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Life Is...Too Short

 
Album Review: Life Is...Too Short

  • Artist: Too Short
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1988
  • Total Time: 54:56
  • Type: Contains explicit content
  • Genre: Rap

Review

Too Short never had the skills or technique of LL Cool J or Big Daddy Kane, but what the Oakland rapper lacks in technique, he's always more than made up for with irresistible, '70s-inspired funk grooves that simply won't quit. When Short -- after enjoying a small cult following for a few years in Northern California -- joined a major label with Life Is...Too Short's predecessor, Born to Mack, too many East Coast MCs were inundating hip-hop with clichéd tracks consisting of only James Brown samples and a drum machine. Too Short, however, presented an attractive alternative with highly melodic, danceable tracks that made no secret of his love of '70s funk heroes like Parliament, the Ohio Players, and Cameo. This CD's X-rated, sexually explicit lyrics received their share of vehement criticism, and the MC responded that Too Short is an outrageous character who shouldn't be taken too seriously. Be that as it may, his commanding reflection on the drug plague, "City of Dope," underscores the fact that he could be just as effective with social commentary instead of exploiting sex. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Life Is...Too Short (Lyrics) Todd Shaw, Too Short Too Short (4:33)
Rhymes (Lyrics) Too Short, Todd Shaw Too Short (4:17)
I Ain't Trippin' (Lyrics) Todd Shaw, Too Short Too Short (6:40)
Nobody Does It Better (Lyrics) Todd Shaw, Too Short Too Short (6:16)
Oakland (Lyrics) Todd Shaw, Al Eaton Too Short (4:41)
Don't Fight the Feelin' Too Short, Anthony Forté, Todd Shaw Too Short (8:18)
Cusswords (Lyrics) Too Short, Todd Shaw Too Short (7:45)
City of Dope (Lyrics) Too Short, Todd Shaw, Al Eaton Too Short (5:31)
Pimp the Ho (Lyrics) Too Short, Todd Shaw Too Short (5:53)
[Untitled Hidden Track] Too Short (:58)

Credits

Todd Shaw (Producer), Mr. Z (Clothing/Wardrobe), Todd Shaw (Programming), Al Eaton (Producer), T. Bohanon (Producer), Jeanette Wright (Vocals (Background)), Todd Shaw (Mixing), Todd Shaw (Keyboards), Helen Kim (Vocals (Background)), Janna Thomas (Vocals (Background)), Victor Hall (Photography), Mark Wholey (Artwork), Al Eaton (Keyboards), Al Eaton (Guitar), Al Eaton (Mixing), Todd Shaw (Drum Programming)
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Wikipedia: Life Is...Too Short
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Life Is...Too Short
Studio album by Too Short
Released 1988
Genre Hip hop
Length 54:52
Label Jive
Producer Too Short
R. Austin
T. Bohanon
Al Eaton
Professional reviews
Too Short chronology
Born to Mack
(1987)
Life Is...Too Short
(1988)
Short Dog's in the House
(1990)

Life Is...Too Short is an album by Too Short. It was released in 1988 on Jive/RCA Records, although it appeared as a Dangerous Music/RCA Records release until Jive Records logos appeared on the release on October 25, 1990, after it became successful. It is currently his highest-selling album to date, being certified double platinum by the RIAA for sales of over 2 million copies.[citation needed]

Contents

Track listing

  1. "Life Is...Too Short"
  2. "Rhymes"
  3. "I Ain't Trippin'"
  4. "Nobody Does it Better"
  5. "Oakland"
  6. "Don't Fight the Feelin'" (featuring Danger Zone & Rappin' 4-Tay)
  7. "CussWords"
  8. "City of Dope"
  9. "Pimp the Ho"
  10. "Outro"

Notes

  • On the edited version, tracks 6, 8 and 9 are missing. Track 5 is "Mack Attack," and the other songs are moved down by one. The last track is called "Alias Crazy Rak," which is nothing but a DJ scratching.

Samples

Life is...Too Short

Personnel

  • T. Bohanon - Producer
  • Al Eaton - Guitar, Keyboards, Producer, Mixing
  • Victor Hall - Photography
  • Helen Kim - Vocals (bckgr)
  • Mr. Z - Clothing/Wardrobe
  • Todd Shaw - Keyboards, Programming, Producer, Drum Programming, Mixing
  • Janna Thomas - Vocals (bckgr)
  • Mark Wholey - Artwork
  • Jeanette Wright - Vocals (bckgr)
  • Rappin' 4-Tay - Performer

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1989 The Billboard 200 37
1989 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 9

Singles - Billboard (United States)

Year Single Chart Position
1989 "Life Is...Too Short" Hot Rap Singles 7
1989 "Life Is...Too Short" Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 43

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Life Is...Too Short" Read more