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Mistah F.A.B., Oakland-bred lyricist and community advocate, recently spoke with podcast host Bootleg Kev on the subject of Too Short’s legacy. Referring to Too Short as his “hip-hop dad” and arguing that he should have a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, F.A.B. supported his stance of Short being one of hip-hop’s greatest contributors by acknowledging just how storied his feature appearances are.
“Short is the only artist that has a song with Biggie, Pac, Jay-Z, Pimp C,” he said. “Tell me who has done more than Too Short in hip-hop for the past forty years?”
By the early ‘80s, Short was already famous for rapping. In the early ‘90s, he became a fixture of West Coast ‘90s rap and had toured with arguably one of the most important rap groups ever — NWA — and found himself making classic music with Lil Jon at the turn of the millennium. He dropped his most famous record while he was in his 40s, and now he’s launched his very own residency in Vegas.
There are levels to Short fandom. Clearly, F.A.B. is on the extremely supportive end of the spectrum. On the other end of the barometer though, are people who aren’t too fond of Todd “Too Short” Shaw, either disgusted by his misogynistic lyrics and/or unimpressed by his rhyme pattern, referring to it as simple and rudimentary. In the middle of it all, there are folks who grew up with Short. Hell, there are families that have full-blown intergenerational bonds over his songs. His records have been played at weddings and graduations, as well as sideshows and strip clubs. He has rapped over 300,000 hours, and by using self-expression he has paved a way to financial freedom. For that, he has a street named in his honor, and can proudly say he’s been to the White House with fellow hip-hop fixtures F.A.B. and E-40, after they accompanied the world champion Golden State Warriors earlier this year.
In looking at Short’s vast career and extensive catalog, it’s clear that F.A.B. was on to something: Short has worked with some amazing people. So much so that if there was a music festival curated solely around who he’s worked with, it’d rival the rosters of any summer festival.
Seriously, imagine a “Too Short and friends” fest. JAY-Z, George Clinton, Lady Gaga, Snoop Dogg, Keith Sweat, Keyshia Cole, Kid Cudi, Lil Kim, Ice Cube, E-40, Will.I.Am, Foxy Brown, Scarface, Terrace Martin, Eric Sermon, Big Boi, UGK, Spice 1, IAmSu!, Saweetie, Wallpaper, and, of course, Lil Jon would all be present, along with special memorial shoutouts to The Notorious B.I.G, Tupac, Pimp C, Eazy-E, The Jacka, Traxamillion, and Zumbi of Zion-I. These are all folks Short has worked with.
In lieu of not having the resources to pay these artists to create this ultimate Short festival, we’ve got something else for you — his best features. Not the best Too Short songs or songs by Too Short, but the tracks where he made a guest appearance and offered his own distinct rap flavor. From “The Delinquents are Back” to “Rapper’s Ball,” here are the 16 best songs where Too Short was a featured artist.
Mobb music — the combination of heavy bass, funky synths, and a sprinkle of melody — is a staple in the town, and by the late ‘90s so were both The Delinquents (G-Stack, V-White, and producer Lord Gregory) and Too Short. This collaboration resulted in a classic that encapsulates an era sonically, as well as through cultural references like the old school Lake Berryessa picnic. Anytime this track comes on, you’ve got to tip your cap to the DJ. They’ve done their research.
Staying close to home but traveling about 25 miles northeast to the city of Vallejo, Short combines forces with two pioneers of the sound of the 707: Mac Mall, a rap prodigy at 15 years old who had Tupac directing one of his first videos. And Mac Dre, an innovative lyricist who, after serving time in the federal penitentiary, got out and went on a musical run that was cut short the same year this song dropped. His death made him the patron saint of the hyphy era. Thus, this track combines history and legacy, along with slap and game. Not always in the rotation, but when it comes on you gotta let it play.
On the other end of the Bay in San Jose, the late Traxamillion was a producer who had the ability to put the energy he saw around him into music. He produced too many hyphy hits to name, and with this track he added another notch under his belt. With the combination of F.A.B. and Short, two rare energies in their own right, they created a song that reflected the spirit of the time back to the people.
When Jazze Pha and Short combine forces, it’s a hit (just look to “Married To The Game” and “Choosin’” as notable examples). On this one though, Jazze Pha brings in a verse from Short over a beat switch that was perfect for going stupid at the function back in the early 2000s. With its simple yet catchy string section, and a hook that fits into people’s everyday lexicon, this track was a hit as well.
