E-40 has taken his followers on a trip down memory lane by reminding them that he truly had the first multi-million dollar distribution agreement in hip hop.
The Bay Area rap star shared a clip from a recent NO VULTURES podcast episode where rapper Cellski and host Lord Rab addressed the historic move back in 1994 on Instagram on Saturday (July 29).
Cellski stated, “E-40 just signed for $3.5 million, my n-gga,” to which Lord Rab recalled the agreement’s publication in the long-gone magazine Rap Pages in 1994.
According to Lord Rab, “E-40 was the first person on the cover of the magazine with the multi-million dollar deal.” Now that $3 million has become the norm, no rapper was receiving pay like that.
In his caption, E-40 made reference to the distribution agreement he signed in the early 1990s. “The 1st artist/CEO with a multi-million dollar distribution deal,” he wrote. “I instructed those who instructed you! According to @lordrab @cellski415 and based on a genuine story, “#samesince88.”
In a 2012 interview with NPR, 40 water discussed the historic deal he and his rap trio The Click—which includes B-Legit, D-Shot, and Suga-T—signed.
“Man, they got a $3 million deal!’ were some of the comments I heard from people when we signed with Jive Records in 1994. He exclaimed, “Woo, they got $3 million! ” at the time. “You don’t just get $3 million up front. No. In actuality, over the years, it was worth much more than that.
But I already had money, he continued. I had a couple of homes. remained on the golf course and drove Rovers and Lexuses. I had already started. I therefore opposed their advancement in that way. I enjoy seeing the back end. That’s what I observed.
Despite the fact that E-40 is the first rapper to secure a multimillion dollar distribution agreement, other independent label owners, including as J. Prince (Rap-A-Lot Records), Birdman (Cash Money Records), and Master P (No Limit Records), lay the foundation for significant distribution deals at that time.