Too Short | |
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2.jpg) Too Short performing in August 2023 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Short Dogg |
| Born | Todd Anthony Shaw (1966-04-28)April 28, 1966 (age 59) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Origin | Oakland, California, U.S.[1][2] |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Works | Too Short discography |
| Years active | 1983–present[3] |
| Labels | |
| Member of | Mt. Westmore |
| Formerly of | The Dangerous Crew |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | tooshortstore |
| Signature | |
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Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966),[4][1][2] better known by his stage nameToo Short (stylized asToo $hort), is an American rapper. A pioneer ofWest Coast hip-hop, Shaw was among the first acts to receive recognition in the genre during the late 1980s. His lyrics were often based onpimping andpromiscuity, but also drug culture and street survival;[5] exemplified respectively in his most popular singles "Blow the Whistle" and "The Ghetto". He is one of few acts to have worked with bothTupac Shakur andthe Notorious B.I.G. at the heights of their respective careers.[1][2][6]
Shaw began recording in 1983, and cultivated a regional following with three independent projects tailored for his nativeOakland. His fourth album,Born to Mack (1987) sold an estimated 50,000 units from Shaw's car trunk,[7] leading to a commercial re-issue byJive Records the following year. His fifth album,Life Is... Too Short (1989), receiveddouble platinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and became his first entry on theBillboard 200. His sixth album,Short Dog's In The House (1990), peaked at number 20 on the chart and spawned the single "The Ghetto", which became his first and highest-charting entry on theBillboard Hot 100 as a lead artist. His next four albums—Shorty the Pimp (1992),Get in Where You Fit In (1993),Cocktails (1995), andGettin' It (Album Number Ten) (1996)—each peaked within the top ten of theBillboard 200 and receivedplatinum certifications by the RIAA.
In 1988, he formedthe Dangerous Crew, a collective of fellow Oakland-based rappers and producers, and in 2020, he formed the West Coast hip hop groupMount Westmore with frequent collaboratorsIce Cube,Snoop Dogg andE-40. In 2006, he founded the record labelUp All Nite Records, through which he signed thehyphy groupthe Pack (which included then-unknown rapperLil B).
Shaw was born and raised inLos Angeles,California.[8][9] In 1980, he and his family moved toOakland. He was a drummer in the band atFremont High School in Oakland.[10]
In the mid-1980s, Shaw, along with high school friend Freddy B, produced custom songs (called "special requests") locally on cassette for people in Oakland and the Bay Area. In 1985, Too Short started his solo career and released his debut album,Don't Stop Rappin' on Oakland record label 75 Girls Records And Tapes which, along with four 12" releases, featured raw, simple drum beats from aLinnDrumdrum machine.[11] This was also one of the first hip hop recordings to use the word "bitch" – a word which became one of the rapper's trademarks and was the focus of subsequent songs such as "Ain't Nothin' but a Word to Me".
In the early 1990s, his self-produced beats came from mostly aTR-808 and from mid-to-late 2000s, aTR-909 was used. In 1983, Too Short and Freddie B. formed the label Dangerous Music to regionally distribute his music, and with others formed rap groupthe Dangerous Crew.[12] Dangerous Music became Short Records, and then Up All Nite Records. With his 1989 album,Life Is... Too Short, he began using replayed establishedfunk riffs (rather than samples) with his beats.
