4 tha Hard Way

4 Tha Hard Way is the fourth album by the West Coast hip hop artist Rappin' 4-Tay, released by Noo Trybe Records in 1997. The album features production from Bay Area producer Ant Banks, as well as guest appearances from the likes of Tupac Shakur, Rick James, E-40 and Master P. The entire album is dedicated to the memory of Tupac Shakur. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at number 169, with 7,000 copies sold in the first week. At the time of the release, Rappin' 4-Tay considered 4 Tha Hard Way his best album and was surprised by its low sales, with his manager blaming the label for changing the release date and not doing any promotion.

Alex Henderson of AllMusic noted the album's "positive and congenial tone" and tendency towards "melodic, R&B-flavored tracks", concluding that it was "decent, but not remarkable". Miguel Burke of The Source thought that the best moments on the albums are the songs performed solo by Rappin' 4-Tay, where he "stray[s] away from the redundant topic of being a player", but criticized the album for its lack of a hit song, resulting in an album that fails to reach the level of the classic West Coast hip hop albums.