EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Too $hort Talks New Album, Tupac, & Diddy

SPEAKER_1 (0:01)

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Tawanda (0:32)

Welcome to The TMZ Podcast. I am Tawanda. I am so excited about today's episode, even though I'm always excited. But today I'm really, really excited.

Last time I had a Bay Legend in here, they told me not to say Bay Legend, they just said a legend. So I learned my lesson. So I'm sitting next to a iconic legend. The one, the only, too short. Thank you for joining us today.

Too Short (0:53)

What's up? You know, we're worldwide. It's okay to say Bay, but you gotta make sure, from the Bay, a legend from the Bay.

Tawanda (1:02)

Okay, boom. I'm here with a legend from the Bay. There we go. Too short. Thank you for joining us.

Too Short (1:07)

All the time. I love TMZ.

Tawanda (1:08)

Boom, you know what I think about when I see you?

Too Short (1:11)

What's that?

Tawanda (1:12)

Black don't crack.

Too Short (1:13)

Okay, well I'm 60 years old.

Tawanda (1:15)

I know that's why I think that, because at 60 years old, you literally just dropped a new album.

Too Short (1:21)

Yep.

Tawanda (1:22)

Sir Too Short, volume two, and you're still making music. You just dropped a new single, Out Tonight.

Allegedly, you're leaving here. You got a hard out. You got to leave here to go record with Diplo.

Too Short (1:33)

The funniest thing you just said, allegedly. Allegedly.

Tawanda (1:38)

Allegedly, while I'm here, a little birdie in the newsroom said you are...

Too Short (1:41)

Yeah, well, yeah. He reached out. He's like, you know, we got some mutual people, and I've actually jumped on stage with Diplo a couple of times in the past, and we've been, you know...

Tawanda (1:52)

What's going to be the vibe of the music? Isn't Diplo more like house music, EDM?

Too Short (1:56)

It's anywhere from house to country. I don't know what it's going to be.

Tawanda (1:59)

A lot of people are getting into country. You know, a country song right now is number one has been for forever. Do you know that song? You don't know the Truth in Texas song?

Too Short (2:09)

I probably know when I hear it. I don't know the title of a lot of songs that I like.

Tawanda (2:13)

But if you heard it, you probably would know it.

Too Short (2:14)

It's not like they're giving you the opportunity to just walk in to Tower Records and buy it like you used to. So you just hear it in the wind. And I'm like, got to hit Shazam to find out who it is.

Tawanda (2:24)

What kind of vibe do you hope it is?

Too Short (2:27)

Something that I can instantly feel like is going to be hot. Because when you work with DJ producers, they DJ.

They know what people like. So it's like you expect more of them.

Tawanda (2:39)

Got you.

Too Short (2:40)

Other producers, you're like, give me a good song. Give me a hit, give me whatever.

But a DJ producer, you're like, give me something that you're going to actually play in your own set.

Tawanda (2:50)

Boom, I'm not mad at that. Okay.

Too Short (2:52)

That's what I'm expecting.

Tawanda (2:53)

Okay, boom. So Sir 2 Short, volume two.

You worked on that album, or it was produced entirely by Little John with the help of his son, his late son, Slade Rest In Peace. What was that like collaborating with him again? Because obviously some of the biggest songs that we know.

Too Short (3:09)

Yeah, Little John produced Blood of Whistler.

Tawanda (3:11)

And Shake That Monkey.

Too Short (3:12)

Shake That Monkey.

Tawanda (3:13)

So you know how you said you don't know titles of songs? So this morning, I was talking to my producer Tony over here, and he was like, I don't know that song. I don't know that song. I was like, bro, I'm telling you.

Too Short (3:23)

Hit play.

Tawanda (3:23)

You know that song. There's not been one night you have gone out to a club, a party, a house party. If you was in high school, you know the song, I hit play. He said, oh, of course.

Too Short (3:33)

Yeah, that's a beautiful thing, that the music is bigger than the name at times. And you gotta hit it however you can get it. But I think that, you know, I mean, at 60, still making albums is not really a thing that I'm doing for me. I'm doing this for hip hop. I'm doing it for the statement. I'm doing it for the reality of when you go fact check to say what did hip hop do, what did it not do. You could definitely be able to say that. I know some rappers who were still getting money in their 60s, and it's really, really good money.