Federal

E-40’s debut set the standard for Bay Area hip-hop in the ‘90s. More than any other rapper in history, 40 showed it was possible to be wildly abnormal AND retain street credibility. Like many albums before it, *Federal* is a masterpiece of crime rap, but 40’s style is so off-the-wall that it at times seems like an entirely new art form. In “Outsmart the Po Po’s” 40 paints a day in the life a crack dealer the way that Dalí painted landscapes: “15-5 for the margarine / A-1 Yola tightly packed / 17-5 for the coochierack… Bring me out a unit, a birdie, a cake / With the gypsyness before it’s too late.” “Rat Heads,” “Drought Season” and “Extra Mannish” follow a similar pattern. Gritty portrayals of the criminal lifestyle are renewed by 40’s fearlessness with inventive vocabulary and his inimitable delivery (imaginative the Mad Hatter, had he been born a street rapper). Underscored by a groaning chorus of heavy bass and minimal drum programming, *Federal*’s malicious intent cannot be denied.

E-40 began as a money-hungry gangsta rapper, as showcased here on Federal, with its respective Mob and Gangsta sides.