP was co-produced by Mike Mosley and Al Eaton and was released on Sick Wid It Records, an independent label founded by E-40. In 1992 they released a second album, Down and Dirty, and in 1993 E-40 made his solo album debut. Federal, a nine-track LP/14-track CD produced by Studio Ton and released by Sick Wid It Records in association with SMG (Solar Music Group), a regional distributor.
In 1993 the Click had mainstream hit, "Captain Save a Hoe" (radio edit "Captain Save Them Thoe"). They moved back to Vallejo and teamed up with D-Shot, E-40's brother, to form the group MVP or Most Valuable Players. E-40's gospel singing uncle (Saint Charles) helped them put out the record.[12] Suga-T was then added to the group to form the Click.[13]
Although having a large following on the West Coast, E-40 did not have a large mainstream audience, so only two of his songs released under Jive Records, "1-Luv" featuring Levitti and "Things'll Never Change" featuring Bo-Roc, charted on the Billboard Hot 100.[2] He had been working nearly exclusively with rappers from the Bay Area until 1997, when he released the double disc compilation Southwest Riders featuring exclusively rap acts from the Bay Area and the south. His collaboration with southern rappers continued in 1998, when he was given guest appearances on albums by Southern rappers, including Lost by Eightball, and MP da Last Don by Master P.[2]
Business career[edit]
Along with former NFL player Chester McGlockton, E-40 opened a Fatburger franchise in Pleasant Hill, California, which has now been shut down.[30] E-40 has promoted a forthcoming publication, E-40's Book of Slang, since 1998,[31] but as of 2013 the volume has not yet been released.[32] He is also a spokesperson for Landy Cognac, and he opened the now-defunct Ambassador's Lounge, a nightclub in Downtown San Jose.[33]
In late 2007, E-40 announced a new line of energy drinks called "40 Water."[34] He also has a number of other ventures in the beverage industry, including the wine industry, where he has released three wines including a red blend called "Function," a moscato and high-alcohol fortified wine called "Mangoscato."[35] The wines are branded using the rapper's real name, Earl Stevens. In December 2014, he released a premixed cocktail beverage called Sluricane Hurricane, inspired by the 1995 hit song "Hurricane" from his group the Click.[36]
In December 2015, E-40 released a line of malt liquor called "E-40", available in 24 oz. cans and 40 oz. glass bottles.[37]
E-40 is also an investor and has his own investment company. He was an early investor in social media apps Clubhouse and Convoz.[38]
Personal life[edit]
E-40 lives in Danville, California, with his wife Tracey.[10] They married in 1991 and have two children who grew up to become rappers: Earl Jr. (who performs as Droop-E) and Emari (Issue).[39][40]
E-40 is a longtime San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants and Golden State Warriors fan,[41] and the team gave away 15,000 bobblehead figures of himself to visitors at a Giants game on June 25, 2022,[42] where he also made the ceremonial first pitch of the game.[43]