Life Is... Too Short
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Life Is... Too Short
| type = studio
| artist = Too Short
| cover = Too $hort Life Is...Too Short.jpg
| alt =
| released = 1988
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Hip hop
| length = 54:52
| label = {{hlist|Dangerous Music|Jive|RCA}}
| producer = {{hlist|Too Short|R. Austin|T. Bohanon|Al Eaton}}
| prev_title = Born to Mack
| prev_year = 1987
| next_title = Short Dog's in the House
| next_year = 1990
}}
Life Is... Too Short (stylized as Life Is... Too $hort) is the fifth studio album by American rapper Too Short. It was first released in 1988 via Dangerous Music{{cite web |title=Too $hort |url=https://trouserpress.com/reviews/too-hort/ |website=Trouser Press |access-date=February 26, 2025}}{{cite book |title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |date=1992 |publisher=Random House |page=711}}{{cite book |title=MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide |date=1998 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |pages=568–569}} and re-released on January 31, 1989,{{multiref|{{Cite web|title=Gold & Platinum|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Too+Short&ti=Life+Is+...+Too+Short&format=Album&type=#search_section |access-date=2025-02-25|website=RIAA|language=en-US}}|{{Cite web|title=Billboard - February 25, 1989|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1989/BB-1989-02-25.pdf|access-date=2025-02-25|website=worldradiohistory.com|language=en}}|{{Cite web|title=Billboard - March 18, 1989|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1989/BB-1989-03-18.pdf|access-date=2025-02-25|website=worldradiohistory.com|language=en}}}} through Jive Records. 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. It is currently his highest-selling album to date, being certified double platinum by the RIAA for sales of over 2 million copies.
Background
"Don't Fight the Feelin'" samples the 1982 One Way song of the same name.
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite web|author=Alex Henderson |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/life-istoo-short-mw0000266727 |title=Life Is...Too Short Too $hort |website=AllMusic |date= |access-date=July 25, 2015}}
| rev2 = MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide
| rev3 = RapReviews
| rev3Score = 7.5/10{{cite web|url=http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/BTTL_lifeistoo.html |title=Too $hort Life is... Too $hort |website=RapReviews |date=May 2, 2003 |access-date=July 25, 2015}}
| rev4 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide
| rev4score = {{rating|2.5|5}}
| rev5 = The Village Voice
| rev5Score = B+{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=June 27, 1989|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv689-89.php|title=Consumer Guide|newspaper=The Village Voice|location=New York|access-date=May 6, 2016}}
}}
In 2022, Rolling Stone included Life Is... Too Short on their list of "The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time", at No. 186.{{cite news |author= |date=June 7, 2022 |title=The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-hip-hop-albums-1323916/ |work=Rolling Stone |access-date=June 26, 2022}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Todd Shaw, except where noted
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| total_length =
| title1 = Life Is... Too Short
| note1 =
| extra1 =
| length1 = 4:34
| title2 = Rhymes
| note2 =
| extra2 =
| length2 = 4:17
| title3 = I Ain't Trippin{{'-}}
| note3 =
| extra3 =
| length3 = 6:41
| title4 = Nobody Does It Better
| note4 =
| extra4 =
| length4 = 6:15
| title5 = Oakland
| note5 =
| writer5 = {{hlist|Shaw|Al Eaton}}
| extra5 =
| length5 = 4:41
| title6 = Don't Fight the Feelin{{'-}}
| note6 = featuring Danger Zone and Rappin' 4-Tay
| extra6 =
| length6 = 8:18
| title7 = CussWords
| note7 =
| extra7 =
| length7 = 7:44
| title8 = City of Dope
| note8 =
| writer8 = {{hlist|Shaw|Eaton}}
| extra8 =
| length8 = 5:31
| title9 = Pimp the Ho
| note9 =
| extra9 =
| length9 = 5:54
| title10 = Outro
| note10 =
| extra10 =
| length10 = 0:59
}}
Personnel
- T. Bohanon - Producer
- Al Eaton - Guitar, Keyboards, Producer, Mixing
- Victor Hall - Photography
- Helen Kim - Vocals (background)
- Mr. Z - Clothing/Wardrobe
- Todd Shaw - Keyboards, Programming, Producer, Drum Programming, Mixing
- Janna Thomas - Vocals (background)
- Mark {{Not a typo|Wholey}} - Artwork
- Jeanette Wright - Vocals (background)
- Rappin' 4-Tay - Performer
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (1989)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{album chart|Billboard200|37|artist=Too Short|rowheader=true|access-date=October 23, 2014}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|9|artist=Too Short|rowheader=true|access-date=October 23, 2014}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (1989)
! scope="col"| Position |
|---|
| scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard){{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1989/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1989|work=Billboard|access-date=November 15, 2021|archive-date=December 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151206040915/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1989/top-r-b-hip-hop-albums|url-status=live}}
| 16 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Too Short|title=Life Is ... Too Short|award=Platinum|number=2|type=album|relyear=1989|certyear=1996}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true }}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Too Short (rapper)}}
{{Authority control}}