“I sold tapes everyday, me and Freddy B/ Been famous since 1983/ Give me $10 and you’ll straight get blessed/ A rap all about you, called the ‘Special Request.’”
Take a second to really think about that line: In 1983 Too Short was selling his own tapes out of the trunk of his car, and for $10 he would record a song about you. In 1983 Short’s debut Don’t Stop Rappin’ — a prophesied title released on the independently operated 75 Girls label (in my opinion, one of the greatest label names in the history of rap.) And in 1983 Run DMC also debuted with “It’s Like That,” two years before “La-Di-Da-Di” and four years before Eazy let the world know about the “Boyz-N-The-Hood.”
“You can’t do it like this homie, so just pass it/ And stop kissing them white folks asses.”
A man about his money, Short embodied the entrepreneurial MC from the start. He was a hustler with a knack for rap who used his talent to legitimize his lifestyle. At the time, major labels weren’t looking at the West Coast, let alone Oakland, for rap talent. The “How-To-Get-On” manual was empty and open for someone to scribe it, which is exactly what Short did. He showed people how to make money selling records yourself and is responsible for pioneering the widely celebrated independent spirit of both the West Coast and the South. Short didn’t go look for a deal; he bubbled in the streets.
Finally, in 1987 on the strength of four independently released albums, Jive came to him wanting a piece of cake. Through his Danger Music imprint RCA/Jive re-released the now classic Born To Mack, famous for the drop top Cadillac Biarritz gracing its cover and, of course, its “Freaky Tales.” Short stuck with Jive through 1997 and, after a brief retirement, returned to the label with a better deal on the table that ended Dangerous Music and kicked off Short Records.
“I’m not a tongue twisting rapper with a funny style/ Don’t dress Hip-Hop and dance real wild/ But I do sell records like a motherfucker/ Even though you might I’m just another sucka/ I find the beat and then never switch/ Grab the microphone and then call you a bitch”
Short’s business savvy wouldn’t have meant a thing if he didn’t have dope music to back it up. He has never been the complex rhymer who would blow your mind with triple entendres or multiple compound syllables. Short was a conversationalist. His flow was smooth and his words were precise. His stories were elaborate and the game he kicked was cold as hell. Hailing from the school of party rocking, Short’s strength has always been that he has an infinite wealth of rhymes. In the early years, his songs would run for nine minutes and would still end with him rhyming as the track faded out.
There is no denying Short’s true role in this game is that of the Pimp: Playboy Short, Shorty The Pimp who’s “Hard On The Boulevard” and never playing “Step Daddy.” And every Pimp has his trademark — for Short that is his unforgettable “beeeeeyotch!” But for every “Pimp The Ho” he’s blessed us with a ““Getting It,” a “So You Want To Be A Gangster” and even “Girl (Cocaine Rap).” Short has changed up his sound from LinnDrum kicks and snares, to grooving live bass and keys, to ass jiggling Crunk and dread shaking Hyphy, but his formula has never changed. In an industry that rarely honors longevity, Short has maintained a marathon pace, consistently performing and releasing music without wavering. Just listen to “Blow The Whistle” and say it ain’t banging.
“And if I ego trip, and my head is fucked/ I’ll take my ass back, to where I grew up/ And get real boy, it’s never too late/ Before I do like you and make a weak ass tape/ I’m in the trunk…”
Twenty four years in the game with seventeen albums and two greatest hits collections, Too Short’s track record is untouchable by any other artist in rap history, even rivaling the runs of legendary rockers. Prior to 1999 there wasn’t a rapper with more platinum albums than Short (six), a statistic that still puts him in the top plaque earners in rap. Shorts influence and respect throughout the game is affirmed by numerous collaborations amongst his peers. Both B.I.G. and Jay tapped Short for verses, Scarface and U.G.K. have featured him several times, Pac was always a regular on albums and even Keith Sweat hit him up to get down with the raw. And if after all his innovations and contributions to the game the Hip-Hop Purest in you still can’t accept Short as a certified legend, don’t forget who handled the remix…
“It ain’t pop, it’s called underground rap/ From Oakland California and the shit sounds phat…”
Take a second to really think about that line: In 1983 Too Short was selling his own tapes out of the trunk of his car, and for $10 he would record a song about you. In 1983 Short’s debut Don’t Stop Rappin’ — a prophesied title released on the independently operated 75 Girls label (in my opinion, one of the greatest label names in the history of rap.) And in 1983 Run DMC also debuted with “It’s Like That,” two years before “La-Di-Da-Di” and four years before Eazy let the world know about the “Boyz-N-The-Hood.”
