Life Is… Too Short is the fifth album from Oakland rap icon Too Short. It was released in 1988 via Dangerous Music and re-released in 1989 through Jive Records, making it his first major label release. It appeared as a Dangerous Music/RCA Records release until Jive Records logos appeared on the release on October 25, 1990, after it became successful. Life Is… Too Short is Too Short’s highest-selling album to date, being certified double platinum by the RIAA for sales of over 2 million copies.
Life Is… Too Short wasn’t playing around – it was raw, unfiltered – straight from the streets of Oakland. From the jump, the title track “Life Is… Too Short” lays it all out. Too Short’s deadpan voice cuts through the funk-laden beat, spitting rhymes about living fast and making moves. The hook is simple but effective, drilling the album’s central message into your brain: life is short and you only have one, so you better get yours while you can. On “City of Dope,” Too Short paints a vivid picture of Oakland’s drug scene, not glorifying it but not sugar-coating it either. The beat is ominous, matching the serious subject matter.
Don’t get it twisted – this isn’t a preachy, moralistic album. Too Short’s not here to lecture; he’s here to tell it like it is. Tracks like “Nobody Does It Better” and “I Ain’t Trippin'” show off his knack for crafting laidback bass-heavy grooves that’ll have your head nodding. “Cusswords” is almost playful in its approach, with Too Short flexing his lyrical muscles and showing off his command of profanity. It’s crude, sure, but there’s linguistic creativity at work that’s hard to deny, asserting Too Short’s right to express himself however he sees fit. His hometown anthem “Oakland” is another highlight, Too Short’s pride in his city shines through, even as he details its rougher aspects. The production on this track is particularly on point, with a funky bassline that perfectly captures the West Coast sound that was starting to blow up.
Throughout the album, Too Short’s delivery is deceptively simple. He’s not trying to dazzle you with complex rhyme schemes or rapid-fire flows. Instead, he relies on his distinct voice and straightforward, no-nonsense lyricism. It’s an approach that lets the rawness of his stories and observations hit home without any unnecessary frills. This album isn’t for the faint of heart or those easily offended. Too Short’s lyrics are often misogynistic and half the songs here are packed with his trademark profanity and sexual explicitness. Too Short always knew how to balance harder elements in his bars with an underlying sense of fun. Even when he’s rapping about serious topics, there’s often a glint in Too Short’s eye, a sense that he’s in on the joke. This ability to walk the line between grit and humor would become a hallmark of his style and a big part of his enduring appeal.
Life Is… Too Short played a crucial role in putting Oakland and the broader Bay Area on the Hip Hop map. While N.W.A was blowing up in Los Angeles, Too Short was carving out his own lane up north. This album helped establish the Bay Area’s distinctive sound and style, influencing countless artists who would follow in Too Short’s footsteps. The album’s commercial success was significant, especially for an independent release. It even cracked the Top 40 on the Billboard 200. This level of mainstream recognition for such an unapologetically street-oriented album was a big deal, opening doors for other artists to bring their unfiltered realities to a wider audience. Looking back at Life Is… Too Short from today’s perspective, it’s clear how influential this album was. You can hear echoes of Too Short’s style in countless rappers who followed, from his Bay Area disciples to Southern rap stars who picked up on his pimped-out persona and laid-back flow.
The production on Life Is… Too Short is a crucial element of its success. The beats are heavily influenced by P-Funk and other 70s soul and funk, creating a sonic backdrop that’s unmistakably West Coast. The use of live instrumentation gives the album a richness and depth that sets it apart from the more sample-heavy and computer-programmed East Coast sound of the time. The album’s production, with its heavy bass and funk influences, helped lay the groundwork for the G-funk sound that would dominate West Coast Hip Hop in the early 90s. While Too Short’s style was distinct from what artists like Dr. Dre would later popularize, you can hear the seeds of that sound all over this album.
Of course, Life Is… Too Short wasn’t his debut – Too Short already made waves with his indie tapes and especially his Born to Mack album (with the explicit sex classic “Freaky Tales” as its centerpiece) the previous year – but it was the album that really put him on the map nationally. It set the template for the style he’d continue to refine over the next few decades, establishing him as one of rap’s most consistent and enduring figures. He showed that you didn’t need to be from New York or Los Angeles to make an impact in the rap game.
Life Is… Too Short captures the sound and spirit of Oakland in the late 80s, a time when drug epidemics were ravaging inner cities and gangsta rap was giving voice to the realities of street life. Too Short’s album is one of the most vivid and unflinching portraits of that era. At the same time, many of the themes Too Short explores on this album – hustling to get ahead, dealing with haters, repping your city, explicit sex – have become rap staples. In that sense, Life Is… Too Short feels both of its time and oddly timeless.
Ultimately, what makes Life Is… Too Short such an essential album is its authenticity. Too Short wasn’t trying to be anyone but himself. He brought his world to the mic with no filter, giving listeners a raw, uncompromising look at life in the streets of Oakland. There’s no denying its realness. In the years since its release, Life Is… Too Short has rightfully earned its place in the pantheon of classic Hip Hop albums. It may not have the widespread name recognition of some of its contemporaries, but its influence on the development of West Coast rap, and Hip Hop as a whole, is indisputable. For anyone looking to understand the roots of modern rap, this album is essential listening.
