Too Short Discusses Pitfalls Of Rap Beefs: "We're Losing A Lot Of Rappers"

BY Erika Marie 1.9K Views
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Too Short
The Rap icon spoke about rappers losing their lives and freedoms, adding that when that happens, every employee and person they support suffers as well.

With over three decades in the music industry under his belt, Too $hort has seen it all. He's climbed the charts, toured the world, watched as his songs and albums have turned into classics, and has engaged in a Rap beef or two. As Hip Hop evolves with the help of social media, the way the tensions between artists are communicated has also shifted. The egging on of fans and trolls can intensify animosity, and while visiting Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay, Short Dog dropped a few thoughts on Rap beefs of today. 

"If a rapper is promoting beef, in these days, with the social media—you’ve got a crew of thirty to forty people, and there’s only one popular face in your crew—that’s you," he said. "So, your guys do this and that, and y’all incited some stuff, and then you’re provoking it with your song. When they see you all around the town, they only know one face."

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"And that’s why I think we’re losing a lot of rappers, because, you know, chop it off at the head. That’s the bread and butter," Short added. "When you gun down the rapper, you just gunned down five other employees' income; you just gunned down school kids’ clothes, Christmas, a dope birthday that was going to happen."

He drew a similar parallel with jail. "When the rapper do so much dirt with his homies and he ends up catching the case and going to jail...you locked up the income! You feel me?" Too Short believes that people need to look at the big picture before getting themselves entangled in rifts that could be damaging to not only themselves but everyone around them that they've helped support, as well.

"Like, man - you’ve got a rapper that’s making fifty grand a weekend—not a month, a weekend. Every weekend he go out and make fifty grand. That money goes to the crew, we share. You know, you my road manager, you my hype man, you my DJ...we from nothin'. And all that stops while you go do six months, a year, three years in jail. All that stops. So, I’m like, we ain’t thinking about the big picture."

Watch Too Short chop it up with Shannon Sharpe below. 


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.