E-40 Keeps It A Buck on the Streets, Larry June & More

September 2, 2026

E-40 isn’t buying the idea that hip-hop has an expiration date. After more than three decades in the game, the Bay Area legend has watched rappers, sounds and eras come and go while continuing to make his own rules. At 58, 40 Water still has plenty to say about where rap is headed and who’s got the gas to keep it moving.

For XXL‘s Keep It a Buck series, 40 sits down to weigh in on rap myths, industry scenarios and some tough “would you rather” questions. Fresh off his new four-album release, Turning My Money Over (Quadruple Album), he gets real about the streets, Larry June‘s success and more.

Naturally, when presented with the idea that rap is a young man’s game, he had one immediate response: “Fiction!

It’s many rappers from the ’90s that will gas the young generation,” he tells XXL. “You know, because we’re storytellers, we’re more charismatic, we’re creative, we got many styles, different voices. We do it all and it’s game involved. Muthaf**kas be late like holiday freight. It’s an old man’s game, an older man’s game. But there’s some youngins out there that got some gas too.”

And at this stage of his career, 40 isn’t particularly interested in playing the role of talent scout. When asked whether he’d rather discover the next big superstar or make one more classic album himself, the answer arrived quickly.

“I’m done with discovering rappers,” he says. “If they make it, you got nothing to do with it. But if they don’t make it, you got everything to do with it. That’s just crazy. I’m very established so I’m cool. I’d rather just make more classic albums, brother. Period.

“I’m cool. I don’t ever want to sign any artist ever,” he adds. “I don’t give a f**k if they a square from Delaware. I’m good. No disrespect to Delaware. It just rhymed.”

Still, being done with discovering artists doesn’t mean 40 isn’t paying attention to what’s happening around him. If he could team up with any up-and-coming Bay Area artist for a collaborative album, there’s one name that immediately comes to mind.

“My pick is Larry June,” 40 says, although he acknowledges Larry is not a new artist, but he the mainstream is still getting put on to him. “Larry June is getting a lot of success and he has been getting a lot of success. Financially I know he’s doing good because I know what it is to be independent and make a lot of scrilla.”

Check out the full interview below to see what else E-40 had to say about whether he feels artists today have it easier because of social media and more.