Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966), better known by his stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper. A pioneer of

West Coast hip-hop West Coast hip-hop is a regional genre of Hip-hop, hip-hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the West Coast of the United States. West Coast hip-hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during th ...

, Shaw was among the first acts to receive recognition in the genre during the late 1980s. His lyrics were often based on

pimping Procuring, pimping, or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. A procurer, colloquially called a pimp (if male) or a madam (if female, though the term "pimp" ...

and

promiscuity Promiscuity is the practice of engaging in sexual activity frequently with different partners or being indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners. The term can carry a moral judgment. A common example of behavior viewed as promiscuous by man ...

, but also drug culture and street survival; exemplified respectively in his most popular singles " Blow the Whistle" and " The Ghetto". He is one of few acts to have worked with both

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

and

the Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap tradi ...

during the heights of their respective careers. Shaw began recording in 1983, and cultivated a regional following with three independent projects tailored for his native

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

. His fourth album, ''

Born to Mack ''Born to Mack'' is the fourth studio album and debut major label album by American rapper Too Short. The album was released in 1987 via Dangerous Music. It was re-released on March 1, 1988, by Jive Records/RCA, before the success of '' Life Is... ...

'' (1987) sold an estimated 50,000 units from Shaw's car trunk, leading to a commercial re-issue by

Jive Records Jive Records (later stylized as JIVE Records) was a British-American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary of the Zomba Group of Companies, Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chic ...

the following year. His fifth album, '' Life Is... Too Short'' (1989), received

double platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music Sound recording and reproduction, recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video ...

certification by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA) and became his first entry on the ''Billboard'' 200. His sixth album, '' Short Dog's In The House'' (1990), peaked at number 20 on the chart and spawned the single "The Ghetto", which became his first and highest-charting entry on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 as a lead artist. His next four albums—''

Shorty the Pimp ''Shorty the Pimp'' is the seventh studio album by American rapper Too Short. It was released on July 14, 1992, via Jive Records. The album's title is taken from the 1973 blaxploitation film of the same name, featuring an eponymous character. ...

'' (1992), ''

Get in Where You Fit In ''Get In Where You Fit In'' is the eighth solo studio album by American rapper Too Short. It was released on October 26, 1993, through Jive Records, making it his fifth release for the label. The recording sessions took place at Dangerous Studi ...

'' (1993), ''

Cocktails A cocktail is a mixed drink, usually alcoholic. Most commonly, a cocktail is a combination of one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as juices, flavored syrups, tonic water, shrubs, and bitters. Cocktails vary widely acro ...

'' (1995), and ''

Gettin' It (Album Number Ten) ''Gettin' It (Album Number Ten)'' is the tenth studio album by American rapper Too Short. It was released on May 21, 1996, by Jive Records, making it his seventh album on the label. It was announced and marketed as his "final album", although his ...

'' (1996)—each peaked within the top ten of the ''Billboard'' 200 and received

platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...

certifications by the RIAA. In 1988, he formed the group

the Dangerous Crew The Dangerous Crew was an American hip hop band formed by Oakland, California rapper and producer Todd "Too Short" Shaw. The Dangerous Crew consisted of both live musicians and rappers: Stuart "Shorty B" Jordan (bass, guitar, drums), Ramone "Pe ...

with Oakland-based rappers and producers, and in 2020, he formed the West Coast hip hop group

Mount Westmore Mount Westmore is an American hip hop music, hip hop Supergroup (music), supergroup composed of California-based rappers Snoop Dogg, E-40, Too Short, and Ice Cube. Formed in late 2020, the group's debut album, ''Bad MF's'' (2022) was initially r ...

with frequent collaborators

Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

and

E-40 Earl Tywone Stevens (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. Stevens is a founding member of the rap group The Click (band), The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 27 stud ...

. In 2006, he founded the record label

Up All Nite Records Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966), better known by his stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper. A pioneer of West Coast hip-hop, Shaw was among the first acts to receive recognition in the genre during the late ...