During a bit of a lull for the West Coast — the hyphy movement had slowed and the Jerkin’ era had faded — Snoop did what he always does: stay relevant. This track showcases two of the longest and most prolific careers in hip-hop through Snoop and Short, as well as an artist who has modeled his career after them, Mistah F.A.B. The video was also notable for taking the three Cali rap heroes to the bright lights of Las Vegas.
It’s a Bay Area classic that gets second tier treatment, but real ones know what’s up. B-Legit, legendary Vallejo MC and cousin of E-40, often gets overlooked in conversations about Bay Area rap. But his discography is extensive, and this track with Short is the cream of the crop. Rick Rock shows off on the production, with the whopping drum kicks and subtle sprinkles panned to the right of the speaker.
On Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life, one of the most significant hip-hop albums ever, Brooklyn’s shining son reached across the map and tapped Short to bring his foul mouth and game-laden lyrics for a hook and conclusionary statement over a dope beat. The result — a hip-hop classic. This track comes one year after the duo shared bars on Hov’s “Real Niggas,” and predates JAY-Z rapping over Short’s “Blow The Whistle” beat by almost a decade. Needless to say, the combo of Hov and Short is yet another success.
The combination of Short and Lil Jon has produced a handful of hip-hop classics (this is the first entry in the list but there will be more). We start here because this is arguably the most popular of them. This raucous track has its place in the history books, as it is a song that led to many Air Force 1’s being stepped on, elbows thrown to the nose, and fights in the club. Ah, fond memories.
While Short’s top song “Blow the Whistle” was climbing charts in 2006, there was a track he was featured on that outranked it. Kelis was coming off a run that shook the industry with “Milkshake,” and its follow-up “Bossy” was a complete success, too. The self-asserting smooth vocals of Kelis paired with Short’s bravado and Bangladesh’s production, made for an anthem of the times.
In the middle of what is often regarded as an East Coast/West Coast beef, Short was featured on a number of projects with East Coast artists, including multiple songs with the king of New York, The Notorious B.I.G. Two top-tier storytellers, Biggie and Short trade game on this track. They also get a verse from Puff Daddy and a chorus from Carl Thomas. The fact that Bad Boy, top record label at the time, featured Short on their project speaks volumes of $hort’s status in the game.
A bootleg mixtape-era classic. If this wasn’t on the mix you purchased from the CD man at the barbershop, you had to go get your money back. At the turn of the millennium, Lil Jon had it locked. This song was one of the many tracks he produced that had folks in the function sweating through their oversized dress shirts, and scuffing their Steve Maddens while going stupid.
During Short’s time in the South, he managed to work with a little bit of everybody. This combination with Jermaine Dupri pairs two hip-hop pioneers with a supporting cast of talented artists, and leaves the audience with a refreshing summertime song that encourages you to drop the sunroof and ride out.
Technically a collaboration, this song features two of the nastiest, frank, forward, clever, and comedic storytellers hip-hop has ever known, with both spitting sultry bars over a sexy beat. Featured on the Booty Call soundtrack, it’s not something that I should’ve been listening to as a kid. Also, it’s something that I couldn’t stop listening to as a kid. Years later, it still slaps.
This is it. This is the epitome of a Short feature. First Scarface drops a classic line about a woman having the whole world in her pants, then Devin comes through with the hook and a verse, and Tela ends the song. While everyone is indulging in their pursuit of sexual experiences, Short uses his verse to do what he’s been known to do: “Let ‘em know I’m pimpin’ really / Unless I'm getting paid, the shit is temporary.”
The song is full of applicable wisdom — “Don’t buy an $85,000 car before you buy a house,” E-40 raps in his verse. Acknowledging his critics, Short follows by saying, "They always said I couldn't rap, I just say bitch / I guess the bitch, made me rich.” While there’s a lot to learn from the words shared on the song, it’s the video — with cameos from Ice-T, Mack 10, Tupac, and more — that should be placed in the hip-hop hall of fame.
One of the greatest examples of how Lil Jon’s punchy drums and bass-thumping production mixes with Short’s scriptures from the player’s bible. Short floats on the track, spitting rude, cold mackin’ lines as the parade of drums behind his voice makes for a banger in clubs, functions, sideshows, and most importantly, house parties. That’s actually where I first heard this track. In the words of Short: “I remember how it all began, house parties in East Oakland.”
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Pendarvis Harshaw is an Oakland kid who reads and writes for a living. He's an award winning journalist who covers prisons, hip-hop and his community. He currently lives in Sacramento and works in San Francisco at KQED, where he hosts the Rightnowish podcast and is co-editor of BayAreaHipHop.com. You can reach him at @ogpenn on all platforms.
