E-40 IN A MAJOR WAY

Personnel: E-40 (vocals); Studio Ton, Kevin Gardner (guitar, keyboards, programming); James "Flat Top" Jones (guitar); Sam Bostic, Mike Mosley, Funk Daddy (keyboards, programming); Geraldine Michaels, T-Pup, Luscious Lynn, Nikki Barksdale, Earl Stevens, Jr. (background vocals).Producers: Sam Bostic, Mike Mosley, E-40, Funk Daddy; Studio Ton.Engineers include: K-Lou, Ken Franklin, Studio Ton.One of E-40's best albums -- and along with Tha Hall of Game (1996), perhaps his best overall -- In a Major Way features the Bay Area rapper early in his career, when he was at his most inspired and focused. His previous solo releases (Federal, 1993; The Mail Man, 1993), as well as his work with the Click (Down and Dirty, 1994), had been formative and low-budget, released independently by his Sick Wid' It label in association with a regional distributor. Sure, some of that prior work was great, particularly The Mail Man and its breakout hit, "Captain Save a Hoe," but none of it compares to In a Majo