, through which he signed the

hyphy The term hyphy ( ) is an Oakland, California, slang meaning "hyperactive". More specifically, it is an adjective describing the hip-hop music and the culture associated with the Oakland area. The term was first coined by rapper Keak da Snea ...

group the Pack (which included then-unknown rapper

Lil B Brandon Christopher McCartney (born August 17, 1989), known professionally as Lil B and Lil B The BasedGod, is an American rapper. He began his career as a member of the Berkeley, California-based hip hop group the Pack in 2005, who signed wi ...

Early life

Shaw was born and raised in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. In 1980, he and his family moved to

. He was a drummer in the band at Fremont High School in Oakland.

Career

In the mid-1980s, Shaw, along with high school friend Freddy B, produced custom songs (called "special requests") locally on cassette for people in Oakland and the Bay Area. In 1985, Too Short started his solo career and released his debut album, ''

Don't Stop Rappin' Don't, Dont, or DONT may refer to: Films * ''Don't'' (1925 film), a 1925 silent comedy film * ''Don't'' (1974 film), a 1974 film about the monarch butterfly * ''Don't'', a fake trailer from the film ''Grindhouse'' (2007) Songs * "Don't" (Bill ...

'' on Oakland record label 75 Girls Records And Tapes which, along with four 12" releases, featured raw, simple drum beats from a

LinnDrum The LinnDrum, often erroneously referred to as the LM-2, is a drum machine manufactured by Linn Electronics between 1982 and 1985. About 5,000 units were sold. Development The LinnDrum was designed by the American engineer Roger Linn. It was ...

drum machine A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...

. This was also one of the first hip hop recordings to use the word "

bitch Bitch may refer to: * Bitch (slang), a vulgar derogatory term used primarily referring to women, but is often directed towards men as well * A female dog or other canine Bitch or bitches may also refer to: Arts and media Film and television ...

" – a word which became one of the rapper's trademarks and was the focus of subsequent songs such as "Ain't Nothin' but a Word to Me". In the early 1990s, his self-produced beats came from mostly a TR-808 and from mid-to-late 2000s, a

TR-909 The Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer, commonly known as the 909, is a drum machine introduced by Roland Corporation in 1983, succeeding the Roland TR-808, TR-808. It was the first Roland drum machine to use Sampling (music), samples for some sounds, ...

was used. In 1985, Too Short and Freddie B. formed the label Dangerous Music to regionally distribute his music, and with others formed rap group

.Bush, John. Too Short – Biography

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

. Retrieved September 16, 2007. Dangerous Music became Short Records, and then Up All Nite Records. With his 1989 album, '' Life Is... Too Short'', he began using replayed established

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

riffs (rather than samples) with his beats. Subsequent work was primarily collaborative, including work with

Scarface Scarface may refer to: Gangster-related * Scarface, nickname for Al Capone (1899–1947), an American gangster and a businessman. * ''Scarface'' (novel), a novel by Armitage Trail, loosely based on Capone's rise to power ** ''Scarface'' (1932 ...

, and

Pimp C Chad Lamont Butler (December 29, 1973 – December 4, 2007), better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper and record producer. He was best known for his work with Bun B as one half of the hip-hop duo Underground Kingz (UGK). ...

. One of his notable collaborations during this period was on the track "The World Is Filled..." on the Notorious B.I.G. album ''

Life After Death ''Life After Death'' is the second and final studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released on March 25, 1997, by Bad Boy Records and distributed by Arista Records. A double album, it was released sixteen days after his murder. ...

''; he comes in on the third verse after Diddy and Biggie. Being featured on the album introduced him to a wider audience as well, due to his typical style contrasting greatly with the Mafioso theme of the album. He also appeared on TWDY's hit single "Player's Holiday" from their 1999 debut album ''

Derty Werk ''Ant Banks Presents T.W.D.Y.: Derty Werk'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop supergroup T.W.D.Y. (The Whole Damn Yay). It was released on April 20, 1999, via Thump Street Records. Production was handled entirely by member Ant Bank ...

