Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
It's like with me, I feel like I was never one of those rappers that, you know, stayed in one time warp.
I got a solid fan base and they love me and I love them. They know I'ma give them what they want to hear.
I first started rapping when I heard the Sugarhill Gang in 1979, when I was 11 years old in seventh grade.
However God had it planned, I'm rockin' with how he do it. He took the steering wheel and I'm letting him drive.
I've been rapping on some crunk beats and getting down on the South music for years. I feel like I can do it all.
I'm not a full-fledged producer, but I can be one if I want to really spend my time on straight being a producer.
I'm a survivor, man. I done had my ups and downs, but I've got get-back skills for real for real. I refuse to fall.
I think the whole world has been able to utilize the Internet. I feel like you don't have to be from a certain soil.
I've been in the game a long time. I've done all sorts of different types of music. From mob music to the G-Funk era.
When I was little, seven or eight years old, in third and fourth grade, I would always try to use long words and stuff.
Rick Barry always amazed me - he was one of the best free-throw shooters of all time, and he used to throw it underhand.
Sometimes all your fanbase wants you to do is stay within your envelope and do you because that's what they love you for.
Any relationship, I'm talking about even with your kids, when you got something they can relate to - both of y'all - it helps.
I'm not boasting or nothing but a lot of people have a lot of love for me. I'm a legend, but I stay H and H, hungry and humble.
I love working with different artist with different styles and different producers with different sounds, creativity is everything.
I had T-Pain on one of my singles before anyone really knew of him. I was the first one to put that to life of having T-Pain on the hook.
I feel like this - everybody, every rapper to me, I feel like every rapper got a little bit of E-40 in them, whether they know it or not.
Some people be game-goofy and words don't sound right coming out of their mouthpiece. But whenever E-40 says something it's just solidified.
Slang is really coded talk. I can say a few things, in front of somebody, that only people who know what I'm saying are going to pick up on.
You know, Tupac would go into the studio and make like six or seven songs in one day. That's how he operated. He was real quick with his pen.
The best thing about the Internet is that it's limited to however you want to do it. You don't gotta talk to everybody, just use it as a outlet.
For the first six years of my career I was independent. I got on to a major and did my thing there. I had platinum and gold records and all that.
I'm the greatest game-spitter of all time. I talk about the swell, the block, the 'hood. I'm a street commentator. I narrate how people live. That's E-40.
I got southern roots from Texas all the way to Louisiana, went to Grambling State back in the day, my whole career I've done songs with down South artists.
I don't just talk about jewelry and cars and houses and belittling those that don't have that. I'm a democrat. I speak for the democrats. I speak for the soil.
When I was in the marching band, I used to take my snare drum and turn it over and use my drumstick and scratch on the other side. That was just being creative.
I'm glad I'm setting an example for the younger generation so in the future they can say, 'Look how long E-40's rap career was. Look how long he stayed relevant.'
The earliest music I remember hearing is Al Green's 'Let's Stay Together.' That was when my momma and my daddy were together, before they went their separate ways.
My momma was working very hard, doing three jobs... she just worked her butt off, man. On the weekends she started to play this song called 'Living for the Weekend.'
It's nice to have video play, radio play but as long as I can work my virals on the Internet, or yet get it out to where people hear it and can see it anytime, I'm cool.
In the early '90s, Too Short was like one of the first dudes who kinda discovered Lil Jon. So I always used to see him at concerts and we'd pow wow - a good dude, you know?
I had every major label in the world - I mean, any label that dealt with rap music wanted to sign me. I ended up going with Jive Records because I liked everything about 'em.
In the '80s, I wore these glasses because I was trying to look like a square to outsmart the po-po, you feel me? It was what we call 'throw off methods.' So I wear little glasses.
When I do listen to music a lot of times I listen to old school music, I'm talking about Earth, Wind & Fire, I'm talking about the Isley Brothers, the O'Jays. It just eases my mind.
The biggest chance you can take in life is by not taking any chances at all. It's important, but music is my heart and this is what makes me the most revenue, so be grit, don't quit.
I just respect people and mind my business. I don't got time to worry about what the next man's pockets are looking like, I gotta worry about what mine are looking like and my family.
Ooh! Jesus Christ had dreads, so shake 'em. I ain't got none, but I'm planning on growing some. Imagine all the Hebrews going dumb... Dancing on top of chariots and turning tight ones.
I make up many words but we can go on for forever about slang words that E-40 created. That has always been one of my things since was youngster. I have always being creative with my words.
Longevity has a lot to do with me continuously nonstop putting music on the shelf, and making myself be the face of the Bay, and continuing to carry the Bay on my back for many moons, you know.
When I was 20, I was the hustler - rubbing my temples, stressed, trying to get out the streets, trying to take my life to another side of the game with something I really loved to do: rap music.
I played in a band and attended Grambling University. I think the Mob style funk music I do was patterned after the big college bands. I was also influenced by groundbreaking efforts of Too Short.
A lot of people - they might think I fell off, but they don't know I'm eating. I'm on the West coast, eating. It's just they don't hear about me because they don't see me on the TV. But I'm still around.
The 'Day Shift' songs are things that would unfold during the daytime. 'Night Shift' is what would unfold during the nighttime. So, that's how I put that whole thing together. I did both all on one album budget.
When you do mixtapes, a lot of times your fanbase can say, 'We've been getting this for free for so many years, his new album is about to drop, we've listened to it, and we're not going to buy it. We'll download it for free.'
Whether you're a DJ, whether you a rapper, whether you a producer, take it seriously. This is an occupation - you can get paid - don't expect to blow up overnight, and appreciate when you do get paid any type of money, appreciate it.
Communication, that keeps everything cool. Not holding anything back, you got to tell each other what's on your mind, that's really it. Otherwise when one gets mad at one, it can burst and you just let it out and it can just come out wrong.
My mom and dad divorced when I was 8 years old, but my Dad never left my life. We would go over there on weekends and he'd be playing his guitar, listening to Bobby Blue Bland and B. B. King and KBLX radio while he was out in the garage painting custom cars.
Some people are the best lyricists, got the most gas, but they don't know have the personality or the people skills to go out there and network and get they recognition and they name out there. Sometimes people can get in the way of they own selves man, real talk.
People, a lot of times, don't like what's different. When it's something different out there, the majority of people will be like 'aww, that's wack!' but if it's regular, plain or a straight through flow, it's easier for them to adapt to, because everyone likes the normal.
I think the Internet is right on time. I think it's very important. It's reaching out to millions of people. Even the most slimiest and grimiest hood cats out got iPhones and Smartphones so they're able to view everything on the Internet, so they're well in tuned to what's going on.