Blow The Whistle is the 16th album, with a fitting 16 tracks, for Bay Area mainstay Too Short, which comes off as a sort of celebration of the legendary artist's career. Unfortunately, the release is heavier on style, than it is on substance.
Too bad it's no longer 1993 because rhyming topics like bitches and pimping over and over gets old after a while, though doing it back in the day will likely find Todd Shaw a place in the hip-hop hall of fame. Who can argue that with six platinum solo albums in a row? Nonetheless, Too Short's latest fails to live up to that standard.
Blow The Whistle doesn't even have the lasting effect of Married To The Game, Chase The Cat, or You Nasty. It's perceptible that while commemorating his legacy through this release, Too Short didn't exhaust enough time planning it out.
To be fair though, Shaw has made his living cultivating the "pimp" culture into hip-hop, and he doesn't stray away from that. So, at least he deserves props for staying true to who he is. His choices on production and the timing leave little to be desired however.
Short isn't a excellent lyricist, he's not lighting quick on the mic, but he does have an incomparable presence and persona, and Blow The Whistle -- with the help of Lil Jon -- is, if nothing else, something to bump in the club.
Short made the word "biotch" a staple in rap music and he begins the album by doing none other than spitting the word out, in what might be, a world record amount of times. But perhaps in doing so, it lampoons the word and lessens its harsh meaning. Maybe the mainstream media and uptight mothers will realize it's nothing more than a "word" because of Short.
"Burn Rubber Pt. 2" has some intriguing production, but Short fails to capitalize on it with any thing remotely provocative. After an inauspicious start, "Keep Bouncin'" picks it up though, mainly due more to Will.i.am, than Snoop, who seems to merely phone it in.
It's actually quite ironic because the songs that were promoted the most, turned out to be duds, while a few "gems" were startlingly discovered. Included in those is track no. 12 -- "Baller" which serves as a sermon for youngsters on how to become a baller, in whatever field or predicament they might be in. Short essentially shows off a touch of wisdom, and David Banner manages to hold it down, while backing him up.
"Nothing Feels Better" is a nearly Isaac Hayes like love anthem that is perfect for putting on when you're making "whoopee," but mainly if you're a dude, and if you are, this track is suggested to set the mood next time.
"Sophisticated" takes a stirring turn from the main theme of the album by paying homage to real women and not "bitches." It's refreshing to hear Short take this stance and by following "Nothing Feels Better," it becomes evident that maybe, just maybe, this release is not the steaming pile of excrement that it emerged as from the get go. "Playa" continues the momentum on the middle of the album, but then, if it weren't for guest appearances by Jazze Pha and Bun B, "16 Hoes" would be a skipper -- the song that you immediately pass through after the one before.
"Sadity" flashes the classic Lil Jon style that pop up every now and then on here. It's an odd mix, matching the Oakland prince with the Southern "crunkster." The interaction is tolerable at best.
"It's Time To Go" and "Shake It Baby" provide a fitting, almost half-assed ending to a somewhat disappointment of a comeback for Todd Shaw. The problem though might not be Too Short at all conversely. Love him or hate him, Lil Jon's crunk is getting tired. That style is great for getting women on the dance floor, but not for producing a stellar enduring piece of art. In short, Too Short is not necessarily past his prime, it's that the prime has past him.
With all the references to fellatio, hoes and pimping, this isn't one for the ladies to roll to. But, guys will have no shame in riding to some of these songs. And after 16 albums, there's not much more an artist can hope for. Even the Grateful Dead lost it after 15 releases, Go To Heaven is an obvious example, and some of those were live. So, hey nobody's perfect.
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