'' as well as the

Priority Records Priority Records is an American distribution company and record label known for artists including N.W.A, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy-E, Master P, Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Silkk the Shocker, Jay-Z, Paris, Mack 10, 504 Boyz, Brotha Lynch Hung, ...

compilation ''Nuthin but a Gangsta Party''. After these appearances, he began working on his eleventh album, '' Can't Stay Away''. The album included guest appearances by

8Ball & MJG 8Ball & MJG is an American hip hop music, hip hop duo from Orange Mound, Memphis, Orange Mound, Memphis, Tennessee. They met at Ridgeway Middle School (Memphis, Tennessee), Ridgeway Middle School in 1984. In 1993, the duo released their debut al ...

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia as the son of Columbia Records executive Michael Mauldin, he began his career in music at the age of nine. He discovered th ...

Sean Combs Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Diddy, and formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Mount Ve ...

Daz Dillinger Delmar Drew Arnaud (born May 25, 1973), known professionally as Daz Dillinger or simply Daz (formerly Dat Nigga Daz), is an American rapper and record producer. As a member of Death Row Records in the early 1990s, he is credited with the label ...

Lil Jon Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971), better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, DJ, and record producer. Regarded as a progenitor of the club-oriented hip-hop subgenre crunk, his production and voice presence were inst ...

Soopafly Priest Joseph Brooks, (born December 8, 1972), known professionally as Soopafly is an American hip hop producer and rapper from Long Beach, California. He is a member of the DPGC. Early life The oldest of three children, Brooks grew up in Long ...

and

B-Legit Brandt Jones , better known by his stage name B-Legit, is an American rapper from Vallejo, California. Career Before he started his music career, he went to Grambling State University. He became a member of The Click, a rap group formed by his ...

.Too $hort Adds Puffy Track To Upcoming LP

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

: June 29, 1999. Too Short relocated to

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

in 1994, but he did not begin working with a more diverse variety of Southern artists until 2000, when he collaborated with

. With the 1999 release of '' Can't Stay Away'', Too Short came out of retirement, continuing his sexually explicit, relaxed style of rap. New albums released 2000–2003 were '' You Nasty'' (2000), '' Chase the Cat'' (2001), '' What's My Favorite Word?'' (2002), and '' Married to the Game'' (2003). These albums all charted fairly well, as they all were in the top 71 of the ''Billboard'' 200, but they did not do as well as Too Short's earlier 1990s releases, as none of them reached the top 10. Too Short > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums/ref> For his next album, '' Blow the Whistle'' (2006), Too Short now took advantage of the new

rap music that was emerging out of his original home base in Oakland. This saw somewhat of a resurgence for Too Short as it peaked at No. 14 on the ''Billboard'' 200, much better than each of his previous three releases. However, his subsequent releases, such as 2007's '' Get Off the Stage'', have not been as successful. On October 7, 2008, Too Short was honored by VH1 at the fifth annual "Hip-Hop Honors" along with

Cypress Hill Cypress Hill is an American Hip hop music, hip hop group formed in South Gate, California in 1988. One of the first Latin groups to gain mainstream recognition in hip hop, they have sold over 20 million albums worldwide, and have obtained multi ...

De La Soul De La Soul ( ) is an American hip hop music, hip hop group formed in the village of Amityville on Long Island, New York (state), New York in 1988. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, eccentric lyrics, and contributions to the evoluti ...

Slick Rick Richard Martin Lloyd Walters (born January 14, 1965), better known as Slick Rick, is an English-American rapper and record producer. He rose to prominence as part of Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew in the mid-1980s. His songs " The Show" and ...

and Naughty By Nature. In 2009, Too Short recorded for

and

. In 2011, the rapper was featured on

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he signed with the local independent label Rostrum Records to re ...

