Ball Street Journal - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
A West Coast phenomenon whose previous seven albums reached the R&B/Hip Hop top 10, E-40- rap pioneer in the hyphy movement- made his gold major label debut in 2006 with 'My Ghetto Report Card.' Suddenly, E-40 became a sensation as the album debuted #3 Pop and #1 R&B/Hip Hop and went platinum. Now the innovative E-40 returns with his most polished product to date, the imaginatively titled 'The Ball Street Journal,' featuring superstar guests from Snoop Dog and Ice T to The Game and Akon. This is the parental advisory edition

Album Description
Explicit Version. The innovative E-40 returns with his most polished product to date in 2008 with the imaginatively titled The Ball Street Journal, featuring superstar guests from Snoop Dog, Ice T to The Game and Akon. E-40 is a West Coast phenomenon whose previous seven albums reached the R&B/Hip Hop Top 10, E-40 made his major label debut in 2006 with "My Ghetto Report Card." E-40 became a sensation as the album debuted #3 Pop and #1 R&B/Hip Hop and it went platinum.

Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...

1 out of 5 stars

i don't even have this album but......... November 27, 2008
5 out of 10 found this review helpful

you know just like i said in the title of my review i do not have this album but i know e-40 is no longer the "ambassador of the yay", i hopefully like a lot of real e-40 fans lost ears of this mainstream flip flop artist right after grit & grind due to his complete change over and ever since with this hyphy movement. i mean you can support it but don't become it and earl stevens did exactly that with a complete different sort of music than he did in his earlier works as in in a major way, i mean who can't remember such a great line such as "in the morning cooking bacon, in the ghetto with a bulletproof apron", come on guys this is when 40 water was doing the mob movement and his folks were right behind him doing it as well. celly cel, b-legit, levitti, these cats were once part of a good family with 40 and now its like 40 has forgotten these guys and frankly its sad because when is the last time we heard mr. hyphy get down on a mobb track? rappers in the bay who been in the game for a minute please come back to what made you famous in the first place, please, this new stuff is not cracking it, 40 you if you see this then you know you need to be getting back to the basics mane. shame shame.......

3 out of 5 stars

Fonzarelli, Still Sic Wid It (Rating: 7 out of 10- -3.5 stars) November 28, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Earl "40" Stevens has been in the rap game for a long time now since his days when he formed The Click. From making timeless singles such as "Sprinkle Me" and "Captain Save A Hoe" back in the mid 90's. Back in 2006, he hooked up with Lil Jon who help create the hyphy movement with the album My Ghetto Report Card, full of club ready material. What separated him from the rest of the Bay Area rappers who were on the hyphy movement was that 40 had rhymes, and showed that he was a veteran (in his forties I might add) and not an amateur in the rap game. Two years later he comes with his latest album Ball Street Journal, which sort of follows the same route as it's predecessor.

Not a whole lot has changed since his last album. It still has the hyphy sound that grew on me quite well here. Many tracks are easy standouts such as the opener "The Ambassador" (Rick Rock, you're a fool with those damn Digable Planets samples- see "Yay Area") and "Tell It Like It Is". The latter track shows 40's lyrical abilities over a Rick Rock bouncy track. 40 keeps up with The Game and Snoop Dogg on "Pain No More", another great track. Further down the album are tracks like "Sliding Down The Pole" thats well produced and features Oakland's own Too $hort. "I Can Sell It" featuring Cousin Fik is a clever song, thats well made. The final two tracks 40 colabs with family members B-Legit on the head nodding "Alcoholism". And at the end is the great "Pray For Me" featuring Bosko, B-Legit, and Suga-T (where has she been and when has she started singing, because she does a good job.)

Although many tracks are great, some of them just don't match the expectations that I had after coming from My Ghetto Report Card. Some of them lack quality as well as production (I know I wasn't a big fan of the lead single "Wake It Up" featuring Akon). The best tracks on here are when 40's lyrical abilities show, and doesn't concentrates on club tracks.

40's latest is dope. Some fans may not be happy with his hyphy movement style, and will question his quality of his music. If you're looking for a 2008 version of something like In a Major Way or Tha Hall of Game, you might want to stay away from this, because this will only anger further. But if you enjoyed My Ghetto Report Card, then this will fit you're enjoyment. Although it's a level lower in quality, is still worth hearing. Peace.

Lyrics: B
Production: B
Guest Appearances: B-
Musical Vibes: B

Top 5 Tracks:
1. The Ambassador
2. Pray For Me (featuring Bosko, B-Legit, and Suga-T)
3. Tell It Like It Is
4. Alcoholism (featuring B-Legit)
5. Got Rich Twice (featuring Turf Talk)

Honorable Mention:
1. Sliding Down The Pole (featuring Too $hort)
2. I Can Sell It (featuring Cousin Fik)

Note: Amazon's track listing is incorrect, here is the correct one:
1. The Ambassador
2. I'm On One
3. Break Ya Ankles (feat. Shawty Lo)
4. Got Rick Twice (feat. Turf Talk)
5. Pain No More (feat. The Game and Snoop Dogg)
6. Tell It Like It Is
7. Give Her The Keys (feat. T-Pain)
8. Hustle (feat. Turf Talk and R. City)
9. Wake It Up (feat. Akon)
10. 40 Water
11. Poor Man's Hydraulics
12. The Recipe (feat. Gucci Mane and Bun B)
13. Hard Boy
14. Earl (feat. Ice-T)
15. Sliding Down The Pole (feat. Too Short)
16. I Can Sell It (feat. Cousin Fik)
17. Big Time (feat. Kevin Cossom)
18 Alcoholism (feat. B-Legit)
19. Pray For Me (feat. Bosko, B-Legit, and Suga-T)

4 out of 5 stars

Excellent November 26, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

This album is a fantastic presentation showcasing Fonzarelli's talents. He continues with the bumping beats that help to make this a repeatable album for driving down the block or avenue with bass on high. "Give Her the Keys" with T-Pain is a playable hit and there are others that maintain a great beat as well.. Notably, "The Recipe", "I'm On One", and "Tell It Like It Is". I mean listen and gather your own favorites but overall this is a great release.

4 out of 5 stars

E-40's best or second best album November 24, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful

This is my favorite E-40 album next to grit & grind
Maybe my favorite.
Great album.

5 out of 5 stars

Front page news: 40 water has done it again!!!!!!! November 28, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

Here we are 16 calenders from 40 water's debut as a solo artists and the man hasn't lost a step. This album takes over where MGRC left and it is an improved project. this cd opens in similar fashion with a digable planet sample on the lead track, "The Ambassador" best tracks include Pray for me, Pain No More, Hood Boy, Alcoholism, Got Rich Twice, Earl(my favorite track), and Big Time. these tracks all contain great production and fantastic lyricism, an area 40 never lacks in. its albums like this that provide a breath of fresh air in this watered down industry of rehashed material, and monotonous subject matter. hes not short on guest stars as the album features, The Game, Snoop, Bun B, Gucci Mane, Shawty Lo, B-Legit, R. City, T-Pain, Akon, Ice-T and Turf Talk but 40 stands out on every track. get your copy now. you wont be dissapointed.

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