E-40 tops the bill at Rohnert Park’s all-star rap show

As a key part of the Bay Area music scene Vallejo, E-40's hometown, is a thriving region for musical talent. More than just home to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, the city is a hub for music legends like the founding members of The Click, Mac Dre and continues to be a hot spot for new up-and-coming acts like SOB x RBE as well as Nef the Pharaoh.

Yet, despite the powerhouse artists who have flourished out of the 707 area code, it's a rare treat to see major rap tours stop through the North Bay. Luckily, the region wasn't forgotten on the list of upcoming tour dates in support of 40's latest album “The Gift Of Gab” and will include a stop Thursday, Sept. 6, in Rohnert Park with Andre Nickatina, Nef the Pharaoh and OMB Peezy.

Let me break down why this is a lineup you won't want to miss - trust me.

1. You'll get to see E-40 up close - E-40 has been repping the Bay Area since the ‘80s and is one of the most community involved Bay Area artists with a list of collaborations that continues to grow.

With than 20 albums, his legacy extends far past his early work with the group The Click (featuring his siblings Suga-T and D-Shot and cousin B-Legit) or kicking off the hyphy movement with Bay Area heavy hitters like Mac Dre, Too $hort and Mistah F.A.B. If anything, 40 is still actively writing his place in Bay Area history and is more influential than ever.

The beauty behind E-40's music is his ever-changing style and repertoire for being a trendsetter in the music industry and beyond. From forming his own label Sick Wid It Records, releasing a line of wines and Tequila or pairing up with actor and producer Nick Cannon for Cannon's upcoming crime show based in the Bay Area, E-40 continues to show the same grind he's had since day one.

At this point, it takes arenas as large as the Oracle Arena in Oakland to fit E-40's audience. And with a performance at the Rolling Loud Bay Area festival and a more than 19,000 capacity concert at the Oracle Arena with Nick Cannon in October, there is no question that SOMO Village offers the most intimate Bay Area setting out of all three shows.

2. Memory Lane - Along with E-40, Andre Nickatina is a music pioneer in his own right and it's no surprise the two have worked together during their long history of writing music. If you've ever listened to E-40's “The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil 2” album, you'll note “Memory Lane” featuring Andre Nickatina as one of the best tracks on the record.

If there's any chance of hearing the two play the song together live, it's definitely at this show and you won't want to miss seeing it.

Aside from mainstream hits like “Ayo For Yayo” or “4am Bay Bridge Music” with rapper Equipto, Nickatina is one of the most renowned West Coast rap artists still making music today.

Hailing from the San Francisco Fillmore district, Nickatina paints a historic picture of Fillmore's streets like an observant chronicler with his lyrics. His music is worthy of his own headline show, which makes it an added bonus to catch him on the line-up.

3. Nef's set will ‘Blaow' you away - If anyone follows the 40's entrepreneurial hustle and passion for the Bay, it's Nef the Pharaoh. Creating his own line of pre-rolled joints for cannabis clubs around the Bay, forming his own record label Keep It Lit For My Brothers (KILFMB for short) and working with a plethora of Bay Area artist like G-Eazy, SOB x RBE, and ALLBLACK just a few examples of how involved with the Bay Nef is.

After signing to Sick Wid It when his track “Big Tymin” became a Bay Area anthem in 2015, Nef Nef has become a shining star of his own. His song “Bling Blaow,” becoming a track nearly every DJ plays in the Bay before shows to hype up a crowd.

His live performances are one of the most energetic around and you'll likely agree if you caught his headline show at The Phoenix last year where the majority of the crowd made its way onstage to sing the closing number with Nef.

4. Sick Wid It Fam - Joining the Sick Wid It Records crew after Nef the Pharaoh was so impressed with an OMB Peezy's breakthrough hit “Lay Down,” Nef had his manager track Peezy down to collaborate on a song immediately after hearing it. The pair hit it off from the moment they laid down a track together (pun definitely intended) and even planned a joint project called 600 Degreez.

Among two of the best songs the pair have worked on together so far are “Move4” off Nef's “The Chang Project” album and “Victim” found on Nef's latest record released just last month on the same day Peezy's “Loyalty Over Love” came out.

Peezy's rapid style of rhymes often sounds like an honest explosion of words, a theme made clear with the opening track of “Loyalty Over Love” titled “Venting Session.” Make sure to get to the venue early to catch his set.

5. You'll get to skip the drive - Face it, no one likes to drive back home after a night of partying, especially long distance. Skip the hour-long drive and catch and Uber to the show to drink all of the E-40 signature liquor your heart desires.