1998 studio album by E-40
The Element of Surprise Released August 25, 1998 Recorded 1997–1998 Genre Hip hop Length 107 :59 Label Producer
"Hope I Don't Go Back" Released: July 30, 1998
"From the Ground Up" Released: November 12, 1998
The Element of Surprise is the fourth studio album by American rapper E-40 . It was released on August 25, 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 1993 extended play , The Mail Man .
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]
^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "The Element of Surprise - E-40 - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic" . AllMusic . Retrieved November 24, 2014 .
^ "Tower.com: The Element Of Surprise (EXPLICIT) (CD) by E-40 ..." Archived from the original on October 2, 2008. Retrieved November 24, 2014 .
^ ((( The Element of Surprise > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums ))) . All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on December 30, 2009.
^ "E-40 Ranks His Top 10 Albums" . BET.com . December 26, 2013. Retrieved November 24, 2014 .