Known as the ambassador of the place he calls Northern Cali-screw-ya, E-40 is back. Not only with a new album but a whole new movement behind it. All the hype behind the Bay area’s Hyphy movement can be fully experienced on his newest single “Tell Me When to Go” featuring Hyphy innovator, Keak Da Sneak, but you can expect much more than just Hyphy from the Bay area’s MVP with his upcoming release, Ghetto Report Card. A simple word from E-40 has been known to change the way the streets communicate, just look into the roots of “fo’ shizzle”. E-40 communicates with AllHipHop.com as to the current Hyphy movement in his Bay backyard.
AllHipHop.com: Explain to me what Hyphy is to you?
E-40: Freedom, expressing yourself, energy, it’s the cousin to Crunk, just letting yourself go.
AllHipHop.com: You work a lot with Lil’ Jon. What’s the difference in culture between Hyphy and Crunk?
E-40: The energy is the same but the movement is different. With Hyphy, we got the invisible driving our cars, we got the stunna shades, dreadlocks, we got the scrappers, we got the Hyphy train?
AllHipHop.com: What’s the Hyphy train?
E-40: Just imagine, after the club closes, a whole bunch of cars campaigning like the president. Or, like a parade with doors open, cats dancing on the hood, on the doors music blasting it’s just a mobile party.
AllHipHop.com: How do you keep control of the cars if people aren’t in it?
E-40: We walking next to it, it’s not like they’re driving fast we just driving slow like it’s a Fourth of July float, ya dig? Then we got the side-show, where cats showcase their toys [cars] and their skills doing the donuts and figure eights in the middle of traffic at the intersections and things.
AllHipHop.com: I’m sure the police cant be happy about that…
E-40: Actually, the majority of the time, it’s a controlled parade. They do give out tickets, but it’s usually controlled. Hyphy alone, is an energy. It’s the cousin of Crunk but more up-tempo, we have producers such as Rick Rock, Droopy of the Pharmaceuticals, EA-Ski, and Track Million that produce the music to make them go dumb, ‘cause really it’s just about freedom.
AllHipHop.com: So to the typical person who might look at it and think going dumb is dumb, how do you explain it?
E-40: To be honest going dumb is no different from what Mantronix used to do and Just-Ice. They been saying, “Cold Get Dumb”, get stupid so it’s just a whole bunch of energy.
AllHipHop.com: Let’s address “thizz’ing”, the practice of popping pills while getting Hyphy.
E-40: The world pops pills, I can name you a bunch of people who take pills. The medical industry is big business, but the two don’t go together, enhancing the feeling could be liquor it doesn’t have to be a drug.
AllHipHop.com: Artist and Bay radio personality, T-K.A.S.H. described Hyphy as the Bay Area’s rebellion towards Hip-Hop would you agree?
E-40: That’s right, you could say that, but at the same time we got MC’s and that ain’t all we are. We’re real game spitters and we’re real lyricists, like my whole album ain’t Hyphy don’t get it ‘twitted’. I got Hyphy songs on it, but I got songs about the struggle, the climb up the ladder. It’s the teaching process, as far as ways to get out the game and when you get out the game trying to go buy you a franchise like a Fatburger [which 40 owns locations of], or some property, like a fixer-upper know what I mean it ain’t gotta be brand new, smell me? Just do something.
AllHipHop.com: Talk about your album, who’s on it?
E-40: Of course the Sik Wid It organization. Turf Talk, who I feel is one of the rawest rappers in the world, who hasn’t made it to the forefront yet, but he will, and when I call it I call it. I got B-legit, of course. Keak [da Sneak], Mike Jones, Lil’ Jon, Juelz Santana, Bun B, Pimp C, T-Pain ya dig?
AllHipHop.com: Are you bitter about the fact that the Bay area doesn’t get its just due when it comes to getting credit for lingo and trends that have originated there?
E-40: I wouldn’t say bitter, but definitely not pleased. Because it ain’t just me, it’s regular citizens of Northern Caliscrewya that ain’t to pleased about pimps running with our swagger. It’s a lot of identity thieves out there, and we don’t have a problem with cats using our lingo and all that, but at the same time, pay some homage every once in awhile. Scream my name sometimes when you get on one of those big television networks, don’t just try to act like you made it up and hide it from us. But I just think they fear that when the real does come out, they won’t push as many units or whatever. But as long as the soil, gravel, the trap, you know, the inner city, as long as they know, we good.