Goldie Gold, Doonie Baby and Stressmatic formed The Federation in Fairfield in 2002 alongside producer Rick Rock, landing a deal with Virgin for their 2004 debut. Their single "Hyphy" ft. E-40 didn't just chart — it helped hand a whole Bay Area movement its name, and reportedly caused a riot during an AND1 Live Tour stop at Oracle Arena that same year. Rick Rock's production on "Hyphy" and E-40's "Yay Area" laid the actual sonic blueprint for what hyphy became.
