As the self-proclaimed ambassador of the Bay Area, veteran hip-hop artist and entrepreneur, E-40 has amassed a 20-year career of hits, loyal fans and numerous business enterprises. With the latter, he has seen success in ventures, including his own line of liquor, Landy Cognac, an independent record label and forming the now defunct rap group, The Click, comprised of his cousin B-Legit, his brother D-Shot and his sister Suga-T. With the release of his new album, Revenue Retrievin’ Day Shift & Revenue Retrievin’ Night Shift through his 22-year-old son, Droop-E’s label, E-40 is ensuring that the next generation of his family continues the legacy.
“It’s an in-house thing. My son started his label and I signed to it. He ain’t only my friend and son but a great producer. He ended up producing almost the whole album. It’s beautiful. All of my life, I’ve had family involved in my music. Now I’m putting it forward for the new generation,” he says.
E-40 credits his parents with instilling in him the strong work ethic and commitment to family that fosters much of his success.
“They divorced [when I was] eight but my daddy has always been in my life and worked hard; and my mother gave us freedom. [She] worked about three jobs. That’s superwoman to me. To see the fire in her heart and the way she raised us, keeps that fire burning in me to succeed.”
While families can be dysfunctional, especially with the added pressure of doing business together, E-40 notes that it’s faith that keeps the family close despite the bottom line.
“We [come] from a church background and [have] morals. My granddaddy was a preacher and we went to Sunday school. We got a lot of God in us; so we know God wakes us, keeps us around and gave us the talent to do it all.”
With that said, E-40 is proving that the family that works together stays together. —souleo
