''The Element of Surprise'' is the fourth studio album by American rapper

E-40 Earl Tywone Stevens Sr. (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. He is a founding member of the rap group The Click, and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 26 studio albums to date, ...

, released August 11, 1998, on Jive and

Sick Wid It Records Earl Tywone Stevens Sr. (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. He is a founding member of the rap group The Click, and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 26 studio albums to date, ...

. The album features production by

Ant Banks Anthony Banks (born March 4, 1966) is an American record producer and rapper from Oakland, California. Biography As a child, he took part in a band at school and then learned to play a variety of instruments along the way. At school he only le ...

, Bosko, Mike Mosley,

Rick Rock Ricardo Thomas, also known as Rick Rock, is an American record producer originally from Montgomery, Alabama and based in Fairfield, California. He is a founding member of the former rap group Cosmic Slop Shop and the Federation with fellow ...

, 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. ((( The Element of Surprise > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums ))) All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on December 30, 2009. The album features guest performances by fellow members of

The Click The Click was a hip hop group consisting of 4 members from Vallejo, California. The group's members are E-40 (Earl Stevens), his cousin B-Legit (Brandt Jones), his brother D-Shot (Danell Stevens), and his sister Suga-T (Tanina Stevens). Toge ...

B-Legit Brandt Jones (born January 13, 1968), better known by his stage name B-Legit, is an American rapper from Vallejo, California. Early life Brandt "B-Legit" Jones graduated from General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo Senior High School on June 17, 19 ...

D-Shot Danell LaShawn Stevens Sr. (born December 12, 1969), better known as D-Shot, is an American rapper from Vallejo, California. D-Shot got his start as a member of the rap group the Click, which also included his siblings E-40 and Suga-T, as well ...

and

Suga-T Tenina Stevens (born December 21, 1971), better known by her stage name SUGA-T, is an American rapper from Vallejo, California. She is a founding member of The Click, a rap group that also includes her brothers E-40 and D-Shot and her cousin B ...

, as well as Jayo Felony,

C-Bo Shawn Thomas, also known by his stage name C-Bo, is an American rapper. C-Bo, notoriously known for his relationship with law enforcement, was one of the first rappers to be jailed due to his lyrical content, a scathing critique of political off ...

Mack 10 Dedrick D'Mon Rolison (born August 9, 1971), better known by his stage name Mack 10, is an American rapper. He has sold nearly 11 million records combining his solo and group works. Mack 10 made his first appearance on Ice Cube's 1994 " Bootle ...

, WC, Busta Rhymes, Levitti and

Master P Percy Robert Miller Sr. (born April 29, 1967), known by his stage name Master P, is an American rapper, record executive, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of the record label No Limit Records, which was relaunched as ...

. The second to last track, "Ballin' Outta Control", originally appeared on the 1993

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

, ''

The Mail Man ''The Mail Man'' is an extended play by American rapper E-40. It was released by Sick Wid It Records in 1993 on LP's and cassette's. The album features production by Mike Mosley, Sam Bostic, Studio Ton and E-40. It peaked at number 13 on the ' ...

''. Along with a single, a

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

was produced for the song "Hope I Don't Go Back", featuring

Otis & Shug Otis & Shugg are an American singing duo from Oakland, California, with two members: Otis Cooper and Rafael "Shugg" Howell.Too Short Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966), better known by the stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper and record producer. He became famous in the West Coast hip hop scene in the late 1980s, with lyrics often based on ...

K-Ci & JoJo K-Ci & JoJo is an American R&B duo, consisting of brothers Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey (born September 2, 1969) and Joel "JoJo" Hailey (born June 10, 1971). Natives of Monroe, North Carolina, they are also the lead singers of the chart-topping R&B ...

. 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.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Element of Surprise, The E-40 albums 1998 albums Albums produced by Ant Banks Albums produced by Rick Rock Albums produced by Bosko Albums produced by Studio Ton Jive Records albums Sick Wid It Records albums Gangsta rap albums by American artists