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Too $hort

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Biography

Too Short, or Too $hort, (born Todd Anthony Shaw on April 28 1966 in Los Angeles, California) is a rapper who started his career as a youth in Oakland, California. Through his music, Too $hort has cultivated a persona of a no-nonsense pimp, and is widely credited for popularizing pimp culture in hip hop, along with Ice T.

Too $hort is one of the pioneers of the West-Coast hip-hop sound. Initially, his first releases had raw and simple drum beats using a TR-808 or TR-909 drum machine. With his 1989 release, Life Is...Too $hort, he began infusing Funk and Blues sounds with his trademark beats giving birth to the Bay Area hip-hop sound known as Mobb music. While $hort's backing tracks have matured, his trademark rap style has changed little throughout his career - something $hort takes pride in both in songs and interviews.

In the early 1980s $hort produced custom raps for people with his high school friend, Freddie B[link]. In 1986, Too $hort and Freddie B. founded the Dangerous Music record label to distribute his music regionally. Dangerous Music has since changed names to Short Records, and now Up All Night Music.

Too Short has released 16 albums to date, with his latest being Blow The Whistle which contains a newly released single, the title track "Blow Da' Whistle" (2006) In his 1996 release Gettin' It (Album 10) $hort claimed he was retiring, stating this was "the last album" in the title track. This retirement was short lived when he returned in 1999 releasing his album Can't Stay Away. Every album has included a picture of Too Short on the cover, except the compilation albums.

He appeared on the hit "Player's Holiday" which appears on T.W.D.Y.'s (1999) debut album and Priority Records compilation "Nuthin But A Gangsta Party." After the appearances, he began working on his 11th album which was appropriately titled Can't Stay Away. The album included guest appearances by Eightball & MJG, Jay-Z, Jermaine Dupri, Puff Daddy (now P. Diddy), E-40, Daz Dillinger, Lil' Jon, Soopafly, Scarface and B-Legit, as well as well recognized verses by $hort himself. When he relocated to Atlanta in (1994), he began working with a more diverse variety of artists including Twista and Lil Jon.

In 1994, $hort relocated from Oakland to Atlanta, but he still represents his Oakland roots as on his 2003 record he has a track titled "California Girls." Along with his crafty appearances, $hort has been able to remain a prominent figure on the underground scene, a West Coast hero, and an overall legend by constantly updating and reinventing his sound. $hort has come from rapping over raw drum beats, through the G-funk era, through the Bay Area signature sound, and on his latest efforts, the crunk era. He guest appeared on his close friend Lil Jon's album and scored a hit record with the track "Bia Bia" along with Ludacris and Chyna White. He is often cited as the originator of the phrase "Bee-yatch" in hip-hop.

Too Short is one of the few rappers to release 6 platinum solo albums in a row which puts him in select company. As stated on his track "These Are The Tales" off the "Chase The Cat" album: '6 platinums in a row Ice Cube and Cool J/ Who else did that shit, Short Dog from the Bay.'

Too $hort will also be performing at the 2006 Gathering of the Juggalos.

Adult films

Too $hort has also moonlighted in the adult film industry, with the 2003 film Get In Where You Fit In, [link] starring actresses such as Mika Tan, Envy Mi, and Cherie, distributed by Adam & Eve.

Discography

Guest appearances

Too Short has appeared on over 100 albums and growing, here are some of the artist's tracks in which he had a guest spot:

External links

 

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