With 22 official solo releases as of next month, not to mention collaborative works, group albums, and a conveyer belt of guest appearances, the Water has never stagnated or gone still. With The Click’s history dating back to the mid-1980s, 40 Water’s ability to brag and boast (as “Mr. A gangsta rapper at the core, albums like Federal and The Mailman are archetypal releases that were years ahead of their time in profiling drug sales, leeching objects of lust, and a series of anthems about cars. In terms of content, Charlie Hustle plays all the positions. However, even without mainstream radio and video support, the Sick Wid It Records CEO (B-Legit, Celly Cel, Al Kapone) has garnered a plethora of plaques, and remains a serious sales juggernaut in the 2010s. The seemingly ageless rapper, 40 Water’s geographical disadvantage, and his loyalty to the sound and production he’s favored may have hamstrung the vocational vocalist. By most standards, the Vallejo, California MC is among the most innovative, original, and nimble lyricists in Hip-Hop history, and he’s been successful at it for more than 20 years. The old adage, “I came to the fork in the road, and went straight” certainly applies to the career of E-40.
Read these quite different backgrounds and histories, listen to their music and cast your vote.
Coming up from the ’80s ideals of what it takes to be a great MC, 40 Water and ‘Ball raised the bar. Gangsta rappers with strong imaginations, these two men proved that by staying ahead of the curve, there is always an audience ready to devour, analyze, and live by the lyrics. Although each artist would sign with major labels later in their careers, these two men also went the independent route, making would-be classic albums on limited resources, and grassroots followings. From less-considered cities on the Hip-Hop map (Vallejo, California and Memphis, Tennessee), each of these artists put on for their regions, and invented a specific sound that Heads still look back upon.
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