The Element of Surprise
1998 studio album by E-40
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The Element of Surprise is the fourth studio album by American rapper E-40. It was released on August 11, 1998, by Sick Wid It Records and Jive Records. The album features production by Ant Banks, Bosko, Mike Mosley, Rick Rock, Sam Bostic, Studio Ton & Tone Capone. It peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at number 13 on the Billboard 200.[3] The album features guest performances by fellow members of The Click: B-Legit, D-Shot and Suga-T, as well as Jayo Felony, C-Bo, Mack 10, WC, Busta Rhymes, Levitti and Master P. The second to last track, "Ballin' Outta Control", originally appeared on the 1994 extended play, The Mail Man.
| The Element of Surprise | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 11, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | 1994, 1997–1998 | |||
| Genre | West Coast hip-hop | |||
| Length | 107:59 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| E-40 chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Element of Surprise | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| The Source | [2] |
Along with a single, a music video was produced for the song "Hope I Don't Go Back", featuring Otis & Shug. A second single, "From the Ground Up", was also released as a music video, featuring Too Short and K-Ci & JoJo. The album eventually went Gold. In 2013 E-40 ranked what he considers to be his ten best albums, and named The Element of Surprise as his best album overall.[4]
Commercial performance
The Element of Surprise debuted and peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200, with first week sales nearing 78,000 units.[5] To date, the album has been certified Gold by the RIAA for selling and shipping 500,000 copies.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Element of Surprise" | Rick Rock | 4:21 | |
| 2. | "Trump Change" |
| Big Tyme | 4:30 |
| 3. | "All Tha Time" (featuring B-Legit) |
| Bosko | 3:21 |
| 4. | "Dump, Bust, Blast" |
| Bosko | 4:11 |
| 5. | "Hope I Don't Go Back" |
| Ant Banks | 4:38 |
| 6. | "$999,999 + $1 = A Mealticket" |
| Rick Rock | 4:32 |
| 7. | "Money Scheme" (featuring Jayo Felony) |
| Bosko | 6:20 |
| 8. | "Zoom" |
| Bosko | 4:09 |
| 9. | "Mayhem" (featuring A-1) |
| Rick Rock | 5:09 |
| 10. | "Personal" (featuring D-Shot, Suga T, The Mossie, and Levitti) |
| Studio Ton | 4:31 |
| 11. | "My Hoodlumz & My Thugz" (featuring Mack 10 and WC) |
| Keith Kinlow | 4:44 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Do It to Me" (featuring Busta Rhymes) |
| Tone Capone | 3:40 |
| 2. | "Lieutenant Roast a Botch" (featuring Sylk-E. Fyne) |
| Studio Ton | 4:41 |
| 3. | "It's On, On Sight" (featuring C-Bo) |
| Funk Daddy | 4:13 |
| 4. | "From the Ground Up" (featuring K-Ci & JoJo, and Too Short) |
| Ant Banks | 4:52 |
| 5. | "Flashin'" |
| Studio Ton | 4:54 |
| 6. | "Doin' Dirt Bad" (featuring B-Legit) |
| Bosko | 4:24 |
| 7. | "Broccoli" |
| Ant Banks | 4:07 |
| 8. | "Jump My Bone" |
| Bosko | 3:57 |
| 9. | "Back Against the Wall" (featuring Master P) |
| Bosko | 4:16 |
| 10. | "To Da Beat" |
| Studio Ton | 4:12 |
| 11. | "Dirty Deeds" |
|
| 3:46 |
| 12. | "Ballin' Outta Control" |
|
| 4:22 |
| 13. | "One More Gen" |
| Sam Bostic | 6:09 |
Sample credits
- "The Element of Surprise" contains a sample from "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted", written by O'Shea Jackson, Keith Shocklee, and Eric Sadler, as recorded by Ice Cube.
- "Hope I Don't Go Back" contains a portion of "Sun Goddess", written by Maurice White and Jon Lind.
- "Do It to Me" contains a portion of "Do It to Me", written by Vernon Burch.
- "Lieutenant Roast a Botch" contains:
- "Don't Fight the Feeling", written by Kevin McCord.
- "Captain Save a Hoe", written by Earl Stevens, Brandt Jones, Marvin Whitemon, Tenina Stevens, and Danell Stevens.
- "From the Ground Up" contains a portion of "Never Had a Love Like This Before", written by Zane Grey, Len Ron Hanks, and Arnold McCuller.
- "Broccoli" contains a portion of "Your Love Takes Me Out", written by Larry Blackmon.
- "Jump My Bone" contains:
- "Paul Revere", written by Rick Rubin, Joseph Simmons, and Darryl McDaniels, as recorded by the Beastie Boys.
- "Pistolgrip Pump", written by Dino Hawkins, Roger Troutman, Eric Vidal, and Nick Vidal.
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[6] | 13 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[7] | 4 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1998) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[8] | 89 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||