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| E‑40 | |
|---|---|
| Name | E‑40 |
| Birth name | Earl Stevens |
| Birth date | 15 November 1967 |
| Birth place | Vallejo, California |
| Occupation | Rapper, entrepreneur, record executive |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels | Sick Wid It Records, Jive Records, Lil Jon Entertainment |
| Associated acts | The Click (group), Too Short, Snoop Dogg, Tupac Shakur |
E‑40 is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and cultural figure from Vallejo, California, known for pioneering West Coast hip hop, Bay Area hyphy movement, and independent label entrepreneurship. He rose to prominence with a string of influential albums and collaborations spanning 1990s in music, 2000s in music, and 2010s in music, while founding Sick Wid It Records and engaging in ventures across food and beverage industry, fashion, and media. His career intersects with artists, executives, and institutions from Interscope Records to regional scenes like Oakland, California, San Francisco Bay Area, and national movements including Gangsta rap and Hyphy movement.
Earl Stevens was born in Vallejo, California and raised in a milieu connected to regional music scenes, attending local schools and participating in community activities alongside peers from Benicia High School and neighborhoods linked to Solano County, California. Family ties connected him to networks of musicians and coaches from institutions such as Merritt College and local programs associated with California State University, Sacramento, while early exposure to radio stations including KMEL, KBLX, and venues like The Frisco Kid shaped his formative artistic development.
He began recording with family and friends in the 1980s, releasing independent cassettes and albums under Sick Wid It Records with group projects involving The Click (group), collaborations with Too Short, Mac Dre, JT the Bigga Figga, and appearances alongside mainstream stars like Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur. Major-label distribution deals and charting albums brought him into contact with companies such as Jive Records, Warner Bros. Records, and independent distributors tied to Priority Records and the wider record industry in the United States. His prolific output includes studio albums, collaboration albums, and guest verses on tracks with artists from Lil Jon, Rick Ross, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Busta Rhymes, and producers like Timbaland and DJ Mustard, expanding his reach into scenes spanning Southern hip hop, East Coast hip hop, and West Coast movements. Touring connections placed him on bills with acts affiliated with Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Rolling Loud, and regional festivals in San Jose, California and Sacramento, California, while his mixtapes and independent releases circulated via platforms linked to DatPiff and radio rotations on Power 106 (Los Angeles).
Beyond music, he founded Sick Wid It Records and built partnerships with retailers, beverage companies, and fashion labels, collaborating with entities like PepsiCo-affiliated distributors, sneaker retailers connected to Foot Locker, and lifestyle brands engaged with Complex (magazine) and Vice Media. He developed lines in the food and beverage sector involving collaborations with producers licensed in California, endorsements aligning with distribution channels in Whole Foods Market, and partnerships with cannabis-related businesses in jurisdictions like California Proposition 64-regulated markets. His entrepreneurial network includes alliances with managers and executives from Live Nation Entertainment, AEG Presents, and independent distributors that interface with SoundCloud and streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.
His lyrical style, slang innovation, and entrepreneurial model have influenced artists across regions, from Mac Dre and the Hyphy movement to contemporaries like Kendrick Lamar, E-40 collaborator B-Legit, and crossover acts including Dr. Dre-adjacent producers. Cultural commentators in outlets like The Source (magazine), Vibe (magazine), and Rolling Stone have chronicled his impact on linguistic innovation, street vernacular adoption, and independent label strategies that informed approaches used by artists connected to Top Dawg Entertainment and other indie collectives. His legacy is visible in festivals, museum exhibits related to Bay Area music history at institutions like Oakland Museum of California, and curricula touching on music business at schools such as Berklee College of Music and UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
He is a member of a musical family including siblings and children who participate in projects linked to Sick Wid It Records and regional scenes; his relationships have intersected with public figures, community leaders, and sports personalities from Golden State Warriors and collegiate programs at University of California, Berkeley and San Jose State University. He has engaged in philanthropy and community initiatives in partnership with organizations such as United Way, local chapters of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and health campaigns coordinated with Kaiser Permanente facilities in Solano County, California.
His career recognition includes chart placements on Billboard 200 and nominations or wins from institutions like BET Hip Hop Awards, appearances in lists by XXL (magazine), and honors bestowed by local governments and cultural organizations including proclamations from the City of Vallejo and acknowledgments from arts councils in Alameda County, California and Contra Costa County, California.
Category:American rappers Category:People from Vallejo, California Category:Hip hop entrepreneurs