's song "

On My Level "On My Level" is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa featuring fellow American rapper Too $hort released as the first promotional, and later third official single from the former's third studio album, ''Rolling Papers'' (2011). The song was writ ...

". He also collaborated in

's 2011 album, ''

Doggumentary ''Doggumentary'' is the eleventh studio album by American West Coast hip hop recording artist Snoop Dogg. It was released on March 29, 2011 on the Priority Records record label. The album was hip hop production, produced by Battlecat (producer), ...

'' in the song "Take U Home" and on the

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...

song "

First Date A first date is the initial meeting during the dating process of two individuals, in which an effort is made to ask about each other, plan a potential relationship, and/or organize some sort of romantic activity. Aims vary between finding a ...

". In 2012 Too Short along with

released two collaboration albums on the same day titled '' History: Mob Music'' and '' History: Function Music''. Both charted in the top 100 on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart. Too Short has said the best verse he has ever recorded is a verse for a song on

Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...

's ''Detox'' called "Man's Best Friend (Pussy)". In 2013, it was announced he would collaborate with

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

on a song "Jewels n' Drugs" for her upcoming album ''

Artpop ''Artpop'' is a studio album by American singer Lady Gaga. It was released on November 6, 2013, by Streamline and Interscope Records. Gaga began planning the project in 2011, shortly after the launch of her second effort, '' Born This Way''. Wor ...

''. Also featured on the song are

T.I. Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (born September 25, 1980), known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper and singer raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris is credited as a pioneer of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgi ...

and

Twista Carl Terrell Mitchell (born November 27, 1973), better known by his stage name Twista (also known as Tung Twista), is an American rapper. He is best known for his Chopper (rap), chopper style of rapping and for once holding the title of fastest ...

. In 2015, Too Short was featured on actor Tavion Tate Guice's song "Oakland Brookfield Dance". In 2016, Too Short was featured on the song "Cochino" by Argentine-American rapper

Dumbfoundead Jonathan Edgar Park (born February 18, 1986), known by his stage name Dumbfoundead (), is an Argentinian-born American rapper and actor. He began his career in the 2000s as a battle rapper in Los Angeles and has since become one of the most pro ...

. The song is the seventh track off of Dumbfoundead's fifth studio album ''We Might Die''. Six years after his last release, Too Short released his 20th album ''

The Pimp Tape ''The Pimp Tape'' is the twentieth solo studio album by American rapper Too Short, Too $hort. It was released on November 9, 2018 through Dangerous Music and Empire Distribution, EMPIRE. The album features guest appearances from 2 Chainz, Adrian ...

'' on November 9, 2018. On December 20, 2019, he released his 21st album ''The Vault''. On December 18, 2020, Too Short and

released their collaboration album ''Ain't Gone Do It and Terms & Conditions''. In 2022, the City of Oakland honored Too Short with a commemorative street sign declaring a section of Foothill Boulevard "Too $hort Way" and proclaiming December 10, 2022 to be "Too $hort Day".

Up All Nite Records

In the mid-2000s, Shaw re-launched his Dangerous Music label into Up All Nite Records, a subsidiary imprint of

. He signed fellow California acts including the hip hop group the Pack. In 2017, he co-founded the "digital" record label OG Records with Vinny Az, which also aims as a platform for regional artists.

Personal life

In September 2019, Shaw and his partner Sue Ivy announced the birth of their first child, a daughter. Since 2006, Shaw has been a mentor at Youth UpRising, an Oakland-based non-profit which supports at-risk youths. On January 29, 2025, Shaw's brother Kevin Shaw was shot and killed in Oakland at the age of 61 during a botched robbery.

Filmography

Too Short played the role of Lew-Loc in the film ''

Menace II Society ''Menace II Society'' (pronounced ''Menace to Society'') is a 1993 American teen crime drama film directed by the Hughes Brothers in their directorial debut. Set in the Watts and Crenshaw neighborhoods of Los Angeles, the film follows the l ...

