Rapper E-40 brought the Bay Area to NPR’s “Tiny Desk.”
The Ambassador of the Bay performed 11 songs spanning his 27 albums. The songs included “U and Dat,” “Choices (Yup),” “Sprinkle Me,” “1-Luv” and the hit “Tell Me When to Go.”
He performed with a live band, which consisted of: Kev Choice on keys, guitarist Martin Luther, saxophonist Howard Wile, bassist Marcus Phillips and drummer Dame Drummer. Bosko Kante, DJ KMP and Silk-E The People’s Champ aka Sherri Stack-A-Grip served on background vocals.
“Our biggest hurdle to clear was packing in three decades of music at the Tiny Desk, but 40 Fonzarelli and his band clocked weeks of rehearsal to make sure this office was rockin’,” the outlet’s site explained.
E-40, whose real name is Earl Stevens, hails from Vallejo, California, located within the San Francisco Bay Area. Known as the inventor of slang and his stylish outfits, 40 founded the rap group The Click and the independent record label Sick Wid It Records.
He started in the underground circuit, but his 1995 album “In A Major Way” helped him reach a larger audience. His 2006 single, “Tell Me When To Go,” launched him even further and exposed the world to the Bay Area’s Hyphy movement, a hip-hop style tied to the region.
Over the past decade, 40 got into the wine business, launching Earl Stevens Selections. He then expanded to other cocktails like the Sluricane Hurricane, named after his single “Hurricane.”
A true businessman, he plugged his brand during his set.
“I gotta drink some of this mangoscato for this one,” he said taking a sip.
An avid and loyal Bay Area sports fan, cameras will often catch him at San Francisco 49ers, Golden State Warriors, San Francisco Giants and San Jose Sharks games in the best seats. This reputation gained him the nickname Front Row 40.
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