Post by Vallus on Jan 18, 2006 4:41:05 GMT
The Ambassador of the Bay, E-40, is gearing up to release his 12th studio album, entitled My Ghetto Report Card, but this time around, he teams up with Lil' Jon and his imprint, BME, as well as Warner Bros. Records.
Joining forces with Lil' Jon was a natural progression for E-40 after he left Jive, according to the rapper.
"We met through Too Short in 1998, and we immediately began working together from that point," says E-40. "After my contract with Jive was up, we thought that we couldn't loose by working together as a team."
"There is a huge fan base for me in the South. In fact, Greg Street was influential in breaking my first major release in Atlanta in 1994, with Captain Save A Hoe," 40 continued.
The album's first single is "Tell Me When" featuring Keak Da Sneak, and was recently shot by Lil' Jon and director Bernard Gourley (Lyfe Jennings, Three 6 Mafia, Beanie Sigel). The video will further introduce the Bay Area's own Hyphy movement.
"Hyphy music is like Crunk, but in a more up-tempo way," explains E-40. "The culture is a way of life for Bay kids. We got the side shows, the muscle cars, we ghost ride the whip, we got the invisible driving, the music, the go dumb get stupid dances, we just actin' a fool expressing ourselves. You've got to see it to believe it."
The video will feature thousands of people who came out to support 40 including just about every rapper from the Bay and members of the BME family like Lil' Jon, Lil' Scrappy and Bohagon.
"We were smokin' up the block, turning donuts and figure 8's. We had the hyphy train crackin'," 40 says of the scene of the video. "Just imagine 300 cars riding back to back after a party with every car, van, camper or truck with all they doors open, shakin' their dreads, showing their grill, sporting stunna shade glasses, dancing on top of the roofs and hoods of the whip, campaigning like the president, like a big parade. It's just a hole bunch of super energy."
My Ghetto Report Card will feature production by Lil' Jon, Kanye West, Rick Rock, E-40's son Droop-e of the Pharmasuticles, mainstay Bosko, and Studio Tone with guest features by Lil' Scrappy, Bohagon, Mike Jones, Juelz Santana, Turf Talk, B-Legit, The Federation, 8Ball, and UGK.
The CD will be accompanied by a documentary of the Hyphy movement, which is being produced by Warner Bros.
In addition to the music, E-40 stays on his business game heavy. The rapper has started building a chain of Fat Burgers in the Bay with plans to bring ten to the area. He also hosts his own radio show on top Bay Area station KMEL on Sundays @ 3p.m. called "E-Freezy."
In addition, 40 has his own brand of liquor coming soon called Cloud 9, as well as a book of slang called E-40's Dictionary Book of Slang, Vol. 1 that will hit stores around the time of the album release on Warner Books.
My Ghetto Report Card is expected to hit stores in March.