In a Major Way

• Artist: E-40
• Rating:
• Release Date: March 14, 1995
• Total Time: 58:37
• Type: Contains explicit content
• Genre: Rap

Review

One of E-40's best albums -- and along with Tha Hall of Game (1996), perhaps his best overall -- In a Major Way features the Bay Area rapper early in his career, when he was at his most inspired and focused. His previous solo releases (Federal, 1993; The Mail Man, 1993), as well as his work with the Click (Down and Dirty, 1994), had been formative and low-budget, released independently by his Sick Wid' It label in association with a regional distributor. Sure, some of that prior work was great, particularly The Mail Man and its breakout hit, "Captain Save a Hoe," but none of it compares to In a Major Way in terms of scale and consistency. Over the course of 16 tracks, E-40 collaborates with his Sick Wid' It stable of producers (Studio Ton, Mike Mosley, Sam Bostic) and rappers (B-Legit, Suga T, Celly Cel), along with outside talent. Newcomer Funk Daddy produces three tracks, including the standout "Sideways," while up-and-coming Bay Area rappers 2Pac, Mac Mall, and Spice 1 team up for another standout, "Dusted 'n' Disgusted." Besides these two standouts, highlights of In a Major Way include a pair of hit singles ("1-Luv," "Sprinkle Me") that broke into the Billboard Hot 100, plus "Da Bumble." In a Major Way does have its shortcomings, chief among them the production, which still sounds low-budget, if improved from prior releases. E-40 made the most of what he had to work with at the time, though, and for a mostly in-house album, In a Major Way is an impressive showcase of the talent at hand. E-40's raps would improve over the years, as would his production stable and his recording budget, yet few albums in his catalog rival In a Major Way, which track-for-track is remarkably solid and thoroughly entertaining. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Intro	Earl Stevens, Michael Mosley, Sam Bostic	E-40	(1:44)
Chip in da Phone	Earl Stevens	E-40	(:14)
Da Bumble	Earl Stevens, Michael Mosley, Sam Bostic	E-40	(4:11)
Sideways	Earl Stevens, Greg Buren	B-Legit, E-40	(4:25)
Spittin'	Earl Stevens	E-40	(4:41)
Sprinkle Me (Lyrics)	Michael Mosley, Earl Stevens, T.M. Stevens, Sam Bostic	Suga T, E-40	(4:10)
Outta Bounds	Earl Stevens	E-40	(:41)
Dusted 'n' Disgusted	2Pac, Sam Bostic, Michael Mosley, Earl Stevens	2Pac, Mac Mall, E-40, Spice 1	(4:30)
1 Luv	Earl Stevens, L. E. King	E-40	(5:08)
Smoke 'N' Drank	Earl Stevens, Kevin Gardner, L. E. King	E-40	(4:17)
Day Ain't No	Earl Stevens	E-40	(4:31)
Fed	Earl Stevens	E-40, Suga T	(5:12)
H.I. Double L.	Earl Stevens	Celly Cel, E-40, B-Legit	(4:43)
Bootsee	Earl Stevens	E-40	(4:16)
It's All Bad	Greg Buren	E-40	(3:28)
Outro	Earl Stevens	E-40	(2:26)

Credits

Celly Cel (Performer), T-Pup (Vocals (Background)), Funk Daddy (Drum Programming), K Lou (Engineer), 2Pac (Performer), Michael Mosley (Drum Programming), Sam Bostic (Mixing), Kevin Gardner (Producer), Brian Gardner (Mastering), Ken Franklin (Mixing Engineer), Al Eaton (Engineer), Celly Cel (Vocals (Background)), Kevin Gardner (Keyboards), Samuel Stevens (Producer), Spice 1 (Performer), Tony Smith (Photography), Funk Daddy (Producer), Kevin Gardner (Drum Programming), Michael Mosley (Keyboards), Mac Mall (Performer), Sam Bostic (Producer), Ken Franklin (Engineer), E-40 (Vocals), Suga T (Performer), Al Eaton (Mixing), Kevin Gardner (Engineer), Keba Konte (Photography), Spice 1 (Vocals), E-40 (Vocals (Background)), Funk Daddy (Mixing), Mac Mall (Vocals), Sam Bostic (Keyboards), Michael Mosley (Producer), E-40 (Executive Producer), E-40 (Producer), James Jones (Guitar), B-Legit (Performer), Sam Bostic (Drum Programming), Kevin Gardner (Mixing), Funk Daddy (Keyboards), 2Pac (Vocals), Kevin Gardner (Guitar), Michael Mosley (Mixing)

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