{{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|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 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 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 = 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<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