{{Infobox song | name = Rappers' Ball | cover = Rappers Ball.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = E-40 featuring Too $hort and K-Ci | album = Tha Hall of Game | B-side = | released = {{Start date|1996|9|18}} | recorded = 1996 | studio = Pajama Studios (Oakland, CA) | genre = {{hlist|West Coast hip-hop|R&B}} | length = {{Duration|m=5|s=27}} | label = {{hlist|Sick Wid' It|Jive}} | writer = {{hlist|Earl Stevens|Todd Shaw|Cedric Hailey|Anthony Banks}} | producer = Ant Banks | chronology = E-40 | prev_title = Scandalous | prev_year = 1996 | next_title = Things'll Never Change | next_year = 1997 | misc = {{Extra chronology | artist = Too $hort | type = single | prev_title = Gettin' It | prev_year = 1996 | title = Rappers' Ball | year = 1996 | next_title = Call Me | next_year = 1997 }}{{Extra chronology | artist = K-Ci | type = single | prev_title = How Could You | prev_year = 1996 | title = Rappers' Ball | year = 1996 | next_title = You Bring Me Up | next_year = 1997 }} {{External music video|{{YouTube|aqkxWMxaBOU|"Rapper's Ball"}}}} }}
"'''Rappers' Ball'''" is a song co-written and performed by American rappers E-40 and Too $hort and American R&B singer K-Ci. It was released on September 18, 1996 via Sick Wid' It/Jive Records as the lead single from E-40's third full-length solo studio album ''Tha Hall of Game''. Co-written and produced by Ant Banks, the song contains a portion of Too $hort's 1985 composition "Playboy Short".
Charting in the United States as a b-side of the album's second single "Things'll Never Change", "Rappers' Ball" peaked at number 29 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number 19 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, number 40 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, number 4 on the Hot Rap Songs and number 26 on the Dance Singles Sales charts.
An accompanying music video was filmed on July 13, 1996 by Eric Haywood. Beside E-40, Too $hort and K-Ci, B-Legit, Joe Clair, Mack 10 and Richie Rich among others provided cameo appearances. 2Pac, who also made a cameo appearance in the music video, winks at the camera when E-40 rapped in his verse "Don't buy an $85,000 car before you buy a house", making reference to the Notorious B.I.G. owning expensive cars but still not having purchased his own home. The music video was released for the week ending on September 1, 1996.
==Track listing== {{Track listing | all_writing = | extra_column = Producer(s) | title1 = Rappers' Ball | note1 = Radio Version | writer1 = | extra1 = | length1 = | title2 = Rappers' Ball | note2 = Instrumental | writer2 = | extra2 = | length2 = | title3 = Rappers' Ball | note3 = LP Version | writer3 = | extra3 = | length3 = | title4 = Rappers' Ball | note4 = Acappella | writer4 = | extra4 = | length4 = | total_length = }}
==Personnel== *Earl "E-40" Stevens – lead vocals, executive producer *Todd "Too $hort" Shaw – lead vocals *Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey – background vocals, vocal arrangement *Anthony "Ant" Banks – keyboards, drum programming, producer, recording, mixing *Ryan Arnold – recording *Eric Janko – recording *Carlos Warlick – mixing *Tom Coyne – mastering *Pen & Pixel – artwork *Chaz Hayes – management
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (1997) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- {{single chart|Billboardhot100|29|artist=E-40|rowheader=true|access-date=December 21, 2024}} |- {{single chart|Billboardrandbhiphop|19|artist=E-40|rowheader=true|access-date=December 21, 2024}} |- {{single chart|Billboardrandbhiphopairplay|40|artist=E-40|rowheader=true|access-date=December 21, 2024}} |- {{single chart|Billboardrapsongs|4|artist=E-40|rowheader=true|access-date=December 21, 2024}} |- !scope="row"|US Dance Singles Sales (''Billboard'')<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/E-40/chart-history/dsa/ |title=E-40 Chart History (Dance Singles Sales) |magazine=Billboard |access-date=December 21, 2024}}</ref> | 26 |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Discogs master|93312|Rappers' Ball|type=single}}
{{E-40}} {{Too Short (rapper)}}
Category:1996 songs Category:E-40 songs Category:1996 singles Category:Too Short songs Category:Jive Records singles Category:Songs written by E-40 Category:Songs written by K-Ci Category:Songs written by Too Short