In a photograph, four seasoned rappers stand united, symbolizing the supergroup Mount Westmore. From left to right, the quartet consists of Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, E-40, and Too Short.

These hip-hop pioneers have reached a point in their careers where they have nothing left to prove. Ice Cube ignited the rise of gangsta rap in the late ’80s as part of N.W.A in Los Angeles, while Snoop Dogg broke into the scene from Long Beach, introducing G-Funk to the masses through his landmark 1993 album, “Doggystyle.”

E-40 and Too Short have been shaping the sound of the Bay Area since their emergence in the 1980s, infusing their music with colorful language and slick-talking raps.

Over the past decades, these four icons have taken their music on countless tours, producing hits that have transcended generations. Their influence extends beyond the realm of music, with Ice Cube’s Big3 basketball league extending the careers of NBA stars, Snoop Dogg’s omnipresence in Hollywood through movies and brand endorsements, and E-40’s burgeoning spirits empire.

But when the world came to a standstill in 2020 due to the cоrоnavirus pаndemic, they united to form Mount Westmore, a bona fide supergroup bridging the gap between the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Their debut album, titled “Snoop, 40, Cube and Short,” serves as a reminder of their status as founding fathers of hip-hop. In tracks like “Lace You Up” and “Have a Nice Day,” they invite listeners to follow in their footsteps while dismissing culture vultures.

The foursome, all now in their 50s, clearly had a blast creating the album, which was initially released as an NFT in the summer before becoming available on all platforms on December 9. When they convened on Zoom shortly after Thanksgiving, their excitement for their families rivaled their passion for music.

Snoop Dogg congratulated Ice Cube, who joined the Zoom call from Mexico where he and his wife celebrated their 30th anniversary. Snoop acknowledged Cube’s three-decade-long career in the industry, expressing his aspiration to reach similar heights: “I’m trying to get to that mountaintop right now … I’m at 27 years. But my baby girl [Cori Broadus] just got proposed to on Thanksgiving. I cried, cuh. On some real s—, like a grown-аss man. I cried. That s— was beautiful.”

The conversation continued with questions about the formation of Mount Westmore and their roles in the project:

How did the idea for Mount Westmore come about?

Ice Cube: I think everybody saw an opportunity to do something bigger than just us. Something fun. Hip-hop can be so serious … but ain’t nobody having more fun than us. We all love each other, it’s like being in a group with your cousins.

Snoop Dogg: If I’m the baby of the bunch, these are my OGs. These are the guys that I looked up to before I had a chance to do it. And once I got in the industry, we became brothers.

What was everybody’s role in the project?

Too Short: We didn’t utilize personal assistants, managers, or label execs. Nobody got involved. We A&R’ed this ourselves.

Snoop Dogg: You was the A&R, Short. N— you lying. [Laughs]

Ice Cube: Everybody used their specialties, from visuals to lingo to beats to production. Even stage production. Everybody was able to pass the baton, like “this your area, we’re gonna rely on you.” This wouldn’t have come together without Too Short’s diligence. He really kept the project together.

Too Short: If it wasn’t agreed on by all four of us, it ain’t happening.

You made this album at the height of CоVID. Were you in the studio together, or was it all created through Zoom?

Ice Cube: It was mostly us Zooming each other. We realized we could get a lot done and not be on the 405 for an hour every day. It was fun to have this to focus on. 2020 was f— up.

Snoop Dogg: It felt like being a kid again, being able to be with your friends and not have to go in when the street lights come on. We can have a friendly argument and then talk about football, basketball, whatever. We want to show the youngsters how to grow into Ice Cube, Too Short, 40, Snoop Dogg. How you can grow into your 50s and still be relevant.