Great EPs: E-40 - "The Mailman"

Fresh from the "Illest EPs Ever" thread over at the forum, here's a Bay Area classic from the legendary 40 Fonzarelli.

Originally released in 1994, The Mail Man follows the trends set on previous efforts such as Mr. Flamboyant and Federal; E-40 kicks rapid-fire, humorous tales thick with his trademark "slanguage" over slumping mobb-style beats produced by Studio Ton and 40-Water himself. However, what distinguishes this EP from those earlier releases is a more polished, consistent sound; this most likely stems from the major-label backing bestowed upon 40 by Jive Record, the imprint that would later re-release his earlier efforts. Along with this improved production, The Mail Man shows 40 really solidifying his now-trademark style, and it shows. So many solid tunes on this record, including the all-time classics "Captain Save-A-Ho" and "Practice Lookin' Hard."

Despite the transgressions made by E-40 over the past 6 years and numerous attempts to tarnish his legacy as a Bay legend, the grip of full-lengths and extended plays that he dropped from 1991 to 1996 more than make up for it. The Mail Man is no exception. So drop ya drawls and get some 40 Water in ya life, yadadibooboo?

1. "Neva Broke"

2. "Bring the Yellow Tape"

3. "Practice Lookin' Hard"

4. "Ballin' Out of Control" (featuring Levitti)

5. "Where the Party At" (featuring The Mossie)

6. "Captain Save a Hoe" (featuring The Click)

7. "Mailman"

8. "Captain Save a Hoe" (Remix) (featuring The Click)

E-40 - "The Mailman" EP

The Click - Lets Side EP (1991)

Obscure joint from 40 Water and company. Don't slept on this gem again. --Philaflava

A1 : Lets Side
A2 : Face the Facts
B1 : Dont Stop
B2 : The Shit

Download

Peace to basta for the link.

The 90's Bay Area Obsession

The 90's Bay Area Obsession

I can remember it just like yesterday, my bedroom was draped in red and gold to match my Joe Montana poster that my mother had got framed for me to go with the room. She was good like that, always made sure her son always had coordination game on lock. It's probably one of the reasons I'm real finicky today about matching colors. Life was good back then, the Oakland A's were fresh off a World Series sweep against their cross-town rivals, the San Francisco Giants. My childhood idol Rickey Henderson was setting himself up for a career year, in which he later won his first and only MVP award.

At the time the biggest selling hip-hop album "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em" was dominating the airwaves and officially put Oakland on the hip-hop map. Despite years of hustling by Todd Shaw, it wasn't until Hammer's success that Oakland started receiving national attention. I suppose selling 10 million records will do to a town. If you ask me every Bay Area rapper owes a debt of gratitude to MC Hammer.

At twelve you're still very impressionable and I remember trying to memorize every lyric in D. U.'s Sex Packets album while listening in my bedroom. My room was filled with stacks of Playboys that were given to me by Hector, a 40-something Puerto Rican guy who used to do maintenance work in my apartment complex. Come to think of it, it's disgusting to think that I even touched those magazines after Hector had his way with them. God bless Hector though, he always laced me with some of his KFC when he couldn't finish it. Kinda disgusting to think about that too.

Even though I was obsessed with Playboy magazines back then, I still refused to grow up completely because I was still collecting baseball cards. Back then David Justice and Frank Thomas rookies (both former A's players) were the most sought after cards and I remember starving myself at lunch just so I could use that money to cop packs of '90 Leaf.

Little did I realize most of these things were Bay Area related. Subconsciously I was forming a marriage with apart of California in which I've never visited growing up. As the years went on I noticed some of my favorite music came the Bay Area. You had Spice 1, Too $hort, The Coup, Mac Mall, JT The Bigga Figga, Ray Luv, Andre Nickatina, Dru Down, Mac Dre, Young Lay, Rappin' 4-Tay, Celly Cell, The Luniz, E-40, Digital Underground and 2Pac just to name a few.

The production was also phenomenal because you had Ant Banks, Studio Ton, Mike Mosely, Sam Bostic and the forever underrated Khayree.

Below are some of my favorite tracks for this era. What are some of your favorite Bay Area artists? Albums? --Philaflava