Captain Save a Hoe

The slang phrase "captain save a hoe" has come to mean a man who spends an excessive amount of time and money trying to please a woman, usually a promiscuous one. According to E-40, his inspiration for writing the song was that a lot of his friends were acting like that. Producer Studio Ton produced a "heavy mobbed out baseline" for the track, while E-40 came up with the idea and title. D-Shot of The Click thought of the hook, which was inspired by the song "Double Dutch Bus" by Frankie Smith.^[1]

The song criticizes a man who tries to "save" and impress women, especially when their help is unneeded. It ironically depicts this man as a superhero-like character called "Captain Save A Hoe".^[1]

The single was released through E-40's independent record label Sick Wid It Records. The song became more successful than expected and a clean version of the song was subsequently made, with the title "Captain Save Them Thoe".^[1] Following its regional popularity, E-40 signed to Jive Records. The label re-released the single on 12".^[2] The song also popularized the phrase used in the title.

The song was praised by music critics for its 1970s-sounding "radio-friendly, laid-back groove".^[3]

Some feminists critiqued the song. Historian and cultural critic Davarian Baldwin notes that it portrays black women as gold-diggers who use their sexuality to take black men's meager earnings.^[4]

The song "Saved", by American singer Ty Dolla Sign featuring E-40, interpolates and pays homage to "Captain Save a Hoe". In 2020, American musician Fantastic Negrito reinvented the song in a track called "Searching for Captain Save a Hoe", which also features a verse from E-40.^[5]