E-40 Bio: A Business Mogul of the Rap Game

About
Latest Posts

Josh grew up listening to all types of underground, mainstream, Hispanic, and all other parts of the hip-hop spectrum. Born at the end of the Golden Age of hip hop, the new wave and popularity of the scene helped shape his mind and personality. He has experienced the massive growth of the culture from the underground roots to the mainstream.

A Quick Summary

Earl Stevens, known as E-40, is a rapper, entrepreneur, husband, and father of two kids. Known for his slick and fast rapping styles, the California-based artist has released projects spanning five decades and has charted as high as number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.

Expanding into endeavors such as wine-making and food chains, the mogul of the rap game continues to strive for success and inspire the next generations to do the same.

The Tale Of Earl Stevens

With the work ethic of a man with nothing to lose, E-40 has been able to rack up a net worth of millions of dollars, have his name and records go gold and platinum, and even have his own brand of water. Earl Stevens is a businessman; there’s no debating. But let’s not forget the main focus of why most people love E-40—his music.

There’s a lot I want to tell you about this guy beyond his music. There’s just so much he’s done and experienced, but even if you know him from the 90s, 00s, 10s, or if you don’t know him at all, I need to tell you about his Rap career.

Like the young legend aspiring to one day be like his uncle, I grew up in a generation where E-40 was a common name. That voice could be recognized on any track. So, when I got the chance to be the one to write this biography, I knew I had to shed some brand-new light on this old-school rapper.

Over the last twenty years, E-40 has grown his career to tremendous heights, and thankfully, it’s all been documented for me to explore and you to enjoy. So, let’s jump right in with him as just a little kid in Vallejo.

Youth: The Humble Upbringing

In Vallejo, California, a young Earl Stevens would follow his paper route, riding his bike on those early mornings. Dreams of music were still young in thought, so the kid spent those days trying to work as hard as his mother. An almost impossible mission by the age of eight when his parents split, forcing his mother to work three jobs at once—all for them.

A Mother and Her Kids

The single mother had the daunting task of raising four children alone, but Earl witnessed what a human being was capable of during these challenging times. Though his father, an aspiring musician, would rarely visit the family, most of the weight was put on his mother’s shoulders. The young man watched and learned from her, gaining a lot of that determination for himself. But still, seeing your mother so tired would weigh on anybody.

Often coming home exhausted after long weekends of work, wine and television helped keep the caring mother sane. Only some nights, this wouldn’t cut it. E-40 has spoken about seeing his mother play a song called ‘Living for the Weekend,’ crying while she sat and listened. “I’d say, ‘What’s wrong, Mama?’ And then me and the other kids would all just hug her. It was hard, man.” He told, Chonin of San Francisco Chronicles. They fought through those times, however, and came out stronger.

Seeing something like that so close to home would inspire anybody. E-40, however, knew how to capitalize on that inspiration. He applied the logic to music above everything else, practicing on his snare and bass drums in the school band from fourth to twelfth grade. And being the caring mother she always had been, she was the one to save up and give Earl the drum pad and books to read music when she found out he wanted to join the school band.

An Aspiring Child. An Inspiring Uncle.

His uncle, Saint Charles Thurman, was a mentor to him all his life. Since he was a boy, the businessman inspired the eventual rapper. Aside from owning a painting company, the influential uncle played his hand with the beautiful sounds of soul music, releasing works in the 70s. Little Earl would watch his uncle play his music. A triggering spark, and a strong one at that.

As he listened, his dreams of making music started to seem possible.

The Rap Game and School

If you’re wondering “why E-40?” as a name, the ‘E’ is for his first name, Earl. The ‘40’ of it all comes from the famous size of drink many buy to get plastered quickly: the 40oz liquor bottle. So that’s where his name comes from.

In these years, he heard “The Sugarhill Gang” song, “Rapper’s Delight,” and that was all it took. The depths of lyricism you could fit in just one verse! You can tell a whole story in just a few bars. This is stuff we still see today. E-40 just caught on to it before it really picked up.

Rap was only becoming more mainstream then, with Run D.M.C. being one of the bigger names of the genre, but a revolution was about to start brewing, and E-40 was going to be a part of it. But before then, he would need to get his start going, and what better place than selling your mixtapes in the back of a car?

Stevens was a regular guy in high school. Sometimes it’s hard to see celebrities playing on the baseball team or going to prom with their high school sweethearts, but these events happened in E-40’s life. Although baseball wouldn’t be the route he’d choose, he’s still married to the love of his life, Tracy Stevens.

