B-Legit Tells ALL: From Vallejo Streets to Rap Icons w/ E-40, D-Shot & Suga T.

[WARLORD9]

In this video, legendary Bay Area rapper B-Legit sits down with Big Court on the Holdin' Court podcast, sharing his journey from the streets of Vallejo, California, to becoming a hip-hop icon alongside his cousins E-40, D-Shot, and Suga-T as The Click.

Key discussion points include:

Early Kinship and Experiences Big Court and B-Legit reminisce about the long-standing connection between the Bay Area and Kansas City, with B-Legit recalling his first visit to Kansas City in 1991 for an in-store at Seventh Heaven (0:28-2:30). He humorously shares a memorable experience in Kansas City where they had to find a "bootlegger" because liquor stores were closed on Sundays (4:04-4:52).
Vallejo's Influence and Music Scene B-Legit explains Vallejo's identity as a military city surrounded by water, which led to a diverse migration of people from the South, influencing its unique culture and sound (5:01-7:00). He also highlights Vallejo's rich musical talent pool, noting that artists often performed in talent shows to display their skills (11:01-12:30).

E-40's Early Life and Character B-Legit describes a young E-40 as a charismatic character with diverse talents, including drawing, playing drums, and dancing. He emphasizes E-40's ambition and entrepreneurial spirit from a young age, even recounting how E-40 would contribute half of his McDonald's earnings to his mother (12:43-14:52).
Transition to Music and "Exit Plan" The conversation delves into the mid-1980s, when the rise of rock cocaine influenced their environment. B-Legit explains that while they had jobs as cooks, they observed the street activity and eventually viewed music as an "exit plan" from that life (15:06-27:00).
Grambling State University and Networking B-Legit shares how attending Grambling State University in 1986 broadened their network, allowing them to meet people from different regions and gain popularity on campus through their "Armaada rap" (19:00-24:00).

Challenges of Independent Hip-Hop The video touches on the high costs of early independent music production, including expensive studio time for reel-to-reel recording ($500 per reel) and video shoots ($5,000 for their first video) (29:00-30:50). He discusses how The Click started as MVP (Most Valuable Players) with a clean sound before evolving into The Click, releasing explicit music after being inspired by groups like N.W.A (33:46-34:25). They also pioneered independent distribution by selling their records on consignment at local liquor stores (33:00-33:50).