E-40: One of the most Prolific 'Spitters' and 'Game-Getters' in Hip-Hop talks Biz under the Radar

Big swagg in the house, Mr. E-40 - the Yay Area's (ghetto) multilingual, and one of rap's most prolific MC's - kicks game, under the Radar with Hip-Hop Official, about how to handle 'biz' and ensure longevity and prosperity in the rap industry. If you ball and go hard all day every day, that's on you, but the "life" does come with [huge] financial costs and consequences. The more you have, the more you consume, and the more you owe. Painting pictures that ain't real and, literally, paying for it on credit is one of the game's traps. When we borrow from the store (money for high-tech productions and exotic car rentals), we exercise the attitude of instant gratification. It's never what you have, or appear to have, but what you actually keep and grow over time; cause once you get it, then what? 

While most [new] rappers starve for the game so tough they neglect crossing 'T''s and dotting 'I''s, on contracts and written agreements with middle-men, legendary rap-vets like E-40 endure due to high business savvy IQ, creative ability and "true-to-the-game" swagg-appeal. 

Though the game is full of tight MC's and rappers, who flex and spit-it real on the mic, far too many fall as quickly out of the game as they once entered. 

Whatever is not already owned by an artist, and she or he requests it from the record label, if granted, it becomes a loan or advance to be later subtracted from future artist(s) earnings, revenue or royalties..."a gift to be taxed". No matter how many claim to know this golden-rule, in spite of common sense, they sign without regard to consequence.   

In the tradition of Yay Area/West Coast get-down, E-40 also realizes what his fellow soldiers, Too Short, Ice T, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Russell Simmons, and others put down years before; "success is gained by cooperation, but sustained and furthered by independent ingenuity."  ~author, T.F. Hodge

"They some funky  

'turf-head' babies. Can I get a lil' mo' of that, playa?"

that there is  
Earl Stevens 
aka: E-40

"In 2012, E-40 will release three solo albums: The Block Brochure series 1, 2, and 3, as well as a collaboration album with Too Short."   [Source:  wikipedia]

 Studio Albums

    Federal (1993)
    In a Major Way (1995)
    Tha Hall of Game (1996)
    The Element of Surprise (1998)
    Charlie Hustle: The Blueprint of a Self-Made Millionaire (1999)
    Loyalty & Betrayal (2000)
    Grit & Grind (2002)
    Breakin' News (2003)
    My Ghetto Report Card (2006)
    The Ball Street Journal (2008)
    Revenue Retrievin': Day Shift (2010)
    Revenue Retrievin': Night Shift (2010)
    Revenue Retrievin': Overtime Shift (2011)
    Revenue Retrievin': Graveyard Shift (2011)
    The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil 1 (March 27, 2012)
    The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil 2 (March 27, 2012)
    The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil 3 (March 27, 2012)

Day of The Get-Down: 2012 NFL Conference Championships

Sunday, January 22, 2012 is a date reserved for the get-down:  
The NFL Conference Championships! 

Representing the AFC will be the Baltimore Ravens 

battling the New England Patriots, 

 while the New York Giants 

and San Francisco 49ers bang-hard for the NFC title.

As always, Baltimore looks good and ready to tear the roof down. But so many teams have felt this way when confronted with New England's gate keepers of the grid-iron. As good as the Ravens look, New England just might figure out, yet again, another way to SuperBowl majesty. 

The New York Giants, as do the Ravens, look as though they may blow right through the 9ers. This particular contest will come down to raw passion and emotion. In other words, this game will be determined before it begins. 

It's been many seasons since San Francisco has smelled and tasted victory on one of the world's finest stages. If they play as hungry as they should be for world football domination, the Giants are in for a long and frustrating end to a hard earned trip to the post season.  

Eric Stark and Mike Gross share their picks for this season's SuperBowl team finalists. What a post-season it has been!