Still Blowin'

iTunes Review

Todd Shaw is 44 years old but after almost three decades as rap’s preeminent pimp, does Still Blowin’ show him finally going straight? Listen to “Player Card”: “You used to keep an extra chick / Just for booty calls and sexy trips / But now you’re at the grocery store / Target, Wal-Mat and Home Depot.” Say it ain’t so, Too $hort! As if to compensate for this moment of self-doubt, $hort follows it up with three of his nastiest songs to date: “I’m a Pimp,” “Checking My Hoes” and “Porno Bitch,” the last of which finds $hort extolling the virtues — or lack thereof — of his favorite adult film actresses. The influence of Short’s frequent collaborator Lil Jon is all over “I Want That,” a solid piece of post-crunk that blends mean bass and laser synthesizers. The pimp in Too $hort might not be mellowing any time soon, but it’s nice to hear him cede the mic to a female MC. The two songs with Silk E —“Maggot Brain” and “All for Love”— leave the listener craving a full-length collaboration between Too $hort and a tough-minded female counterpart.