The earliest music I remember hearing is Al Green's 'Let's Stay Together.' That was when my momma and my daddy were together, before they went their separate ways.
— E-40
Sometimes all your fanbase wants you to do is stay within your envelope and do you because that's what they love you for.
When you do mixtapes, a lot of times your fanbase can say, 'We've been getting this for free for so many years, his new album is about to drop, we've listened to it, and we're not going to buy it. We'll download it for free.'
I love gospel music, I love gangsta music.
Longevity has a lot to do with me continuously nonstop putting music on the shelf, and making myself be the face of the Bay, and continuing to carry the Bay on my back for many moons, you know.
I just respect people and mind my business. I don't got time to worry about what the next man's pockets are looking like, I gotta worry about what mine are looking like and my family.
I'm living proof that there's no age limit to rapping.
I'm always giving life lessons in my music.
I used to burn rubber at every light, mean mugging everything there was, cause that was my attitude.
I think the whole world has been able to utilize the Internet. I feel like you don't have to be from a certain soil.
I'm a corporate thug. That's the best way to be.
I'm what they call an intelligent hoodlum.
A lot of people - they might think I fell off, but they don't know I'm eating. I'm on the West coast, eating. It's just they don't hear about me because they don't see me on the TV. But I'm still around.
I just love sports.
When I had my house in '96, I had a Warriors basketball court built.
My voice gon' stick out like a turd in a punch bowl.
I'll rock with anyone - vintage rappers, young dudes, anyone.
I love mayonnaise, but mustard is a must when you're doing the Impossible Burger.
For the first six years of my career I was independent. I got on to a major and did my thing there. I had platinum and gold records and all that.
I've got songs that'll make a gangster cry.
Music is very therapeutic and healing, and I hit it from all angles.
It's like with me, I feel like I was never one of those rappers that, you know, stayed in one time warp.
I always stay humble. I don't act funny towards nobody.
I really started from grassroots, without a handout or anything.
I feel like I'm a voice of hope.
I got a great imagination, and I pay close attention to my surroundings and I'm very observant.
I started playing drums in the 4th grade.
Slang is really coded talk. I can say a few things, in front of somebody, that only people who know what I'm saying are going to pick up on.
In the '80s, I wore these glasses because I was trying to look like a square to outsmart the po-po, you feel me? It was what we call 'throw off methods.' So I wear little glasses.
I had every major label in the world - I mean, any label that dealt with rap music wanted to sign me. I ended up going with Jive Records because I liked everything about 'em.
I might like the Sacramento Kings. One of my favorite players is Dirk Nowitzki.
As long as I've got my life, health and strength, and I'm in my right mind? I'mma get money.
I'm definitely underrated. By far.
I don't wanna be like everybody else, I don't wanna rap like everybody else.
As you get older, you start trying to eat a little bit better, and just do a little better.
I don't just talk about jewelry and cars and houses and belittling those that don't have that. I'm a democrat. I speak for the democrats. I speak for the soil.
I've been in the game a long time. I've done all sorts of different types of music. From mob music to the G-Funk era.
I feel like this - everybody, every rapper to me, I feel like every rapper got a little bit of E-40 in them, whether they know it or not.
Whether you're a DJ, whether you a rapper, whether you a producer, take it seriously. This is an occupation - you can get paid - don't expect to blow up overnight, and appreciate when you do get paid any type of money, appreciate it.
I'm glad I'm setting an example for the younger generation so in the future they can say, 'Look how long E-40's rap career was. Look how long he stayed relevant.'
There's always a message in my music, you just gotta be able to just sit there and be open-minded.
I'm not a full-fledged producer, but I can be one if I want to really spend my time on straight being a producer.
My momma was working very hard, doing three jobs... she just worked her butt off, man. On the weekends she started to play this song called 'Living for the Weekend.'
I first started rapping when I heard the Sugarhill Gang in 1979, when I was 11 years old in seventh grade.
When I was little, seven or eight years old, in third and fourth grade, I would always try to use long words and stuff.
I got a solid fan base and they love me and I love them. They know I'ma give them what they want to hear.
Me and Master P go way back.
Rick Barry always amazed me - he was one of the best free-throw shooters of all time, and he used to throw it underhand.
I'm a survivor, man. I done had my ups and downs, but I've got get-back skills for real for real. I refuse to fall.
I've got a big heart and I believe in good karma.