“You can’t do it like this homie, so just pass it/ And stop kissing them white folks asses.”
A man about his money, Short embodied the entrepreneurial MC from the start. He was a hustler with a knack for rap who used his talent to legitimize his lifestyle. At the time, major labels weren’t looking at the West Coast, let alone Oakland, for rap talent. The “How-To-Get-On” manual was empty and open for someone to scribe it, which is exactly what Short did. He showed people how to make money selling records yourself and is responsible for pioneering the widely celebrated independent spirit of both the West Coast and the South. Short didn’t go look for a deal; he bubbled in the streets.
Finally, in 1987 on the strength of four independently released albums, Jive came to him wanting a piece of cake. Through his Danger Music imprint RCA/Jive re-released the now classic Born To Mack, famous for the drop top Cadillac Biarritz gracing its cover and, of course, its “Freaky Tales.” Short stuck with Jive through 1997 and, after a brief retirement, returned to the label with a better deal on the table that ended Dangerous Music and kicked off Short Records.
“I’m not a tongue twisting rapper with a funny style/ Don’t dress Hip-Hop and dance real wild/ But I do sell records like a motherfucker/ Even though you might I’m just another sucka/ I find the beat and then never switch/ Grab the microphone and then call you a bitch”
Short’s business savvy wouldn’t have meant a thing if he didn’t have dope music to back it up. He has never been the complex rhymer who would blow your mind with triple entendres or multiple compound syllables. Short was a conversationalist. His flow was smooth and his words were precise. His stories were elaborate and the game he kicked was cold as hell. Hailing from the school of party rocking, Short’s strength has always been that he has an infinite wealth of rhymes. In the early years, his songs would run for nine minutes and would still end with him rhyming as the track faded out.
There is no denying Short’s true role in this game is that of the Pimp: Playboy Short, Shorty The Pimp who’s “Hard On The Boulevard” and never playing “Step Daddy.” And every Pimp has his trademark — for Short that is his unforgettable “beeeeeyotch!” But for every “Pimp The Ho” he’s blessed us with a ““Getting It,” a “So You Want To Be A Gangster” and even “Girl (Cocaine Rap).” Short has changed up his sound from LinnDrum kicks and snares, to grooving live bass and keys, to ass jiggling Crunk and dread shaking Hyphy, but his formula has never changed. In an industry that rarely honors longevity, Short has maintained a marathon pace, consistently performing and releasing music without wavering. Just listen to “Blow The Whistle” and say it ain’t banging.
“And if I ego trip, and my head is fucked/ I’ll take my ass back, to where I grew up/ And get real boy, it’s never too late/ Before I do like you and make a weak ass tape/ I’m in the trunk…”
Twenty four years in the game with seventeen albums and two greatest hits collections, Too Short’s track record is untouchable by any other artist in rap history, even rivaling the runs of legendary rockers. Prior to 1999 there wasn’t a rapper with more platinum albums than Short (six), a statistic that still puts him in the top plaque earners in rap. Shorts influence and respect throughout the game is affirmed by numerous collaborations amongst his peers. Both B.I.G. and Jay tapped Short for verses, Scarface and U.G.K. have featured him several times, Pac was always a regular on albums and even Keith Sweat hit him up to get down with the raw. And if after all his innovations and contributions to the game the Hip-Hop Purest in you still can’t accept Short as a certified legend, don’t forget who handled the remix…
“It ain’t pop, it’s called underground rap/ From Oakland California and the shit sounds phat…”
