The Element of Surprise

The late ‘90s marked the pinnacle of the hip-hop double album, but few of those albums had the stunning consistency shown by *The Element of Surprise*. These 24 songs opened a new era in E-40’s career. While a handful of tracks were contributed by longtime collaborators Ant Banks and Studio Ton, E-40 gives most of *Element of Surprise* to two up-and-coming Bay producers: Rick Rock and Bosko. Bosko breathes new life into 40’s mob music with several monstrous tracks, including “All Tha Time,” “Money Scheme,” “Doin’ Dirt Bad” and the backwards-running “Jump My Bone.” In the years to come Rick Rock would become 40’s most important collaborator, and together they would formulate the hyphy movement. Rock’s specialty is illuminating heavy tracks with flashes of old-school electro. His productions here push E-40 into even more inventive rhyme schemes, as evidenced by the title track, “Mayhem” and “$999,999 + $1 = a Mealticket.” Even as E-40 breaks new ground, there is something definitive and timeless about *The Element of Surprise*.

It can be argued that the worst hip-hop trend in the late '90s was not the incessant recycling of The Chronic (although that did grow rather tiresome), but the proliferation of double-disc sets. Even if an artist has a lot to say, it's hard to fill two hours with compelling music. Out of all the rappers who released double-discs, only the two that inaugarated the trend -- 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G. -- produced records that came close to being continually interesting. The others were bloated and overwrought, and E-40's The Element of Surprise is simply the latest contender in this sweepstakes. It's too long and doesn't progress musically from the typical Bay Area bumpin' that is his trademark.