Earl Stevens (born November 15, 1967) best known by his stage name E-40, is a Bay Area rapper, part of the Bay Area rap group The Click and founder of Bay Area hip-hop record label Sick Wid It Record. After the release of
... Earl Stevens (born November 15, 1967) best known by his stage name E-40, is a Bay Area rapper, part of the Bay Area rap group The Click and founder of Bay Area hip-hop record label Sick Wid It Record. After the release of The Click's first album Down and Dirty, E-40's local solo debut was released.
E-40 worked almost exclusively with Bay Area rappers until 1997, when he and cousin B-Legit released Southwest Riders, a compilation featuring prominent Bay Area and Southern artists. The album's aim was to bridge the gap between the two regions given their distinct similar sounding rap music. E-40 jumped into the limelight in 1995 with his single "Sprinkle Me" from his album In A Major Way. Often heralded as his best album, In A Major Way went gold in 1996. Since its release in 1995, E-40 has released seven more albums with My Ghetto Report Card being his biggest release since In A Major Way. From 2004 to 2008, he hosted a weekly radio program on San Francisco hip-hop station KMEL titled E-Feezy Radio, showcasing Bay Area hip hop music.