[dropcap size=big]W[/dropcap]hat started as an Instagram account in 2018 intended to poke fun at barrio life and its cholo culture has metamorphosize into one of the most anticipated full-length albums of 2020 to come out of Los Angeles
Not even a pandemic and nationwide strict quarantine orders were going to delay @FoosGoneWild’s wildly strategic release on April Fool’s Day. The 13-track masterpiece is a crash course in west coast barrio pop culture. It is full of barrio slang across the decades and popular soundbites from both the account’s most viral clips and popular foo movies like Blood In, Blood Out, Cheech & Chong, and more.
Lil Mr. E, the album’s creator, protagonist, and FGW’s founder created five foo archetype characters that take the listeners on a journey fueled by drugs, booze, sex, friends, party lines, and violence—the pillars of the barrio life. Or in the famed words of Lil Mr. E: “Years of abuse.”
Everything from the album’s style of art by MikeMds, samples, production, and photos by Estevan Oriol follows the lineage of other timeless west coast hip hop classic albums. If you hear any similarities between the tracks and artists like Cypress Hill, Snoop Dogg, and other west coast greats, that is not an accident.
The full album is now available to purchase and stream on all major online music platforms and a vinyl release is coming soon. Due to a timing issue, not all songs are available on the major music streaming sites yet, but they all are up on Soundcloud. Along with a new release of album-themed limited-edition merchandise.
READ: Where is This Foo Going? Behind the Foo Phenomenon of @FoosGoneWild
L.A. Taco checked in with Lil Mr. E on the day before his first full-length went live to catch his vibe, find out the exact moment he realized Foos Gone Wild was bigger than life itself, and get the backstories of all the foo archetypes he created for the album.
L.A. Taco: What’s up? How are you feeling right now?
Lil Mr E: I’m really excited, man, to give these foos some shit to bump while they’re on quarantine while they’re bored at the pad.
So you’re still releasing the album even during the quarantine?
I saw a lot of major artists pushing their shit back, but I dunno man, I just want to take the risk. I know foos are just bored at the pad, bro. I just wanted to provide some free entertainment, man. Also, too, I don’t want to push it back any longer. I really wanted an April Fool’s Day release cuz it makes perfect sense for us. A lot of foos still think it’s all a fucking joke still and that there is no album at all.
How long has the album been in the making?
The first song I did for this record was Chon Chon. The homie Silly Kid, a producer from the Valley, he put that track on an IG story. That was in 2018. I heard the Blood In, Blood Out sample in it and said, ‘Fuck it, I’m going to rap over it.” I did another rough mix of a song with Diamond Ortiz and that was the first taste of Foos Gone Wild music. I pressed 69 copies of that album on vinyl and it sold out in less than an hour. I didn’t even have a big following then. Both those songs are in this full-length and remastered.
Is the decision to have 13 tracks in your first album a sign that you’re a surreño foo?
Nah, it’s just a coincidence. Ha.
How would you describe your style of hip hop to anyone that asks?
For this album, it is pretty unique. I don’t think anything like it has been done before. We touched a bunch of different genres in it. We got Hard House, G Funk, cumbia, a track from Dave Parley from Prayers, and some straight-up hip hop shit. All types of stuff, man. I worked with a bunch of different producers. I just tried to put all of my musical talents into it and bring something that has never been done before.
How long have you been rapping for?
Ah shiit, bro. Hold up, let me do the math....19 years. Foos ain’t ready for the album.
Who influenced you growing up?
My favorite rapper of all time is Nas. I’m super into 90s G Funk. X-Raided, Snoop Dogg.
Did you ever think starting an Instagram account making fun of foos would land you a full-length album?
I always have done music. My whole thing with FGW was to tie in comedy, cartoons, and music into one situation. A lot of it was preplanned, bro. Months before I started.
When did you realize that Foos Gone Wild had the potential to be larger than just an Instagram account?
One day, I was at the grocery store just grocery shopping and shit. I was coming out and I saw some little kids skating and shit. They were doing kickflips, fucking around, and playing SKATE. I just heard of them start shouting “Foos Gone Wild!’ And the whole squad starting just laughing off the one kid saying that. I was walking by with my little shopping cart and that’s when I knew that this was bigger than Instagram. It’s hitting the streets now. That was within the first six months of me creating the page. It took off like crazy. I got a thousand followers on the first day and it’s been growing organically ever since. I haven’t done any of that paid or sponsored shit, either.
I know it’s tough, but what song are you the proudest about? I know you got one and know what I’m talking about.
I like the song “Candy Flip.” The beat is fire. It’s old school 90s G Funk-inspired. It really shows some real bar work and storytelling in that song.
How many foo characters did you create for all the songs in the album? Run us through them all, porfas.
I created four characters, plus Snake, who is a homie. Lil Mr. E is the main foo in the FGW posse. He’s a clown. He’s the sickest of all foos. He’s the leader of the squad. His hyna’s name is Lil’ Traviesita. She’s the type of hyna you meet off the party line on a sick one in room three. There is Big Lengua. He’s pissed off all the time and he’s a conspiracy theorist. There’s Lil’ Tortuga who is Lil’ Traviesita’s cousin. That foo’s fresh out the pin. Then there is Snake who is an ex-tweaker construction worker/rocker/raper. You know, the type of foo you get on a sick one with at a dive bar.
Who helped you produce and edit and kept you on check throughout this shit?
I pretty much ran all the sessions with my boy Sirrealist from Oxnard. He engineered the sessions and we would just spend eight-hour blocks straight writing, laughing, and having a good time. Track number six “Foos Gone Wild” is actually all him. He produced it and rapped over it. He’s a Mexican MC from Oxnard.
Anyone else you want to give a shout out to?
Shit, everybody who produced on the record. Silly Kid, Eddy Funxsta, Castro Beats, Eric Slapton, Cypress Moreno, DJ Swish, Diamond Ortiz, Scoop DeVille, Dave Parley, and everyone else, man.
What do you got to say to all the foos who still don’t take your rapping skills seriously cuz of the funny nature of FGW?
Just listen to the album and they can figure that out for themselves...if they know what’s up.
Handle. Congrats and thanks for your time.
