{"id":455322,"date":"2026-02-07T23:31:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T23:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/455322\/"},"modified":"2026-02-07T23:31:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T23:31:08","slug":"e-40-too-hort-larussell-highlight-bay-area-music-before-super-bowl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/455322\/","title":{"rendered":"E-40, Too $hort, LaRussell highlight Bay Area music before Super Bowl"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) \u2014 E-40<\/a> turned NFL Honors into a hyphy detour, firing off Bay Area slang that helped shape a generation as actor Tiffany Haddish<\/a> and Carolina Panthers rookie Tetairoa McMillan<\/a> danced from their seats and Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce<\/a> nodded along to the beat.<\/p>\n

Moments earlier, Too $hort<\/a> transformed the same stage into a Bay Area time capsule, running through anthems like \u201cGettin\u2019 It\u201d and \u201cBlow the Whistle\u201d that have echoed from car stereos, clubs and arenas for decades. <\/p>\n

They never shared the stage, but the impact was unmistakably shared. <\/p>\n

As two of the most enduring hip-hop architects,<\/a> E-40 and Too $hort brought Northern California\u2019s sound, swagger and independence to the NFL\u2019s biggest night outside the Super Bowl<\/a> itself. Their presence underscored a broader cultural moment, as Bay Area rap voices \u2014 from Kehlani<\/a> to LaRussell \u2014 were woven into a jam-packed week leading up to the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn this Super Bowl week, this is the ultimate because it\u2019s on Bay Area soil,\u201d E-40 said during rehearsals before the ceremony Thursday, where he performed classics like \u201cChoices (Yup)\u201d and \u201cTell Me When to Go.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s a big platform. \u2026 Being part of these NFL festivities, I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Too $hort, the moment reflected a clear evolution in how the NFL is engaging with the Bay Area\u2019s musical legacy. <\/p>\n

\u201cTen years ago, the Super Bowl was right here. I didn\u2019t do anything. \u2026 I didn\u2019t talk to the NFL,\u201d Too $hort said. \u201cSo it\u2019s a real big deal. \u2026 It\u2019s not the halftime show, but it\u2019s a big deal for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

How the Bay Area regional sound sets tone on a global stage<\/p>\n

Beyond E-40 and Too $hort\u2019s NFL Honors performance, Bay Area music has been threaded throughout Super Bowl week<\/a> with visitors coming in from across the country. Performers include recent Grammy-winning singer Kehlani, rapper Larry June and soul singer Goapele. There will also be multiple performances by LaRussell and punk-rock mainstays Green Day,<\/a> who will open the 60th Super Bowl with an anniversary ceremony<\/a> celebrating generations of MVPs and hit the stage along with Counting Crows at the FanDuel and Spotify party at Pier 29.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels good to just be important to the region and show that to everyone coming in, like, \u2018Hey, this is our home,\u2019\u201d said LaRussell, who said he\u2019s booked for 10 performances over a four-day span, including a Jordan Brand event and a tailgate concert outside Levi\u2019s Stadium before the game. He said the scale of Super Bowl has given artists like himself an opportunity to showcase identity of their music.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur spirit,\u201d the rapper said. \u201cThat BPM, that tempo, that feeling when you hear Bay music that make you smile and want to dance. That don\u2019t exist nowhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n

LaRussell said that his Super Bowl week sets were less about promotion than representation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is where I come from,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is my lineage, and this is why it matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Built different: Bay Area\u2019s independent blueprint<\/p>\n

For decades, the Bay Area has operated as its own musical ecosystem. Hip-hop here grew with an ingrained independence \u2014 from artists pressing records, selling tapes out of car trunks and building audiences city by city before industry infrastructure ever arrived. <\/p>\n

The sound evolved in chapters: from Oakland\u2019s early rap economy and bassline-heavy mob music, to the hyphy movement\u2019s high-energy release, to a present-day lane where Bay artists can be soulful, street, pop, punk \u2014 or all of it at once \u2014 without asking permission.<\/p>\n

That independence extends beyond artists themselves and into the infrastructure supporting them. San Francisco\u2013based Empire, founded by Ghazi Shami, has grown into one of the largest independent record labels in the country. During Super Bowl week, the label gathered artifacts spanning its 15-year history for a free public museum, underscoring how Bay Area artists have built lasting careers outside the traditional major-label system. <\/p>\n

Empire also curated a Super Bowl week experience with Levi\u2019s, blending music, fashion and local history into a showcase rooted in the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing about the Bay Area, you mix all of us together, man, we some bad cats,\u201d said E-40, who has seen multiple generations of Bay Area artists coexist, evolve and leave their mark without crowding each other out. <\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody just playing a position. \u2026 Larry June got his own lane. He\u2019s doing his thing,\u201d he said. \u201cKehlani bringing in Grammy Awards. Everybody just playing a position, and I feel like teamwork makes the dream work.\u201d<\/p>\n

For E-40, that shared momentum matters more than passing torches or chasing trends.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs long as I got my life, health and strength, I\u2019m gonna be able to make music forever,\u201d he said. \u201cI love doing music. It\u2019s what I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

How the Bay Area is leaving a lasting impression<\/p>\n

Watching E-40 and Too $hort command NFL Honors resonated deeply with LaRussell, who said seeing artists in their 50s still innovating gave him an understanding of timing, longevity and success. He viewed their performance as proof that Bay Area artists expand instead of aging out.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be in your 50s and still moving and shaking, it gives me confidence,\u201d LaRussell said. \u201cAs long as you stay locked in, it\u2019s gonna still happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Too $hort hopes the Bay Area\u2019s presence during Super Bowl week leaves visitors with a deeper appreciation for where they are.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you came here with a closed mind wanting it to be something that you don\u2019t like, you\u2019re really missing out,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is a world-renowned area. People come here from all over the world to see this place. Don\u2019t take it for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

For more on the Super Bowl, visit https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nfl<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN FRANCISCO (AP) \u2014 E-40 turned NFL Honors into a hyphy detour, firing off Bay Area slang that…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":455323,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[88,25977,38665,212929,216,30798,22178,200479,99,11622,1803,60109,84746,4144],"class_list":["post-455322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-entertainment","tag-hip-hop-and-rap","tag-kehlani","tag-larry-june","tag-music","tag-nfl-super-bowl","tag-oakland","tag-send-to-apple-news","tag-sports","tag-spotify-technology-sa","tag-super-bowl","tag-tetairoa-mcmillan","tag-tiffany-haddish","tag-travis-kelce"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=455322"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455322\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/455323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=455322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=455322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=455322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}