Words by Joseph "JayRich" Robinson Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0
Twenty years in any business is to be applauded, no matter what the profession. It shows that you're dedicated, consistent, and have sustained enough success to return year after year. When anyone does anything for that long, their recipe for achievement usually falls under one of two scenarios: they're barely getting by with an aged formula for success, or they're evolving with the times and breaking new ground. In Too Short's case, it's been a little bit of both.
While he's managed to touch the charts with guest spots here and there, Too Short has also shown that old habits die hard, rarely swaying from his staple tales of pimps and hoes.
This time around, Short returns with a new LP, entitled Get Off The Stage. The content of his latest project can be easily assessed by its self-explanatory track listing. Much like his rhyme style, Short's music is cutthroat, dry and straight to the point. Opening with the performance-themed title track, "Get Off the Stage," Too Short addresses male groupies who cling to rappers, more so than suspect women. However, he doesn't stay sidetracked for long, jumping right back on the ladies in the fashion that has garnered hip-hop a myriad of criticism lately.
Misogyny aside, the album's best song, "This My One," features the colorful swagger of E-40. E-40 gives the song his trademark "cool" as he trades bars about the Bay Area with Short Dog. With lines like, "I got a cold conversation / Could talk a cop out of a ticket in front of the police station," E-40 proves that slick talking will always have a home in hip-hop. Tracks like "Sh--ing On Em" and "Gangstas and Strippers" speak for themselves as Too Short executes a slew of his charismatically crass quips.
When the beat of "Dum Ditty Dum" begins, the album regains momentum with Too Short's recent signing, The Pack, delivering their usual hyphy-infested sound. The mood quickly mellows as "Pull Them Panties Down" showcases a hybrid of hedonistic lyrics and laid-back production. "I Like It" is an attempt at a club banger while "It Ain't Over" pushes more toward radio. However, neither possesses any flash that will make much of a splash.
Get Off The Stage provides what Too Short fans crave and what women's groups and conservatives rant over. Some hip-hop fans will appreciate a veteran who still attempts to make relevant music, while others may call him a "has been" because it's obvious that he is past his prime. The album proves that experience isn't always a good thing, especially when it pertains to the young man's game of hip-hop.
On Get off The Stage, Too Short flirts with the brilliance that once made him a hip-hop phenomenon, but he also comes off as dated and sounds like... well... think of the dirty old man on your block who spouts cat calls at every passing female.
Pimps and players will always respect the man who gives their life a soundtrack, however, the younger crowds may be shouting, "Get off the stage."
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