by Stephen Thomas ErlewineIt can be argued that the worst hip-hop trend in the late '90s was not the incessant recycling of The Chronic (although that did grow rather tiresome), but the proliferation of double-disc sets. Even if an artist has a lot to say, it's hard to fill two hours with compelling music. Out of all the rappers who released double-discs, only the two that inaugarated the trend -- 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G. -- produced records that came close to being continually interesting. The others were bloated and overwrought, and E-40's The Element of Surprise is simply the latest contender in this sweepstakes. It's too long and doesn't progress musically from the typical Bay Area bumpin' that is his trademark. That doesn't mean that The Element of Surprise is worthless. Quite the contrary; E-40 is such a gifted rapper, with impeccably smooth delivery and startling images, that it's a pleasure to hear him -- it's just that the length of the album has the effect of diluting his power, since the music gets monotonous and he doesn't find enough new topics to keep the songs engaging. If it was trimmed by nearly two thirds, The Element of Surprise would be truly compelling. As its stands, only the dedicated could search through all these songs to find the good stuff.