Synonymous with Bay Area rap, E-40 built a devoted regional following prior to gaining national exposure with flamboyant rhymes peppered by slang inventive and extensive enough to warrant a lexicon. Throughout his career, E-40's entrepreneurial spirit has cultivated a flourishing scene in communities such as Oakland and his native Vallejo. Among the first Bay Area rappers to sign to a major label, E-40 went platinum with his first release for Jive, In a Major Way (1995).