Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: E-40, Turf Talk, Clipse, DJ Kayslay, Rankin Scroo, Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz, Bone Crusher, David Banner, Doonie, San Quin, Messy Marv, B-Legit, Ea-Ski, Keek Da Sneak, James "Stomp Down" Bailey, The Mossie, Mo Mo | | (rap vocals); Goapele (vocals). | | Producers include: Rick Rock, Ea-Ski, CMT, Kavior, Ova Dose. | | Principally recorded at Right Track, New York, New York & The Cosmic Slop Shop, Sacramento, California. | | Personnel: Dom Parma, Doonie Baby, Passion, Stress, Mo-Mo, Rankin' Scroo, Turf Talk, Young Mugzi of the Mossie (vocals); Andrew Seidel (percussion); Bosko (programming). | | Audio Mixers: D-Wiz; E-A-Ski; Michael Denten; Ray Seay; Rick Rock; Sam Bostic; Andrew Seidel; Bosko; CMT. | | Recording information: Bosko's Chicken And Beats Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Hard Knock Studios; Right Track Studios, New York, NY; The Archives; The Cosmic Slop Shop, Sacramento, CA; The Orange Room; The Pharmacy. | | Unknown Contributor Roles: Clipse; DJ Kayslay; David Banner; Goapele; James "Stomp Down" Bailey; Keak da Sneak; Messy Marv; B-Legit; East Side Boyz; Bone Crusher. | | The most impressive things about E-40 are the way he combines quick and slang-filled rhymes that bridge alternative and hardcore rap and the fact that his albums bounce between excellent and very good. Breakin News is the latter, taking a little longer to get to the high points than his best. There are plenty of great tracks here and E-40 is as adept as ever at joining whacked-out phrases and killer choruses that stand with the best in contemporary R&B. Heck with the mainstream pop world though. His raps are aimed at the hood, whose residents will still need his long-promised slang dictionary (to be released in conjunction with Murder Dog magazine) to understand it all. "Quarterbackin'" stands up to his best, and an especially slick run of rhymes makes "One Night Stand" memorable. Rick Rock's production contains plenty of fine moments, and a nod or two to old-school electro gives the album that extra stylish touch. Marvel at his delivery first and catch up with what he's saying later. There are quite a few out-and-out belly laughs, and the keen observations are numerous. It's no Charlie Hustle, but like everything he does, it's worthy of attention. ~ David Jeffries | | In the first minutes of BREAKIN' NEWS, E-40 observes how he's "still hungry, still rappin'" like he's "still poor," and the immediacy and the frenetic pace of his raps back up this claim. This hunger is especially evident since BREAKIN' is Earl Stevens' (E-40, A.K.A. Charley Hustle, A.K.A. a multitude of other names) eighth record since 1994's "Captain Save a Hoe," the crossover gangsta-novelty single that introduced the world to his uncompromising lyrics and an inimitable, unrelenting, slow-then-quick rapping style. | | With a new hardcore flavor-of-the-month rapper emerging almost every minute, it's easy to overlook E-40, but even a cursory glance at West Coast rap history reveals E-40's influence, and BREAKIN' NEWS reminds the hip-hop world why. The California lyricist references cartoons, raps both playfully and thuggishly (often mixing the two within one verse), gives credit to less-visited soul influences like Clarence Carter and Johnnie Taylor, and even possesses the confident vulnerability to work in an earnest flow about his struggles with his weight. One of the best up-and-coming crews, the Clipse, drop by for the powerful single "Quarterbackin'," and an all-star Dirty South rap line-up (Lil' Jon, Bone Crusher, David Banner) represents on the merciless "Anybody Can Get It." |
Engineer: D-Wiz; EA Ski; Michael Denten; Rick Rock; Andrew Seidel; Brian Garten; CMT |
Musical Guests | | Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz | | Bonecrusher | | David Banner | | The Clipse | | Goapele | | B-Legit | | Turf Talk | | DJ Kayslay | | Rankin' Scroo | | Doonie | | EA Ski | | James "Stomp Down" Bailey | | Keak Da Sneak | | Messy Marv | | San Quinn | | Mo Mo | | The Mossie |
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