Rappers E-40 and Too $hort are two of the biggest names in Hip Hop to come out of what is known in the United States as the "Bay Area". An area in northern California made up of multiple counties but is generally thought of as the mixture of cities San Francisco and Oakland.
The area became prominent in the 1990s with the emergence of rappers MC Hammer and Tupac. In the early 2000s the "hyphy movement" took hold which came from Oakland slang for "hyperactive".
"Since our rich Bay Area hip hop culture will be center stage this coming weekend, I figured it's time to share a little bit of the wealth." says Pendarvis Hardshaw
Pendarvis Hardshaw is a lifelong resident of the Bay Area and columnist for NPR affiliate KQED. With the upcoming Verzuz matchup featuring Too $hort and E-40 we turn to the area native to provide some context on it's culture and ties with hip-hop.
Click here to read his insights.
