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E-40 will be taking his message from the ghetto to the mainstream with this new album. Friend of Fly, Daedelus, was telling me about ‘Hy-phy’ back in June when we were coming back from the in-store at Banquet Records. To be honest, I had no idea what he was talking about and it was only when DJ Shadow ‘took over’ MTV (Europe) for an hour last week and played the video to ‘Tell Me When To Go’, I thought, time to get the album.

‘Hy-phy’ has been described as a less rowdy version of crunk; although some of the tracks still have the explicit content of, say, ‘Play’. ‘Tell Me When To Go’ is probably the most commercial here as it has the same rhythm as ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’. No bad thing that of course but the other tracks’ which variously include some old-skool elements to the beats’ all get gold stars for his Report Card.

I particularly like the ‘humour’ of the Windows log-on (did Mr. Gates give clearance for that?) on ‘Go Hard or Go Home’ and the psycho shower scene on ‘Gouda’. If you’re looking for UK comparisons, think of Eminem being re-born in the Grime scene, like the paranoid ‘They Might Be Taping’. ‘Yee’ is the most grime of the lot.

You certainly get your monies worth here as it’s about 75 minutes long and whilst it might be a little long, it certainly finishes strong, even soulful in ‘Just F***in’ and ‘Happy To Be Here.’ Usual warning on explicit adult content and it’s odd to think that this album is released on Reprise if you’re a fan of Joni Mitchell, but then again, Zappa/The Mothers were also signed to the label at the same time. Beauty and the Beast you might say.

If that wasn’t a ‘clash’ of styles; DJ about town, Sinden’s remix mash of ‘Tell Me When to Go’ with ‘Sedgehammer’ is quite odd but you can’t deny, it’s very clever “genre melting” and guaranteed crossover floor action.

E-40’s first release came out in 1993, and although he has got loads of help from the hip hop community here, it may not be to the liking of his long-term fans but like he says at the start, “I got my second wind, pimp!” and ends with ‘Happy To Be Here’. E-40 done well!

Hy-phy - from the words ‘hyperactive’ and ‘fly’.

Hectic Mix Nominations: ‘Yay Area’, ‘Gouda’, ‘They Might Be Taping’, ‘Just F***in’

Reviewed: E-40 - My Ghetto Report Card (Reprise)
1. Yay Area
2. Tell Me When To Go featuring Keak Da Sneak
3. Muscle Cars featuring Keak Da Sneak & Turf Talk
4. Go Hard Or Go Home featuring The Federation
5. Gouda featuring B-Legit & Stressmatic of The Federation
6. Sick Wid It II featuring Turf Talk†
7. JB Stomp Down (Skit)
8. They Might Be Taping
9. Do Ya Head Like This
10. Block Boi featuring Miko & Stressmatic of The Federation
11. White Gurl featuring Bun B, Pimp C of UGK & Juelz Santana
12. GetTheF***On.com Part 1 (Skit)
13. U and Dat featuring T. Pain & Kandi Girl
14. I’m Da Man featuring Mike Jones & Al Kapone
15. Yee featuring Too $hort & Budda
16. GetTheF***On.com Part 2 (Skit)
17. Just F***in featuring Bosko
18. Gimme H*** featuring Al Kapone and Bosko
19. She Say She Loves Me featuring 8 Ball & Bun B
20. Happy To Be Here featuring D.D. Artis

Links:
www.e-40.com
www.myspace.com/e40
www.myspace.com/graemesinden
Alfred Hitchcock was born 13th August 1899 at 517 High Road, Leytonstone, Waltham Forest, E. London.
www.eminem.com
www.repriserecords.com