E-40

Synonymous with Bay Area rap, E-40 garnered a regional following, and eventually a national one, with his flamboyant raps, while his entrepreneurial spirit did much to cultivate a flourishing rap scene in communities such as Oakland and his native Vallejo. E-40 spent years releasing music independently and was among the first Bay Area rappers to sign to a major label. Throughout the '90s and into the following decade, he released a series of widely distributed albums on Jive, and though only 1995's In a Major Way went platinum, all of them were well received regionally and pro...