Vallejo, Califoolya’s very own native son, Earl ‘E-40’ Stevens, has already made quite a huge impact in the music game. With his tenth, yes count ’em, tenth studio effort, My Ghetto Report Card, his first for Lil Jon’s Warner Bros. distributed BME imprint, the self-anointed Ambassador of the Yay continues his rap reign.
Already off to an astonishing start with the set’s Lil Jon-laced jumpoff single “Tell Me When To Go,” featuring Keak Da Sneak, which has single-handedly taken the whole nation by storm thus sparking off a brand new movement known simply as Hyphy, the slick-talking King of Slanguistics continues his verbal assault throughout the 17 track magnum opus.
The album opens with the call-and-response anthem “Yay Area,” which utilizes a Digable Planets interpolation, and announces that 40 Water is back. “Muscle Cars,” an ode to classic vehicles, sports another appearance from Keak, a.k.a. Kunta Kinte and Sick Wid It signee, Turf Talk. Next, Bay Area trio The Federation check in on the rowdy party starter, “Go Hard or Go Home.” Family group, The Click alqum, B Legit, gets greasy on “Goulda,” which rides the scary theme music from the horror flick,
Psycho.
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Turf Talk makes his second cameo via “Sic Wid It II,” a follow up of sorts to Turf’s hit of the same name from last year. “They Might Be Taping” is a vivid tale of paranoia. Mike Jones and Al Kapone grace the cocky “I’m Da Man” and Too $hort lays his mack hand firmly down on the hood cry out “Yee.”40 Fonzerelli even gets a lil’ freaky-deaky on the xxx-rated “Gimme Head” and the Bosko-assisted “Just Fuckin’.”
Other standouts include: “White Gurl,” a posse cut showcasing the recently reunited UGK and Juelz Santana which borrows its hook from the Boogie Boys’ classic of a similar name; the Eightball and Bun B collabo, “She Say She Loves Me;” “U And Dat” is a midtempo, radio-ready jam complete with the lush vocals of the stripper-loving T Pain; last, but certainly not least, is the reflective closer “Happy To Be Here,” a rags-to-riches, feel-good autobiographical track.
On a bevy of crunktastic sonic gems provided by the likes of A-listers, Lil Jon, Rick Rock, Studio Ton and 40’s super-talented offspring, newcomer Droop-E, Mr. Charlie Hustle continuously drops solid gold nuggets on the competition with his off beat, start-stop, scoot type delivery. From the ghetto streets to the executive suites, the V-Town vet has finally reached his peak, and with My Ghetto Report CardE-40 has well earned his rightful place in the Hip Hop hall of fame.
