E-40, the king of hyphy slang, will make a return trip to Bend’s Midtown Ballroom tonight.

If youre up on the hyphy lingo, you know what that headline means. If youre not, then maybe you should head over to Midtown Ballroom tonight for a lesson from hyphy legend E-40.

OK, lets back up here. Hyphy is a slang term, a type of music and a movement. Hyphy can be anything you want it to be. But in very general terms, hyphy is the party-happy culture that surrounds the gritty, beat-heavy hip-hop scene in Californias Bay Area.

(Oh, and ghost-riding the whip is when a driver and passengers jump out of a car to dance beside it, on the hood or on the roof, while the car continues to roll. Search ghost riding on YouTube and see for yourself.)

What does E-40 have to do with all this? Well, hyphy was a relatively regional thing until his song Tell Me When To Go was a hit and took the movement to the masses. Now, hes bringing it to Bend. So put your stunna shades on and get ready to get stupid.

E-40, with Maniac Lok, Kenny Mack, The Chef Boyz and The Collektive; 8 tonight, doors open 7 p.m.; $30 advance, $35 day of show, plus service charges. Advance tickets available at Ranch Records (389-6116) in Bend and through Ticketswest at www.ticketswest.com, 800-992-8499, and the Safeway at 642 N.E. Third St., in Bend; Midtown Ballroom, 51 N.W. Greenwood Ave., Bend; www.randompresents.com.

Ben Salmon