E-40

One of hip-hop's most prolific voices, E-40 has worked in relative obscurity for much of his career. A resident of Vallejo, CA, 40 is best known in the Bay Area. And like his fellow Bay man Too Short, 40 launched his career without the benefit of a major label, hawking tapes one by one on the streets of his hometown. 40's first two albums, Federal and The Mailman, were minimalist affairs doused in bass-heavy funk, some of the earliest street rap to emerge from the Bay. But despite his comfort with the dark side, 40 set himself apart as a humorist, as on Mailman’s "Captain Save a Hoe," a lighthearted Lothario-as-superhero romp.

40 is one of hip-hop's most unique voices: perpetually bemused and nasal; rapping at a fascinatingly quick clip; consistently inventing new lingo and watching as the mainstream catches on years later. 40 steadily churned out an album a year through the late '90s, and they’re impressively consistent. Over increasingly esoteric postfunk, 40 toasted inebriation, recounted days on the sinister streets, and generally kept up good humor. From the game-spitting "Sprinkle Me" (from Major Way), to the jubilant "Big Ballin' With My Homies" (from Charlie Hustle), to the soultastic tale of penitence "Hope I Don’t Go Back" (from Element), to the universal hip-hop anthems "The Slap" and "Rep Yo City" (from Grit & Grind), 40 has steadily proved himself to be a hip-hop original. And over the years, dozens of hip-hop's finest -- including Tupac, Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, Juvenile, and Fabolous -- have guested on 40's albums, a testament to his widespread influence. (JON CARAMANICA)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide