View source for 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 or January 1989<ref name="releasedate">Contrary to the 1988 copyright date on the album, the following sources refer to January 1989 as the official release date for ''Life Is... Too Short'':
* {{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=Life is ... Too Short /T. Shaw. Detailed Record View|url=https://publicrecords.copyright.gov/detailed-record/voyager_11295158|access-date=2025-08-03|website=publicrecords.copyright.gov|language=en}}</ref><ref name="AllMusic"/>
| recorded     = 
| studio       = 
| genre        =  [[Hip-hop]]<ref name=AllMusic/>
| length       = 54:52
| label        = {{hlist|Dangerous Music|[[Jive Records|Jive]]|[[RCA Records|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 album by American rapper [[Too Short]]. It was released in 1988 or early 1989 via Dangerous Music and [[Jive Records]].<ref name="releasedate"/><ref name="AllMusic"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Too $hort |url=https://trouserpress.com/reviews/too-hort/ |website=Trouser Press |access-date=February 26, 2025}}</ref><ref name="RS">{{cite book |title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |date=1992 |publisher=Random House |page=711}}</ref><ref name="MH">{{cite book |title=MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide |date=1998 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |pages=568–569}}</ref> It appeared as a Dangerous Music/RCA Records release until Jive Records issued the album on October 25, 1990, after it became successful. It is currently Too Short's highest-selling album, having been certified double Platinum by the [[RIAA]] for sales of over 2 million copies.

==Background==
"Don't Fight the Feelin'" samples the 1982 [[One Way (American band)|One Way]] song of the same name.

==Critical reception==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name=AllMusic>{{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}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[MusicHound|MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide]]''
| rev2score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name=MH/>
| rev3 = ''RapReviews''
| rev3Score = 7.5/10<ref>{{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}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev4score = {{rating|2.5|5}}<ref name=RS/>
| rev5 = ''[[The Village Voice]]''
| rev5Score = B+<ref>{{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}}</ref>
}}
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.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |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}}</ref>

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| all_writing = [[Too Short|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
*[[Too Short|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<br />position
|-
{{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'')<ref>{{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}}</ref>
| 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}}

[[Category:Too Short albums]]
[[Category:1989 albums]]
[[Category:Jive Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Too Short]]