''. Too Short has also worked in the

adult film industry Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, adult films, blue films, sexually explicit films, or 18+ films, are films that represent sexually explicit subject matter in order to arouse, fascinate, or satisfy the viewer. Pornographic films repr ...

, with the 2003 film ''Get In Where You Fit In''. Too Short was an interviewee in ''

American Pimp ''American Pimp'' is a 1999 documentary that examines the pimp subculture in the United States. It was directed by the Hughes Brothers, the filmmakers behind ''Menace II Society'' and ''Dead Presidents''. The documentary consists of first pe ...

.'' Too Short starred in and performed the music for ''America's Sexiest Girls'' 2003. Too Short has also appeared in an episode of '' The Game''. Too Short made a cameo appearance in

's video for the hit single, ''Big Pimpin. Too Short was in VH1's Rock Doc, ''Planet Rock''. Too Short made a cameo in the feature film ''Stop Pepper Palmer'' with

Scott Schwartz Scott Schwartz (born May 12, 1968) is an American actor best known for his roles in the films '' The Toy'' (1982), ''A Christmas Story'' (1983) and '' A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)'', and '' Kidco'' (1984). Life and career Schwartz co-s ...

. Too Short released two

straight-to-DVD Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strateg ...

films as well: 2001's ''Too Short Uncensored'', produced by Jarrod Donoman and Terrell Taylor, the DVD Live Nationwide, and 2003's ''Too Short: Titty City'', again produced by Taylor and partner Co Garrett. Too Short was also featured in a 2009 episode of the E! show ''Kendra'' starring

Kendra Wilkinson Kendra Leigh Wilkinson (formerly Baskett; born June 12, 1985) is an American television personality and real estate agent. She first gained recognition as one of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends and for her role on the E! reality television series ''Th ...

Discography

Studio albums * ''Don't Stop Rappin (1983) * '' Players'' (1985) * '' Raw, Uncut & X-Rated'' (1986) * ''

'' (1987) * '' Life Is... Too Short'' (1989) * '' Short Dog's in the House'' (1990) * ''

'' (1992) * ''

'' (1993) * ''

'' (1995) * ''

'' (1996) * '' Can't Stay Away'' (1999) * '' You Nasty'' (2000) * '' Chase the Cat'' (2001) * '' What's My Favorite Word?'' (2002) * '' Married to the Game'' (2003) * '' Blow the Whistle'' (2006) * '' Get off the Stage'' (2007) * '' Still Blowin''' (2010) * '' No Trespassing'' (2012) * ''

'' (2018) * ''The Vault'' (2019) * ''Sir Too $hort Vol. 1 (Freaky Tales)'' (2025) Collaborative albums * ''Dangerous Crew'' (with

The Dangerous Crew The Dangerous Crew was an American hip hop band formed by Oakland, California rapper and producer Todd "Too Short" Shaw. The Dangerous Crew consisted of both live musicians and rappers: Stuart "Shorty B" Jordan (bass, guitar, drums), Ramone "Pe ...

) (1988) * '' Don't Try This at Home'' (with The Dangerous Crew) (1995) * '' History: Mob Music'' (with

) (2012) * '' History: Function Music'' (with E-40) (2012) * ''Ain't Gonna Do It/Terms and Conditions'' (with E-40) (2020) * ''

Snoop Cube 40 $hort ''Snoop Cube 40 $hort'' is the debut studio album by American West Coast hip hop supergroup Mount Westmore. It was initially released via blockchain mid-2022 and later released on streaming services on December 9, 2022, by MNRK Music Group, and ...

'' (with

) (2022)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Short, Too 1966 births Living people African-American male rappers 20th-century American male rappers Dirty rappers Jive Records artists Rappers from Oakland, California West Coast hip-hop musicians Gangsta rappers G-funk artists 20th-century American rappers 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century African-American musicians Mount Westmore members Fremont High School (Oakland, California) alumni