E-40 not only excels in the food and spirits industry but also holds complete control over his brand.
The rapper, also known as Earl Stevens, is the founder of wine company Earl Stevens Selections and food brand Goon With The Spoon. During an interview on “The Breakfast Club” podcast he notes there is synergy in his foray from music to the food and spirits industry.
“I’ve always wanted to do it. I got seasonings, sauces, and all kind of stuff finna come. It all comes hand in hand. Music, food, and beverages,” he explained on the show.
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Since the debut of his brands, E-40 has expanded his offerings, releasing piña colada-flavored wine “Piñascato” in September 2023 to add to Earl Stevens Selections’ portfolio, which consists of more than 15 different still and sparkling wine offerings, according to information provided to AFROTECH.
Goon With The Spoon, which launched with flavored sausages and burritos, has grown its products to include ice cream in flavors such as Cookie Dough, Bourbon Vanilla, Vanilla Bean, Strawberry, Mint Chocolate, and Salted Caramel.
What’s more, the success of E-40’s entrepreneurial footprint is not dependent upon outside investors.
“We family-owned. Black-owned business for real from the ground up,” E-40 said on “The Breakfast Club.” “I’m talking about no investors. No nothing.”
During a previous conversation with AFROTECH, E-40 also doubled down on being fully involved with his brand and the importance of ownership.
“I’m there from start to finish from the beginning to the end. That’s why I always try to be an inspiration to the new and old generation to show, ‘Hey man, this is a route you could take,’” he told AFROTECH. “It doesn’t have to be my route, but you could take whatever route you good at. I wanna show that there is a way, you just gotta apply your time to it.”
He continued: “A lot of times people apply their time to the wrong thing and end up hustling backward. So, my whole thing is to put out quality products. Make sure that I’m 100% involved. I have 100% ownership, that’s very important. When they say Black-owned, I’m the epitome of a Black-owned business. I am the vendor of record. I write the checks. I do it all.”
