E-40 Kicks Off NPR’s Black Music Month With Career-Spanning Tiny Desk Performance

E-40 shut down NPR Tiny Desk Concerts to jumpstart Black Music Month.

For his 26-minute performance at NPR's headquarters in Washington, DC, the Bay Area native delivered live renditions of eleven classics, including "Tell Me When to Go," his Lil Jon collaboration "Snap Yo Fingers" and "U and Dat" minus T-Pain. The concert was also in dedication to the thirtieth anniversary of E-40's sophomore album, In A Major Way.

Backing E-40 were his 'Soul Slappers,' his eight-piece band including a guitarist, saxophonist, bassist, drummer and several background vocalists. While playing his 1990s and 2000s cuts, the performance also signaled E-40's introduction to Gen-Z listeners. "I'm on my fourth wind!" he told NPR.

E-40's latest solo album, Rule of Thumb: Rule 1, was released in 2023, but the West Coast rapper has been in the kitchen whipping up his Goon With The Spoon empire. In the food collection are ice creams, 'turf' burritos, jerky sticks and sausages.

NPR's Black Music Month fest doesn't end with Forty Fonzarelli. Next to perform this month are Keyshia Cole, Wiz Khalifa, DC's own Amerie and the Backyard Band and more.

"This year feels like the perfect time to stop and revere some of the greatest albums in Black Music," said Bobby Carter, Tiny Desk Concerts host and producer. "These artists might not be the first you hear in the Pop culture conversation, but they are crown jewels in Black culture. These are our icons."