The Element of Surprise

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The Element of Surprise is the fourth studio album by American rapper E-40. It was released on August 11, 1998, by Sick Wid It Records and Jive Records. The album features production by Ant Banks, Bosko, Mike Mosley, Rick Rock, 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 album features guest performances by fellow members of The Click: B-Legit, D-Shot and Suga-T, as well as Jayo Felony, C-Bo, Mack 10, WC, Busta Rhymes, Levitti and Master P. The second to last track, "Ballin' Outta Control", originally appeared on the 1994 extended play, The Mail Man.

Along with a single, a music video was produced for the song "Hope I Don't Go Back", featuring Otis & Shug. A second single, "From the Ground Up", was also released as a music video, featuring Too Short and K-Ci & JoJo. 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.

Commercial performance

The Element of Surprise debuted and peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200, with first week sales nearing 78,000 units. To date, the album has been certified Gold by the RIAA for selling and shipping 500,000 copies.

Track listing

Disc 1 (Yellow)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"The Element of Surprise"	Earl Stevens Ricardo Thomas	Rick Rock	4:21
2.	"Trump Change"	E. StevensRandy Jefferson	Big Tyme	4:30
3.	"All Tha Time" (featuring B-Legit)	E. StevensBosko KanteBrandt Jones	Bosko	3:21
4.	"Dump, Bust, Blast"	E. StevensKante	Bosko	4:11
5.	"Hope I Don't Go Back"	E. StevensAnthony Banks Maurice White Jon Lind	Ant Banks	4:38
6.	"$999,999 + $1 = A Mealticket"	E. StevensThomas	Rick Rock	4:32
7.	"Money Scheme" (featuring Jayo Felony)	E. StevensKanteJames Savage	Bosko	6:20
8.	"Zoom"	E. StevensKanteLionel Richie Ronald LaPread	Bosko	4:09
9.	"Mayhem" (featuring A-1)	E. StevensThomasDondrae JonesT. Langford	Rick Rock	5:09
10.	"Personal" (featuring D-Shot, Suga T, The Mossie, and Levitti)	E. StevensMarvin WhitemonKevin Davis Dulon Stevens Danell StevensMarcus TaplonTenina StevensLewis King	Studio Ton	4:31
11.	"My Hoodlumz & My Thugz" (featuring Mack 10 and WC)	E. StevensKeith KinlowDedrick Rolison DeShawn Dawson William Calhoun	Keith Kinlow	4:44

Disc 2 (Orange)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Do It to Me" (featuring Busta Rhymes)	E. StevensAnthony GilmourVernon Burch Trevor Smith	Tone Capone	3:40
2.	"Lieutenant Roast a Botch" (featuring Sylk-E. Fyne)	E. StevensWhitemonE. ReynoldsKevin McCord	Studio Ton	4:41
3.	"It's On, On Sight" (featuring C-Bo)	E. StevensGreg BurenShawn Thomas	Funk Daddy	4:13
4.	"From the Ground Up" (featuring K-Ci & JoJo, and Too Short)	E. StevensBanksTodd Shaw Cedric Hailey JoJo HaileyZane GreyLen Ron HanksArnold McCuller	Ant Banks	4:52
5.	"Flashin'"	E. StevensWhitemon	Studio Ton	4:54
6.	"Doin' Dirt Bad" (featuring B-Legit)	E. StevensKanteB. Jones	Bosko	4:24
7.	"Broccoli"	E. StevensBanksLarry Blackmon	Ant Banks	4:07
8.	"Jump My Bone"	E. StevensKanteDino Hawkins Roger Troutman Eric Vidal Nick Vidal	Bosko	3:57
9.	"Back Against the Wall" (featuring Master P)	E. StevensKantePercy Miller	Bosko	4:16
10.	"To Da Beat"	E. StevensWhitemon	Studio Ton	4:12
11.	"Dirty Deeds"	E. StevensDave Everingham	E-40Dave Everingham	3:46
12.	"Ballin' Outta Control"	E. StevensSam BosticKingMike Mosley	Mike MosleySam Bostic	4:22
13.	"One More Gen"	E. StevensBostic	Sam Bostic	6:09

Sample credits

"The Element of Surprise" contains a sample from "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted", written by O'Shea Jackson, Keith Shocklee, and Eric Sadler, as recorded by Ice Cube.
"Hope I Don't Go Back" contains a portion of "Sun Goddess", written by Maurice White and Jon Lind.
"Do It to Me" contains a portion of "Do It to Me", written by Vernon Burch.
"Lieutenant Roast a Botch" contains: "Don't Fight the Feeling", written by Kevin McCord. "Captain Save a Hoe", written by Earl Stevens, Brandt Jones, Marvin Whitemon, Tenina Stevens, and Danell Stevens.
"From the Ground Up" contains a portion of "Never Had a Love Like This Before", written by Zane Grey, Len Ron Hanks, and Arnold McCuller.
"Broccoli" contains a portion of "Your Love Takes Me Out", written by Larry Blackmon.
"Jump My Bone" contains: "Paul Revere", written by Rick Rubin, Joseph Simmons, and Darryl McDaniels, as recorded by the Beastie Boys. "Pistolgrip Pump", written by Dino Hawkins, Roger Troutman, Eric Vidal, and Nick Vidal.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1998)	Peak position
US Billboard 200	13
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	4

Year-end charts

Chart (1998)	Position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	89

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.