Can't Stay Away

by Too $hort

Overview

Too Short was 33 when Can't Stay Away came out in 1999, and for a rapper, that's old age. Many MCs have seen their fortunes decline considerably by the time they hit 30, although Short managed to have more longevity than most of his peers. The Oakland rapper had claimed that 1996's Gettin' It would be his last album, but obviously, he wasn't ready to give up rapping just yet. You won't find anything groundbreaking on this CD -- Short continues to combine sexually explicit rhymes with a relaxed, laid-back style of rapping and melodic, sleek tracks that recall the funk and soul music of the '70s. Many hip-hop writers argued that his formula had long since grown tiresome, and to be sure, Short is cheating himself creatively by being so predictable and not trying something different. Nonetheless, he still comes up with some infectious, catchy grooves here and there, and there are times when his off-color humor is still fairly amusing -- "Invasion of the Flat Booty Bitches" and "More Freaky Tales" are definitely good for a few laughs. Much of the album finds Short featuring various rappers who were signed to his Too Short label; clearly, he was a smart enough businessman to reason that even if his own popularity faded, he could make money putting younger MCs to work. Can't Stay Away is far from Short's best album, but it has its moments -- and it's an album that many of his diehard fans will probably want despite its limitations and shortcomings. ~ Alex Henderson

Product Details

Release Date:	06/20/2025
Label:	Get On Down
UPC:	0196588768118

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Too $hort   Primary Artist
Hellakilla   Primary Artist
G-Side   Primary Artist
Al Block   Primary Artist
Badwayz   Primary Artist
Slink Capone   Primary Artist
Zu   Primary Artist
Quint Black   Primary Artist
Murda One   Primary Artist
Playa Playa   Primary Artist
8Ball and MJG   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Featured Artist
E-40   Guest Artist,Featured Artist
B-Legit   Guest Artist,Featured Artist
D'Wayne Wiggins   Guest Artist,Featured Artist,Guitar
Scarface   Guest Artist,Featured Artist
Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz   Featured Artist
Shabba Ranks   Guest Artist,Featured Artist
Lil John   Featured Artist
Jay-Z   Guest Artist,Featured Artist
Soopa Fly   Featured Artist
MJG   Featured Artist
Horace Brown   Guest Artist
Daz Dillinger   Featured Artist
8Ball   Featured Artist
Erick Sermon   Keyboards
Jazze Pha   Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Craig Love   Guitar
Puff Daddy   Featured Artist
Ant Banks   Keyboards
K.B.   Vocals
Charles Pettaway   Guitar
Jay Da Sinnusta   Harmonica
Suege   Vocals (Background)
Taj "Mahal" Tilghman   Drums,Keyboards
Torrance Scott   Bass,Guitar,Guitar (Bass)
Juree Manning   Vocals (Background)
Sonny B   Keyboards
Mike D   Keyboards
Jay Mac   Keyboards

Technical Credits

Shabba Ranks   Performer
Seth Glassman   Composer
Carlos Warlick   Engineer
MJG   Performer,Composer
Jay-Z   Composer,Performer
Josh Butler   Engineer
Zu   Performer
Lil' Kim   Performer
Playa Playa   Performer
Robin Mays   Engineer
Scarface   Composer,Performer
Jermaine Dupri   Remixing
Quint Black   Composer,Performer
Diamond D   Composer,Producer
Horace Brown   Performer
8Ball and MJG   Performer
George Clinton   Composer
Al Block   Performer
Brian Potter   Composer
Harry Wayne "K.C." Casey   Composer
Gerald Johnson   Composer
D'Wayne Wiggins   Performer
Erick Sermon   Composer,Producer,Programming
David Jackson   Composer
Jazze Pha   Composer,Producer
Dennis Lambert   Composer
T-Mix   Engineer
Slink Capone   Performer
B-Legit   Composer,Performer
Badwayz   Performer
Black   Performer
Chaz Harper   Digital Editing
Lil Jon   Performer
Richard Finch   Composer
Ant Banks   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer
Murda One   Performer
Tom Coyne   Mastering
Too $hort   Composer
Nick Gamma   Art Direction
Larry Busacca   Photography
Charles Pettaway   Composer
Mo-Suave   Producer
Don "DJ Snake" Brown   Mixing
Xavier Hargrove   Composer
Kevin Parker   Engineer
Taj "Mahal" Tilghman   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer
Torrance Scott   Composer
Yaku Allen   Composer
Quinton Banks   Producer
Sonny B   Composer,Producer
Mike D   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Andrew Lyn   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Wellington "Tech" Gray   Engineer
E-40   Composer,Performer
8Ball   Composer
Eric Gast   Engineer
Daz Dillinger   Composer,Performer
Russell Simmons   Composer
Jay Mac   Composer,Producer