Too $hort: You Nasty

An ugly, endlessly lascivious high-school dropout with a monotone flow as unwavering as his choice of subject matter, Too $hort is an unlikely musical pioneer. But, over the course of 12 albums, he's cast a long shadow over hip-hop, and his trademark sound—built on live instrumentation rather than samples—and concise, blunt narratives have influenced everyone from The Coup to Kid Rock to DJ Quik to Snoop Dogg to E-40. Last year's Can't Stay Away was an uncharacteristically star-studded affair, with rappers from the East Coast (Jay-Z), South (Eightball & MJG, Scarface), and West Coast (E-40, Daz, B-Legit) all sharing a mic with the vertically challenged Iceberg Slim of hip-hop. But for album number 12, $hort has gone back to the basics, largely eschewing big-name guest stars and focusing on the primitive dirty tales that made his name, all rooted in a stripped-down version of his signature funk. Lyrically, little has changed: $hort still has harsh words for squares and wannabe macks whose pimping does not meet his high standards, as well as fierce criticism of out-of-line hoes and scandalous gold-diggers. But, when the Too $hort formula works, it more than compensates for the narrow subject matter and fierce misogyny. "Pimp Shit," also featured on the Shaft soundtrack, is classic Too $hort, driven by thick, greasy production and a soulful, P-Funk-inspired chorus, while "Recognize Game" is a lively battle of the sexes between $hort and feisty Southerner Chyna. "Call Me Daddy" is by far the best song here, a surprisingly sympathetic, melancholy depiction of the seduction of a small-time prostitute by a reassuring pimp who convinces her that working the streets is the only way to escape the misery of urban life. Like Can't Stay Away, You Nasty is decidedly downbeat, sadly lacking the celebratory tone that made Gettin' It—which reveled in the world-beating promise of the rapper's unlikely success story—his best to date. Still, the solid You Nasty confirms that, two decades into his career, Too $hort is a hip-hop institution to be reckoned with.