Ice Cube: "40's style is all styles. I mean, he the king of the lingo. He's the apple tree and everybody picking from him. Sometimes he's so unorthodox, even for the most savvy hip-hop listener. He's that graffiti that you can't read but you know it's dope. He got the swagger. He holds the Bay down well. When you think of the Bay, you gotta think of Too $hort, Hammer, and E-40. I don't know if anyone has been able to come behind him and make a dent, so he's just carrying the torch.

"When you get a chance to meet him, that's when you learn and see that style. He be using all that damn lingo and you can't keep up with what the fuck he's trying to tell you. It's like, 'Goddamn, he's living it!' And he's a hustler. He was clocking millions when dudes was still adding up they advance check. He's a businessman. He just a go-getter."