E-40

Unless you live on the West coast, you may not have heard of the Bay Area-based "Hyphy” sub-genre of rap — a dance floor-focused hip-hop movement of which E-40 is king. Like any self-respecting sub-genre, it has its own loosely defining characteristics: up-tempo, big, bass-heavy beats (here mostly produced by Lil "Yeeeah” Jon) and a distinctive, conversational call-and-response flow devoted to the art of "getting dumb.” It’s even got its own hot new car move called "Ghost-riding the Whip”, which 40 and fellow Hyphy superstar Keak Da Sneak call out on "Tell me When to Go," which seems to involve having your car roll forward as you dance beside it. Basically, it’s real, real gangster. If "She Say She Loves Me” with 8 Ball and Bun B leaned back any further it would be horizontal. Backpacks not advised, nor allowed.