After producing hits for the likes of
2Pac,
Jay-Z, and
E-40, the California-based
Rick Rock recruited rappers
Doonie Baby, Goldie Gold, and Mr. Stress and formed his own crew,
Federation, in 2002. Their debut, simply titled
The Album, appeared in 2004 on the Virgin label. Critics and the hip-hop faithful graced the hostile, hard album with praise, but
Rock wasn't satisfied with Virgin's promotion, even if the album did eventually go gold. In 2005,
Rock announced he was moving the band to the Warner Bros. family of labels, and
Federation resurfaced two years later on the Reprise division with It's Whateva (2007). ~ David Jeffries