Rick Rock and Doonie Baby’s friendship and collaborative work dates back to the early ‘90s in Alabama, where they recorded as two-thirds of the group Cosmic Slop Shop along with Big Lurch.
[2] The group debuted on Vallejo producer Mike Mosely's 2002 release Major Work: The Soundtrack with the Rick Rock-produced track "The Sickness", which sampled Art of Noise's 1983 song "Moments of Love".
Their first single "Hyphy", featuring E-40, debuted in 2003, the title was based on a slang term established by Keak the Sneak in the 90s Bay Area hip hop music.
The song even induced a riot when The Federation performed "Hyphy" during halftime of the AND1 Live Tour at Oracle Arena in June 2004.
On the strength of "Hyphy" and their second single "Donkey", the group's self-titled debut album was released under Virgin Records to critical reception.