Back then, Stevens kept learning, knowing he was always destined for a specific path. E-40 collaborated with cousin Brandt Jones (B-Legit), his brother (D-Shot), and his sister (Suga T) to form the group Most Valuable Players in 1986. The group did well with the people in the Bay area, releasing the single “The King’s Men.” A name change to The Click would mark the beginning of their next chapter.

Stevens started college over at Grambling State University and continued his game in rap. After mixing a “hip” version of the college’s alma mater, he, B-Legit, and some friends blew up on the campus. People were putting these things on cassette tapes! Their absolute dedication made them feel pretty good, so they entered the talent show.

And they won.

One year later, Earl Stevens would move on to bigger things than college—putting his all into music. His future was undeniable to him now. At times of reflection in age, Stevens speaks knowingly of his destiny. “I always felt in my heart that I was anointed, the chosen one…I didn’t know how; I just knew I would always be a famous guy with some money.” (Times-Herald)

Entering Adulthood: The 1990’s

E-40 – Sprinkle me ft. Suga-T (Music Video)

In a slick and smooth way with words, E-40’s flows came together like well-crafted literature. The straight nineties vibes and verses spread over the hip-hop beats in the albums that would bring him fame. He saw his gift and ran with it.

At the turn of the decade, Earl married his other half, Tracy, in June of 1991. During this time, Sik Wid It, his self-made record label, released the Click’s Let’s Side EP, followed by an album, Down and Dirty, two years later.

Ninety-three was a big one for his music. It was the year of his first solo release, Federal. Songs like the catchy “Drought Season” and the famous “Carlos Rossi” have that heavy early-nineties Hip-hop energy in each beat. The funky bass going hard underneath that voice is just clean—even by today’s standards.

It’s a fun album to go back to, but the lyrics are what you’d expect for that period. I’d say maybe go in with an understanding mindset if you want to check these early albums out for the first time. It truly was a different time then.

The track “Captain Save a Hoe” would be his first taste in the mainstream. Labeled as an anthem for some, the rapper’s west coast presence was actually starting to gain traction now. Even his slang would stand out in ways other rappers weren’t experiencing. Today we see these root words being used regularly, like “doing too much,” a great and funny way to tell someone they’re trying to overachieve for no reason, a song that is so good it, “slaps,” is another term, and calling weed “broccoli” for its green resemblance. They all stem from E-40.

While he started to expand his business endeavors in this decade, his music kept consistent. Six more albums were released by Stevens, including In a Major Way, released in 1995. It’s got the “Dusted ‘N’ Disgusted” song featuring 2Pac, Mac Mall, and Spice 1. The Hall of Game would become his highest charting release the following year, finding itself at the number four spot on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.

This dude was 25 years old here. Roughly about my age. I can only imagine being in his position. He’d done pretty well for himself by then, and it’s not every day you get a few songs on the literal Billboard charts. But this is part of what’s so great about him; he didn’t stop here.

Jive Records ended up signing him, and new opportunities started to rise.

Adulthood: The 2000’s

Okay, so this was when I got into him. I remember hearing his voice as my older brother played “Snap Yo Fingers” on the stereo. The song would release in 2006 and reached the Top 10 Billboard Hot 100, acting as a resurgence of E-40 back in the mainstream, but I’ll get back to that.

With the signing of Jive records, his albums kept coming. The Click’s following two albums would be released under the company, and Loyalty & Betrayal was E-40’s first solo project of the new millennium, featuring artists such as Nate Dogg, Ice Cube, Pimp C, Birdman, and others. Also returning was the aforementioned Click, who was included on two tracks. Three more albums would follow between this time and his resurgence, The Ballatician- Grit & Grind, Breakin News, and E-40 Presents: The Bay Bridges Compilation.

A long track record followed him now at this stage in his music career, but he hadn’t broken into a national audience like he once saw glimpses of in the last decade. By this time, he had more than one career and more to think about than just music. It wasn’t until the Lil Jon track came out that everyone was listening to E-40 again.

Hyphy & Crunk Music

The “crunk” era of rap was in full swing in the mid-2000s, and artists such as Lil Jon, the East Side Boys, and others were riding high at the top. The Atlanta-based sound caught on with mass audiences, but E-40 wanted to stay with his mob music despite this. In time, however, his mind would change as the cultural landscape did.

On the west side, a more energetic, party-focused sound called “hyphy” was circulating, and the Bay native witnessed its rise. He needed to go with the flow and create music that was hitting at the time, so he did.