Subsequent work was primarily collaborative, including work withTupac Shakur,the Notorious B.I.G.,Scarface, andPimp C. One of his notable collaborations during this period was on the track "The World Is Filled..." on the Notorious B.I.G. albumLife After Death; he comes in on the third verse after Diddy and Biggie. Being featured on the album introduced him to a wider audience as well, due to his typical style contrasting greatly with the Mafioso theme of the album. He also appeared on TWDY's hit single "Player's Holiday" from their 1999 debut albumDerty Werk[13] as well as thePriority Records compilationNuthin but a Gangsta Party.[14] After these appearances, he began working on his eleventh album,Can't Stay Away. The album included guest appearances by8Ball & MJG,Jay-Z,Jermaine Dupri,Sean Combs,E-40,Daz Dillinger,Lil Jon,Soopafly,Scarface andB-Legit.[15]
Too Short relocated toAtlanta in 1994, but he did not begin working with a more diverse variety of Southern artists until 2000, when he collaborated withLil Jon. With the 1999 release ofCan't Stay Away, Too Short came out of retirement, continuing his sexually explicit, relaxed style of rap.[16] New albums released 2000–2003 wereYou Nasty (2000),Chase the Cat (2001),What's My Favorite Word? (2002), andMarried to the Game (2003). These albums all charted fairly well, as they all were in the top 71 of theBillboard 200, but they did not do as well as Too Short's earlier 1990s releases, as none of them reached the top 10.[17]
For his next album,Blow the Whistle (2006), Too Short now took advantage of the newhyphy rap music that was emerging out of his original home base in Oakland. This saw somewhat of a resurgence for Too Short as it peaked at No. 14 on theBillboard 200, much better than each of his previous three releases.[17] However, his subsequent releases, such as 2007'sGet Off the Stage, have not been as successful. On October 7, 2008, Too Short was honored by VH1 at the fifth annual "Hip-Hop Honors" along withCypress Hill,De La Soul,Slick Rick andNaughty By Nature.[17][18]
In 2009, Too Short recorded forDaz Dillinger,Lil Jon,Soopafly,Scarface andB-Legit.[15] In 2011, the rapper was featured onWiz Khalifa's song "On My Level". He also collaborated inSnoop Dogg's 2011 album,Doggumentary in the song "Take U Home" and on the50 Cent song "First Date". In 2012 Too Short along withE-40 released two collaboration albums on the same day titledHistory: Mob Music andHistory: Function Music. Both charted in the top 100 on theBillboard 200 albums chart. Too Short has said the best verse he has ever recorded is a verse for a song onDr. Dre'sDetox called "Man's Best Friend (Pussy)".[19]
In 2013, it was announced he would collaborate withLady Gaga on a song "Jewels n' Drugs" for her upcoming albumArtpop. Also featured on the song areT.I. andTwista.[20]
In 2015, Too Short was featured on actor Tavion Tate Guice's song "Oakland Brookfield Dance".
In 2016, Too Short was featured on the song "Cochino" by Argentine-American rapperDumbfoundead. The song is the seventh track off of Dumbfoundead's fifth studio albumWe Might Die.[21]
Six years after his last release, Too Short released his 20th albumThe Pimp Tape on November 9, 2018. On December 20, 2019, he released his 21st albumThe Vault. On December 18, 2020, Too Short andE-40 released their collaboration albumAin't Gone Do It and Terms & Conditions.
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In 2022, the City of Oakland honored Too Short with a commemorative street sign declaring a section of Foothill Boulevard "Too $hort Way" and proclaiming December 10, 2022 to be "Too $hort Day".[22]
In the mid-2000s, Shaw re-launched his Dangerous Music label into Up All Nite Records, a subsidiary imprint ofJive Records. He signed fellow California acts including the hip hop groupthe Pack.[23] In 2017, he co-founded the "digital" record label OG Records with Vinny Az, which also aims as a platform for regional artists.[24]
In September 2019, Shaw and his partner Sue Ivy announced the birth of their first child, a daughter.[25]
Since 2006, Shaw has been a mentor at Youth UpRising, an Oakland-based non-profit which supports at-risk youths.[26]
On January 29, 2025, Shaw's brother Kevin Shaw was shot and killed in Oakland at the age of 61 during a botched robbery.[27]
Too Short played the role of Lew-Loc in the filmMenace II Society. Too Short has also worked in theadult film industry, with the 2003 filmGet In Where You Fit In.[28] Too Short was an interviewee inAmerican Pimp. Too Short starred in and performed the music forAmerica's Sexiest Girls 2003. Too Short has also appeared in an episode ofThe Game.[29] Too Short made a cameo appearance inJay-Z's video for the hit single,Big Pimpin'. Too Short was in VH1's Rock Doc,Planet Rock. Too Short made a cameo in the feature filmStop Pepper Palmer withScott Schwartz.
Too Short released twostraight-to-DVD films as well: 2001'sToo Short Uncensored, produced by Jarrod Donoman and Terrell Taylor, the DVD Live Nationwide, and 2003'sToo Short: Titty City, again produced by Taylor and partner Co Garrett.
Too Short was also featured in a 2009 episode of the E! showKendra starringKendra Wilkinson.
Studio albums
Collaborative albums
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