Too $hort

Too Short, or Too $hort, (born Todd Anthony Shaw on April 28 1966) is a rapper who started his career in his hometown of Oakland, California. Through his music, Too $hort has cultivated a persona of a no-nonsense pimp, and is

Too Short, or Too $hort, (born Todd Anthony Shaw on April 28 1966) is a rapper who started his career in his hometown of Oakland, California. Through his music, Too $hort has cultivated a persona of a no-nonsense pimp, and is widely credited for popularizing pimp culture in hip hop, along with Ice T and Slick Rick. He has released over ten albums and recently founded his own label. Too $hort is now based in Atlanta, Georgia.

In the early 1980s $hort produced custom raps for people with his high school friend, Freddie B. They would glamorize a person on a 30-minute tape, and the transaction would usually cost $10. He also played percussion in his high school marching band. Soon he became one the first rap artists to promote and sell records independently, and as a pioneer responsible for the birth of Northern California's independent hip-hop scene, he has inspired many to pursue success in the music industry without the assistance of a major record company. Also, the sound of the music was different from East Coast hip-hop, which is known for its technique of sampling and looping to create a song. Initially, $hort's first releases had raw and simple drum beats, but by (1989)'s Life Is...Too $hort, Funk and Blues were being infused with synthesizers and drum machines, giving birth to the Bay Area hip-hop sound known as Mobb music.