E-40's Underground Rap Legacy

Though he's not quite a household name, the Bay area rapper known as E 40 has already been hugely influential on underground rap. Though E 40 albums haven't all necessarily been among the top selling on the Billboard charts, his reach has been wider than just through dollars.

E 40 songs helped famously crystallize the Bay Area underground rap sound of recent years, but his gonzo, party style has gained many fans from other underground rap subgenres.

The earliest E 40 albums appeared in the early '90s when the rapper was part of a group called the Click. The first proper solo E 40 albums appeared just a few years later, starting with 1995's In a Major Way, as joint releases between Jive Records and his own Sick Wid It label. From the beginning, E 40 songs were unabashed in their portrayal of Bay Area underground rap slang and style.

Early E 40 songs like "1 Luv" took some of the funky sound of Southern California underground rap but with a specific northern California accent and cadence. Even from the beginning, E 40 songs displayed a nimble, fast-rhyming style and a love for R&B-inflected beats and hooks.

Still, though these early E 40 albums didn't sell on a national pop scale, they reverberated quickly through the underground rap community. This was especially true after he became the host of a weekly underground rap show on the influential San Francisco station KMEL. His E-Feezy Radio showcased the latest E 40 songs as well as others from the Bay Area in the burgeoning "hyphy" style.

E 40 songs had long been influencing hyphy's development on the rapper's own E 40 albums, a sound characterized by a heavy electronic influence. One of the most famous E 40 songs from the genre became 2006's "Tell Me Where to Go." It became a national hit and crystallized the hyphy sound.

Still, he spread his stylistic influence around, soon recording E 40 songs with the likes of DJ Shadow and Tech N9ne. As of late, new E 40 albums have included an extensive collaboration with Too Short, as well as not one, but two E 40 albums this year.

These new E 40 albums have moved beyond hyphy, with E 40's producer son helping develop a sound he calls "that dumbass slap." The records also mark the astonishing 13th and 14th official E 40 albums.

Proof of E 40's influence on underground rap comes from the wide range of events at which he performs. And this summer one of his biggest gigs is at the annual Gathering of the Juggalos festival from August 11 to 14 in Cave-in-Rock, Ill.

He's the only Bay Area artist on an underground rap roster of performers that includes Insane Clown Posse, Tech N9ne, and Twiztid, and he's sure to bust out fan-favorite E 40 songs both new and old. The Gathering website offers festival tickets and full details.

By: Harmony Singer

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The Gathering of the Juggalos doesn't just offer underground rap, though. About half the musical lineup is also underground hard rock, and other entertainment planned includes pro wrestling and comedy. This underground rap event is really like no other music festival this year, so get the full scoop at the Gathering of the Juggalos official website juggalogathering.com