Too Short

• Life Is . . . Too Short [Jive, 1988] B+
• Short Dog's in the House [Jive, 1990]
• Shorty the Pimp [Jive, 1992] C+
• Get In Where You Fit In [Jive, 1993]

Consumer Guide Reviews:

Life Is . . . Too Short [Jive, 1988]
Musically, Oakland's finest is a throwback, his repetitive monotone trailing midtempo drum-machine beats embellished by low-tech scratches, simple bass and guitar lines, and other synthesized band noises. Not exactly uplifting, either--though he extols the hard haul that got him his Benz, he accepts "freaks" and "rock cocaine" as viable career alternatives, and in general is as matter-of-factly despairing as anyone who opposes suicide can be. Thing is, despair suits the "City of Dope," the generic urban dystopia that the hards down south half-wittingly glamorize with their fancy samples and staged defiance. And though his dirty mind is in effect, Short's not so cock-proud he'll refuse a blow job from Nancy Reagan or stop the chorus from dissing his dick. B+

Short Dog's in the House [Jive, 1990]
"The Ghetto"

Shorty the Pimp [Jive, 1992]
In his fourth book, Iceberg Slim--who invented Short Dog's schtick as surely as Dr. Funkenstein--boasted about escaping "the terrible emptiness of the pimp game." He considered old pimps "contemptible," "pathetic." On his seventh album, Too Short boasts that he's "a player for life." Who you believe? C+

Get In Where You Fit In [Jive, 1993]