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Too Short fits into small venue in South Lake Tahoe

Adam Jensen

“I go on and on/ Can’t understand how I last so long/ I must have super powers/ Rap two hundred twenty five thousand hours.”

With 16 albums in 22 years, it’s clear the opening lines from Too Short’s latest single, “Blow the Whistle,” are no leisurely boast, although you’d never be able to tell through the Oakland rapper’s laid-back drawl and typical braggadocio.

Produced by Lil’ Jon, the track’s beat borrows from the current strain of dance-oriented rap coming out of the Bay Area, while the lyrics keep the trademark cadence of Too Short’s vocals intact.



These lackadaisical lyrics would sound almost child-like in their candor if the rapper ever strayed from his consistent themes of sex and street life, something he appears unlikely to do.

Despite a 1996 retirement and a Jordan-esque return in 1999, Too Short is one of the most consistent and well-respected members of the West Coast rap community, putting out “gangster rap” albums even before the phrase was coined after, Los Angeles rap group, N.W.A.’s debut in 1987.



In fact, Too Short’s Jive Records Web site, claims the rapper has been selling tapes in East Oakland since 1981, sometimes customizing the lyrics to cassettes for 10 to 20 bucks.

“And whatever information that you wanted on there would be on there. It would be your own special hook up,” Too Short stated on http://www.tooshortworld.com.

Although no longer customizing mix tapes, rap fans will be getting the “special hook up” Friday, Aug. 3 when Too Short plays Whiskey Dick’s Saloon, an unusually small venue for an artist of such acclaim.

Originally scheduled in Reno, the show has been moved to Whiskey Dick’s in South Lake Tahoe, giving rap fans the rare opportunity to see the legendary rapper perform live in a club setting.


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