After several years of waiting, E-40 fans have nothing to be disappointed about. E-40's new album, My Ghetto Report Card, is already being lauded as one of the top 10 hip-hop/rap albums of 2006 just weeks after its release. This is his 12th album, and what's different about it is his collaboration with Lil Jon's BME Record Company.
E-40 is from the San Francisco Bay area and has been in the "game" for several years. Even with Southern and West Coast rap beats on his past albums, Lil Jon helps him go back to his Bay roots on My Ghetto Report Card. Previous to the Warner Brothers family, he had a great record deal with Jive Records. However, he really enjoys the relationship he established with Lil Jon and thought it was time to move his music in a different direction.
Continuing the tradition from his former albums, My Ghetto Report Card features distinguished artists like Mike Jones, Juelz Santana, T-Pain and the up-and-coming Oakland rapper Keak Da Sneak. All of these artists help E-40 utilize what he calls the "hyphy music movement." This movement is an attempt for listeners to get the vibe of Bay City life and to appreciate it. E-40 recreates his music by adding new "ghetto" vocabulary he hopes will become widespread.
The first single off the album is "Tell Me When" featuring Keak Da Sneak. This song attempts to show off the "hyphy movement" in the Bay City area with big cars, mad bling and heavy energy. It is an empowering song that will definitely be bumping in clubs nationwide this summer. The blend of slang and raspy tones makes for a promising dance-party hit.
This song quickly transitions to "Muscle Cars," a similar song that focuses on the Bay lifestyle. It's along the same lines as "Tell Me When," relying once more on "ghetto" vernacular and somewhat jarring vocals.
A song that has potential for heavy play success is "U and Dat" featuring T-Pain and Kandi Girl. This song is different from the rest of the album in that it plays down the hardcore rap and rhyme vibe, instead opting for an extremely sensual feel. Though it doesn't have the same tone as the other "club hits" featured on this album, this song is more of a "bump and grind" song that is just as qualified to find a place in listeners' hearts.
As the warning on the cover clarifies, this album is filled to the brim with extremely explicit language and is appropriate for those who enjoy and can handle each song's content. Some songs that push the envelope lyrically are "Yay Area," "White Gurl" (featuring Juelz Santana), "Im Da Man" (featuring Mike Jones) and "She Says She Loves Me." All these songs include both explicit and implicit references to sex, drugs and partying. Some may find this entertaining, while others may see it as downright offensive.
The difference between the changes in record label for E-40 is that he is suddenly getting major amounts of publicity for this album, quite a contrast to prior efforts. "Tell Me When" is the first hip-hop video to be continuously featured on myspace.com. It has great MTV/MTV 2 buzz that helped further the recognition and promotion for E-40 and My Ghetto Report Card.
The success of this album is promising. He continues to push the envelope of explicit lyrics and varied beats without losing his usual artistic touches. Lil Jon has done a great job picking E-40 up as one of his new artists and helping create a more mature rap album.
As for E-40's report card: straight A's all the way.
Rating: 4 out of 5
