Photo courtesy of Connor Douglass
E the Profit excudes character in all facets of his life — proving himself to be an undeniably skilled lyricist with the energy of a D1 athlete.
Kentucky has seen a massive surge in popularity, brought on by Jack Harlow and EST Gee, a diverse duo who have expanded the state’s musical history with their movements. E presents a new route, diverting from Jack’s breezy style and EST’s eerie street music for a sub-genre of motivational bangers designed to uplift listeners with a new sense of confidence.
After seeing considerable success with his breakout hit “Bluegrass,” E has been keeping consistent with various lyrical masterpieces, focusing on building a solid discography for himself early on without the assistance of big names or flashy gimmicks. After two albums and a solid run of singles, E is ready to motivate the next generation to be as confident in themselves as he is. However, he wasn’t always feeling this way.
“As a kid, I had no self-esteem, bro… Not low self-esteem, I had no self-esteem. It was never enough to say I’m that guy… But [when I became an athlete], you got to go out there and prove it and do the work. That’s just the attitude that I’ve taken toward music, I believe in myself wholeheartedly. I know that I’ll put in the work and I don’t believe that I’m gonna let anybody outwork me for it. Some people call it arrogance. I like to call it confidence.”
E the Profit
This attitude isn’t all talk — he does not pause rollouts, recently sharing his fifth single since dropping his second full-length project, 2 Effortless. Giving fans an all-encompassing look into his artistry, his sophomore album featured eight tracks and two skits, showcasing E without the assistance of any features other than his go-to producer Rocco.
He and Rocco exemplify a rare synergy between rapper and producer that is nearly impossible to replicate, stemming from a deep friendship outside of music. When E refers to the success of his sound, he rarely takes possession of all the credit — often crediting his whole team for the momentum he’s gained over the past year. An overwhelming theme of hustle can be felt throughout the project, an intangible the young up-and-comer values in his team and himself.
Contrary to the street life prevalent throughout hip-hop, E the Profit focuses more on the inspiration that has given him success — previously in sports and music. When asked whether he saw any similarities between his experience as an athlete and as a rapper, E made it a point to emphasize that the attitude that he has taken towards his music was the same one that he had for sports.
“Everything that I did as an athlete translates over to my music. The kind of athlete I was, I used to love the 6am workouts and taking the hard way for stuff. I just liked the feeling of being able to work for something and accomplish it, and I think taking that same attitude into music is really what’s gotten us as far as we have. I’m just being patient and knowing that if I keep my head down and stay consistent and do this work, eventually it’ll pay off. There’s a lot of parallels between athletics and the music industry. It’s crazy.”
E the Profit
His results speak for themselves as he sees new milestones with every release. With a dedicated team behind him and an unstoppable work ethic, his latest single run has resulted in his first significant collaboration with an artist many readers may know.
Among these singles is his first verse from OGM fan-favorite Dro Kenji, a unique blend of Dro’s upbeat, melodic delivery and E’s punchline-heavy lyricism. E took a moment to explain how this connection came about, explaining that “Afford Me” came about because of an extra session he got with Dro after a three-day flight delay from LA back to Kentucky. Dro’s recording style involves a lot of improvisation as E elaborates, “It’s just really cool to watch because he doesn’t write. He goes in there and he feels the song, and he just flows with it.”
Regarding future endeavors from the young Kentucky king, he and his team plan to play it by ear, dropping single after single until the stars align for his next full-length album. As for now, E looks to profit from the material he has stacked in the vault.
“We’re just going to keep on playing by ear, seeing when people are ready for this for this tape to drop, but I definitely do got some songs in the vault,” he said. “I’m definitely ready for a tape whenever the time is right. Just gotta wait for the time to be right, you know?”
Check out E’s latest tracks below!