My Ghetto Report Card, his newest album, landed at the third spot on the Billboard Hot 200. The single “Tell Me When To Go,” produced by Lil Jon, captured that growing hyphy sound and brought mainstream success again to the experienced rapper. It didn’t last long, though, as, for many fads of the 2000s, this one faded away from the limelight, but he was cool with it.

“All I know is I played my position, and I’ve been part of every movement the Bay Area has ever had — from the Eighties to two thousand motherf**kin’ seventeen.” He told Nastia Voynovskaya of East Bay Express about the matter. Both this and the crunk scene would fade, but the artists involved are now synonymous with that time in life and pop culture.

A Feature King

Another banger from this era was “U and Dat,” which featured T-Pain and Kandi Girl. (This was also when T-Pain was a big thing.) And this is where we get to the time in his career when many of the next generations of listeners were forming memories with his music for the first time and all over again. Many of his features in other songs became recognizable, and one of the main reasons why people around my age still remember him.

E-40 would be featured on tracks such as “Santana DVX” by the Lonely Island, BrokeNCYDE’s “Booty Call,” “Kush Is My Cologne” by Gucci Mane and others. It was a successful decade for the entrepreneur, and the decade to follow would also find its own accomplishments.

Later Life: The 2010’s to Now

As in the past two decades, a steady stream of album releases came from Earl Stevens. The dual LP release of Revenue Retrievin’: Day Shift & Night Shift kicked off the 2010s robustly. Separated by one more 2010 release, the collaboration Bad Influence with Celly Cel, two more Revenue Retrievin’ pieces were brought back in 2011: Graveyard Shift & Overtime Shift.

Next came the duo History albums with Too $hort as the partner now: Function Music & Mob Music. These two were released in 2012 along with a trilogy: The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil vol. 1, 2, & 3. And then another three additions to the same trilogy series came in 2013. Volumes 4, 5, and 6 of The Block Brochure series came and went, and it was on to another series of releases in the following years.

A lot of music going on now. Yeah, this being the time in his life when he was a father with plenty of wealth to live a satisfying life, there was no worrying like his former self once went through. I like to think he would hang out in a booth and knock these albums out. I mean, a total of eleven more albums came out of this decade, all with varying degrees of success.

The Revenue Retrievin’ series ranked the highest on the Billboard charts this decade, reaching an average placement of 45, but the numbers weren’t as high as they once were.

The next most significant jump would be the release of Sharp On All 4 Corners: Corner 1, which landed at the number 8 spot on the R&B charts on December 9^th, 2014. From here, The D-Boy Diary: Books 1 & 2 would drop back down where he hasn’t gone up since.

Overall, the decade was filled with the most content we had seen from Stevens in a long time. Every year was stacked with new tracks that the now family man, wine owner, and Wing Stop partner, wanted to share with us. Save for one of the best E-40 features in a song, Big Sean’s “I Don’t F**k With You,” released in 2015, the twilight days of his mass success were among him. But Stevens was still going strong.

Big Sean – I don’t F**k With You (Official Music Video) ft. E-40

The Business Mogul

Young Business Mind

If you’ll take anything away from Earl Stevens’ fascinating life, it’s his mind. How he viewed opportunities that both came his way and that he strived to get himself is unique. Take, for instance, how he helped manage a family-run clothing store in his younger days. As stated earlier, he learned this trait from watching his mother work hard to provide for them.

You can also look at how he made his own record label and had it take off as it did. He learned through the harsh struggles and created an empire with it.

A Craft for Wine

Around the late 2000s, E-40 entered the wine beverage game. Learning what he could from distributor Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, he was enthralled by what they were creating. Speaking to AfroTech, E-40 detailed some of his beginnings in the industry, confirming his determination: “I’m gonna have my own thing one day, man.” (AfroTech)

And he did, for when he found the right opportunity, he partnered up and released his wine to the world. Among these high-quality, California-made beverages are the “Earl Stevens Tropiscato,” which hints at “tropical flavors.” I’m a red wine guy, so this “Earl Stevens Sweet Red” wine by him is made for people like me.

Earl Stevens Collection is the name of his wine company. The self-made mogul now distributes in over 40 states and shows no signs of stopping.

40 Water

With all of his business choices, energy drinks would have come up at some point, and in 2007, they finally did. Thus, the “40 Water” was born, bringing a healthy beverage choice for anybody. After a hiatus of the water in the 2000s, a re-launch of it returned in 2009.

