E-40 brought holiday cheer to South Vallejo by funding a toy drive that gave away more than 1,000 gifts just in time for Christmas.
E-40 turned a rainy Saturday into a celebration of generosity and community spirit in South Vallejo as his third annual toy drive handed out more than 1,000 gifts to local families.
The Bay Area Hip-Hop icon bankrolled the large-scale giveaway at Shiloh Community Church, where kids received toys ranging from dolls and footballs to remote-controlled drones. Each family left with a bicycle and a few lucky attendees scored major prizes like a PlayStation 5 and a flat-screen TV.
“I’ve seen the community come together more than it would when I was younger, Nef the Pharoah, told the Vallejo Sun. “It would take a lot to have people come out. But as you saw today, the line was wrapped around the corner, and it’s raining outside. It’s beautiful.”
The event was a collaboration between three local institutions: Shiloh Church, M&M Liquors and E-40 himself. The church, where E-40’s grandfather once served as pastor, sits across the street from the liquor store where the rapper once sold mixtapes from his car.
The parking lot transformed into a holiday block party, complete with live music, free food, and a drone-friendly bounce house. Six Santas, a gingerbread man, and even a Grinch mingled with the crowd.
Several Vallejo Hip-Hop artists joined the effort, including LaRussell and Teflon Twaun, who teamed up with Nef the Pharoah to hand out gifts and greet families.
“We don’t have a sports team you know, all we got is our rappers and athletes who make it,” LaRussell said. “We haven’t had a lot of people who’ve made it out of here that we get to see daily on a day to day. And I’m one of those, where the people get to see me and they get to see Nef and get to see Twaun, and that’s important, it’s vital to the morale of the city.”
More than 60 volunteers helped coordinate the event, which was held on December 21, 2025. Shiloh Church continues to serve the community year-round, offering free food every Thursday to anyone in need.
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