E-40 must give firm handshakes or something. Nearly three decades into a meandering career he has somehow consistently been “in” with some of rap’s most innovative beatmakers, from the sputtering proto-crunk of No Limit’s KLC to the bombastic mega-crunk of hyphy jam-manufacturer Rick Rock. He’s a hustler, I’ll grant him that. But get past the clamorous, boat-rocking production, and the central product is cantankerous. There are pieces of Ikea furniture more inspiring than the words E-40 puts on paper. More economical, too.

How this bona-fide goofball with a slur heavier than his body mass index manages to weave his way around a nimble hyphy beat is one of the seven mysteries of west Oakland, and “Turf Drop” doesn’t answer the question. Actually, “Turf Drop” doesn’t answer any questions, what with the cameo from Lil Jon, a man who is definitely in the question-asking business (Whaaaat?) as opposed to the question answering business (Yeaa-ah). Even more perplexing are the track’s lyrics (good luck following ‘em; you’ll need your Encyclopedia Hyphy) and dance—where you try to occupy as much territory on the dancefloor as your flailing limbs can manage. Finally, something E-40 can be great at.