Throughout the late ’90s, E-40‘s Sik-Wid-It Records was responsible for slews of family artists such as The Click, D-Shot, B-Legit and Celly Cel. After over a decade, the Vallejo, California-based imprint is back at it, despite its founder now operating at a major label.
On April 15, Sik-Wid-It will be releasing The Umbrella II, a compilation of the label’s many talents, including 40‘s son Droop-E, the critically-endorsed Turf Talk and veteran Cool Nutz. Production on the disc will be handled by Droop-E as well as Bay veteran Rhythm X. The single “Jump on the Scraper” by Nump is featured below.
The label will also be releasing 916 Unified, a collaborative project between E-40 and Sacramento’s Doey Rock, pushing for unity among the capital city’s fledging artists.
In other California Hip Hop news, 2Mex, the veteran emcee, has recently been in the studio with Mars Volta‘s keyboardist Ikey Owens, who also was a part of Sublime and Reel Big Fish). The duo has completed an album Suffer In Style under the group name Look Daggers. Together, with some help from Reel Big Fish, Mastadon and Shapeshifters, the group will be releasing their project on March 25.
In 2005, Mars Volta scored a Top Ten Rock single with “The Widow.” The group has since worked with El-P on remixes, as well as his own album, last year’s I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead.
