A core member of the Southland family, Southern California rapper Sleepy Malo is an important figure in the Latin rap community with a sizeable fan base despite a slow release schedule. After appearing on some mixtapes and Southland compilations, Malo made his full-length debut in 2003 with The Same Streets, a solid gangsta album that was embraced by the Latin rap community. A second album was announced, but Southside's distribution problems kept delaying its release. Straight Out the Valle, a team-up with Southland label head Mister D, landed in 2005 and the solo Malo single "Sleep Walking" appeared soon afterward, promoting an album without a title or release date. Latin rap message boards blew up in early 2006 when it was announced Southland had signed a distribution deal with major label Universal and the mythical second Malo album was going to become reality. Tales from the East Side finally appeared that year.