Too $hort, who’s been rapping professionally since the 1980s, says he nearly quit making album recently. That changed thanks to Mistah F.A.B.
“Yeah my man Mistah F.A.B., he was real motivational on this album, because I had really made up my mind not to quit rapping, but I just wasn’t going to make an album,” $hort says in an interview with HipHopDX’s Too $hort. “Not only did he really convince me to do it, but he really gave me a lot of motivation and then sat down and started working with me through the whole album. Pretty much A&Ring, picking beats, doing hooks, all that kinda shit. Just making sure it’s a tight ass album. And I gotta tell you, it’s a tight ass album. I’m on the outside looking at what I’m doin and I’m like, ‘Damn, can you really do this at this age?’ but I’m doin it.”
$hort says he doesn’t necessarily think he needs to make albums nowadays.
“I just think that it’s at a point where I can eat off my craft many different ways and it doesn’t necessarily have to be off by trying to sell records,” he adds. “All you gotta do is be on a hot song and just stay relevant or do some shit on TV or some shit.”
$hort also says he doesn’t think quitting will make his influence fade away. In fact, he says he sees traces of himself in many aspects of the genre today.
“I’m not the one to pat myself on the back or even need somebody else to give me credit, but I listen to a lot of Hip Hop now and I hear the Too $hort influence,” he explains. “The simple beats, the subject matter, all kinds of stuff. At the same time, my whole career, I see myself as a contributor to Hip Hop. We don’t own this shit, it’s the blob. It’s something you can’t control. It’s worldwide. It’s every language. It’s every race. When I finish contributing, I feel like I’ve left enough to where people are gonna say, ‘They got that from Too $hort.’ I’m not gonna fade away.”
Additional Reporting By Andre Grant
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F.A.B & SHORT were inducted at the last IES HIP HOP HONORS in L.A. & they deserve to be right there together! Makin’ VIBRANT music, catchy hooks & positive energy to a world gone mad! Their INDIE SPIRIT is inspiring & leads us ALL to keep creating, no matter what situaton life throws at you! That’s INDIE POWER!
When was the last time Too Short was on TV? lol
That 3 yard dash from the cops in handcuffs over a bag of Meth
Heard a rumor this last album will be G-rated. Meaning lyrically now or metaphorically?
Isn’t this nigga in his 50s or something? Shit like this makes the young ones laugh at the older generation.
Even at his peak in the 90s, this nigga was only really respected on the West Coast. Everyone else thought he was garbage lol.
“Even at his peak in the 90s, this nigga was only really respected on the West Coast. Everyone else thought he was garbage lol.”
Oh really? Erick Sermon, Jay Z, Mr. Breed, Biggie, Scarface, Jermaine Dupri, 8Ball & MJG, etc, beg to differ.
You sound ignorant, unlearned even. $hort is a hip hop legend, he’s put out more albums than your favorite rapper. Well respected from the east to the west coast because he did it from the trunk to a major label. What you need to understand is that there is room for everyone, in rock music, the older groups keep making records, keep touring, keep selling merchandise…why not in rap? Why do we have to be a lesser class….an ignorant class that can’t see past the age. If it’s good music, then it’s good music! To be honest, alot of new music is trash and the older generation is making better music in most cases.