Remembering the Fatburger and the Future of Wing Stop

One business endeavor E-40 has since said goodbye to is the partnership franchise that saw him working with Chester McGlockton, a once-defensive tackle for the Raiders and other teams. The Fatburger franchise was their attempt at bringing a food franchise to where he was from.

The whole thing was set in Pleasant Hill, California, but Earl pulled the plug when things didn’t pick up how he wanted it in the Southern side of the state. From there, the businessman transitioned smoothly into Wing Stop. This one had more success than Fatburger and has done well for E-40.

Personal Life

Today, Earl Stevens lives with Tracy and their two boys in Danville, California. For thirty-one years, the two have been with each other. With some of their favorite moments being bowling and spending time together, Stevens thanked God for having her. He shares many memories of his life today on social media. On instagram alone, the mogul has over 2.1 million followers keeping up with his daily life.

Influence

To inspire the youth. To let them know that he’s been in their place. He said best, “I’ve been their age, they’ve never been mine, and I’m gamed up.” (Times-Herald.)

A man of his caliber has accomplished more than most—many long for a career to satisfy their every need, while E-40 has many. The mind of a businessman who worked his way from the ground up is who Earl Stevens is today. He’s earned his spot and only wishes now to inspire the youth.

On speaking about his work ethic and how he aspires to show the younger generation how to get things done, he said, “I always tell people — same hustle, different product…I was one of the first independent CEOs/rappers that invested in himself and took it to other heights.” (Dorisca)

His Underniable Work Ethic

E-40 has a 100 percent ownership mindset, which has served him well over time. He has called himself “The Epitome of Black-Owned Business,” a statement he claimed and proved with his extensive resume. From his Sik Wid It label, the Earl Stevens Selection of wines, his food franchises, partnerships, sponsor deals, and features on songs that have broken records over multiple decades—even in the 2020s, E-40 is still producing new works.

FAQS

Question: Who is E-40’s wife?

Answer: Earl Stevens (E-40) married Tracy Stevens, his high school sweetheart. The two married in 1991 and celebrated their 31^st anniversary earlier in 2022.

Question: Where is E-40 from?

Answer: The California rapper is famously known for growing up and living in Vallejo. Today, he lives in Danville, California, with his wife.

Question: Who are E-40’s kids?

Answer: Earl and Tracy Stevens have two children who have become rappers themselves: Emari, who uses the alias Issue, and Earl Jr., who goes under the name of Droop-E.

Final Thoughts: A Reflection of Earl Stevens

If not for the man’s extensive music career, his business motto and work ethic are what I believe most people should take from his life. Earl Stevens knew he had a gift for making music, as others have, but what set him apart from the competition was his drive and determination to expand his branding, create products, invest in other businesses, and stay strong through failure or success.

There’s a reason I name E-40 a mogul of the Rap industry and beyond. He understands his position in life, and after over fifty years of being on this Earth, the once young kid riding his bike on paper routes has solidified his placement in history. When he was at his best in music, he was that guy that helped bring the smooth-flowing verses we see in the industry today. Go back and listen to Federal from ’93 and see what I mean. You can hear the roots of a rapper manipulating his voice to pair perfectly with his delivery of every line. That’s some inspiring talent right there.

Birth Name:	Earl Tywone Stevens
Birth Date:	November 15, 1967
Birth Place:	Vallejo, California
Nick Name:	Charlie Hustle, 40-Watter, The Ballatician, Mr. Flamboyant
Nationality:	American
Zodiac Sign:	Scorpio
Siblings:	Tenina Stevens (Suga-T) Danell LaShawn Stevens Sr. (D-Shot)
Children:	Earl Tywone Stevens Jr. (Droop-E) Emari (Issue)
Partner / Spouse:	Tracey Stevens (m. 1991)
Most Successful Songs / Albums:	“U and Dat (feat. T. Pain & Kandi Girl)” “Tell Me When to Go (feat. Keak da Sneak)” Featured: “I Don’t F**k With You” Big Sean, E-40 “Snap Yo Fingers” Lil Jon, E-40, Sean Paul “Big Subwoofer (feat. Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, E-40, Too $hort)”
Net Worth:	$12 million
Social Media:	Instagram: @e40 (E40 Mogul) Twitter: @E40 (E40 Mogul Entrepreneur)
Awards:	2015	Nominated: BET Awards	Video of the Year “I Don’t F**k with You” Big Sean Feat. E-40
			Best Collaboration “I Don’t F**k with You” Big Sean Feat. E-40
Last Updated:	November 10th, 2022