Rick Rock doesn't have a marquee name like Dr. Dre, Timbaland, the Neptunes, or Scott Storch, even though he was one of the most reliable and employed West Coast rap producers of his time. Based in the California Bay Area and aligned closely with E-40, Rock began earning major credits in 1996, when he contributed tracks to both 2Pac's All Eyez on Me and 40's Hall of Game. In the years to follow, he cranked out productions for West Coast to east coast rappers like Ice Cube, Spice 1, and Xzibit to fabolous's first single (I can't deny it) Jay-z's change the game, Mase's (Breath stretch shake), Busta Rhymes (Make it clap) and Busta's biggest hit to date,(I know what you want) featuring Maria Carrey; he also worked with artists like Snoop Dogg, Will Smith, and Method Man. He eventually signed a contract with Virgin Records to present a group of his own, Federation. The group debuted in 2003, releasing the single Stunna Glasses @ night and "Hyphy," whose title would soon become the common stylistic tag for Bay Area rap of the E-40 variety.