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It can be argued that the worst hip-hop trend in the late '90s was not the incessant recycling of The Chronic (although that did grow rather tiresome), but the proliferation of double-disc sets. Even if an artist has a lot to say, it's hard to fill two hours with compelling music. Out of all the rappers who released double-discs, only the two that inaugarated the trend -- 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G. -- produced records that came close to being continually interesting. The others were bloated and overwrought, and E-40's The Element of Surprise is simply the latest contender in this sweepstakes. It's too long and doesn't progress musically from the typical Bay Area bumpin' that is his trademark. That doesn't mean that The Element of Surprise is worthless. Quite the contrary; E-40 is such a gifted rapper, with impeccably smooth delivery and startling images, that it's a pleasure to hear him -- it's just that the length of the album has the effect of diluting his power, since the music gets monotonous and he doesn't find enough new topics to keep the songs engaging. If it was trimmed by nearly two thirds, The Element of Surprise would be truly compelling. As its stands, only the dedicated could search through all these songs to find the good stuff.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Ricardo Thomas, Composer, Lyricist - Rick Rock, Producer, Mixing Engineer - Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - CARLOS WARLICK, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
R. Jefferson, Composer, Lyricist - Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - CARLOS WARLICK, Mixing Engineer - Big Tyme, Producer - D-Wiz, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - B-Legit, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Brandt Jones, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bosko Kante, Composer, Lyricist, Mixing Engineer - Bosko, Producer - E-40 feat. B-Legit, AssociatedPerformer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bosko Kante, Composer, Lyricist, Mixing Engineer - Bosko, Producer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Jonathan Lind, Composer, Lyricist - Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - Ant Banks, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Mixing Engineer - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - CARLOS WARLICK, Mixing Engineer - Maurice White, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Ricardo Thomas, Composer, Lyricist - Rick Rock, Producer, Mixing Engineer - Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - CARLOS WARLICK, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bosko Kante, Composer, Lyricist, Mixing Engineer - Bosko, Producer - James Savage, Composer, Lyricist - Jayo Felony, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - E-40 feat. Jayo Felony, AssociatedPerformer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Ronald LaPread, Composer, Lyricist - Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bosko Kante, Composer, Lyricist, Mixing Engineer - Bosko, Producer - Lionel Richie, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Ricardo Thomas, Composer, Lyricist - Rick Rock, Producer, Mixing Engineer - Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Tyrone Langford, Composer, Lyricist - CARLOS WARLICK, Mixing Engineer - Dante Jones, Composer, Lyricist - A-1, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - E-40 feat. A-1, AssociatedPerformer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - Marvin Whitemon, Composer, Lyricist - Tenina Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Danell Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - Dulon Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - D-Shot, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - L. King, Composer, Lyricist - M. Taplon, Composer, Lyricist - STUDIO TON, Producer, Mixing Engineer - K. DAVIS, Composer, Lyricist - Levitti, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - The Mossie, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Suga T, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - E-40 feat. D-Shot, Suga T., The Mossie & LeVitti, AssociatedPerformer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
W. Calhoun, Composer, Lyricist - Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - WC, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - D. Rollison, Composer, Lyricist - D. Dawson, Composer, Lyricist - Keith Kinlow, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Mack 10, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Lance Pierre, Mixing Engineer - E-40 feat. WC & Mack 10, AssociatedPerformer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
DISC 2
Trevor Smith, Composer, Lyricist - Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Anthony Gilmour, Composer, Lyricist - Busta Rhymes, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - E-40 Featuring Busta Rhymes, AssociatedPerformer - Vernon Burch, Composer, Lyricist - D-Wiz, Mixing Engineer - Tonecapone, Producer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - Marvin Whitemon, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Vocal - Kevin McCord, Composer, Lyricist - Erica Reynolds, Composer, Lyricist - STUDIO TON, Producer, Mixing Engineer - Silk E, Vocal
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - Gregory Buren, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Shawn Thomas, Composer, Lyricist - CARLOS WARLICK, Mixing Engineer - C-Bo, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Funk Daddy, Producer - D-Wiz, Mixing Engineer - E-40 feat. C-Bo, AssociatedPerformer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Todd Shaw, Composer, Lyricist - Zane Grey, Composer, Lyricist - Cedric Hailey, Composer, Lyricist - Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - Too $hort, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Ant Banks, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Mixing Engineer - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - CARLOS WARLICK, Mixing Engineer - Arnold McCuller, Composer, Lyricist - Len Hanks, Composer, Lyricist - Jojo, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - K-Ci, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jojo Hailey, Composer, Lyricist - E-40 featuring Too $hort and K-Ci & JoJo, AssociatedPerformer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - Marvin Whitemon, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - STUDIO TON, Producer, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - B-Legit, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Brandt Jones, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bosko Kante, Composer, Lyricist, Mixing Engineer - Bosko, Producer - E-40 feat. B-Legit, AssociatedPerformer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Larry Blackmon, Composer, Lyricist - Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - Ant Banks, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Mixing Engineer - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - CARLOS WARLICK, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - Nick Vidal, Composer, Lyricist - Eric Vidal, Composer, Lyricist - Dino Hawkins, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bosko Kante, Composer, Lyricist, Mixing Engineer - Bosko, Producer - ROGER TROUTMAN, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bosko Kante, Composer, Lyricist, Mixing Engineer - Bosko, Producer - Percy Miller, Composer, Lyricist - Master P, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - E-40 feat. Master P, AssociatedPerformer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - Marvin Whitemon, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - STUDIO TON, Producer, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - Marvin Whitemon, Composer, Lyricist - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - STUDIO TON, Producer, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Mike Mosley, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - Sam Bostic, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - L. King, Composer, Lyricist - D-Wiz, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1994 Zomba Recording LLC
Earl Stevens, Composer, Lyricist - Sam Bostic, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - E-40, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - D-Wiz, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Album review
It can be argued that the worst hip-hop trend in the late '90s was not the incessant recycling of The Chronic (although that did grow rather tiresome), but the proliferation of double-disc sets. Even if an artist has a lot to say, it's hard to fill two hours with compelling music. Out of all the rappers who released double-discs, only the two that inaugarated the trend -- 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G. -- produced records that came close to being continually interesting. The others were bloated and overwrought, and E-40's The Element of Surprise is simply the latest contender in this sweepstakes. It's too long and doesn't progress musically from the typical Bay Area bumpin' that is his trademark. That doesn't mean that The Element of Surprise is worthless. Quite the contrary; E-40 is such a gifted rapper, with impeccably smooth delivery and startling images, that it's a pleasure to hear him -- it's just that the length of the album has the effect of diluting his power, since the music gets monotonous and he doesn't find enough new topics to keep the songs engaging. If it was trimmed by nearly two thirds, The Element of Surprise would be truly compelling. As its stands, only the dedicated could search through all these songs to find the good stuff.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 24 track(s)
- Total length: 01:48:26
- Main artists: E 40
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Jive
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
(P) 1994, 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
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