Blow the Whistle

Too Short is arguably the first gangsta rapper: he was releasing explicit tales of sex, violence, and street life as early as 1983. That claim alone, not to mention his string of gold and platinum albums, gives him serious clout, and 2006's BLOW THE WHISTLE sustains it. With help from hot producers Lil Jon and Jazze Pha, and a cadre of guests including Snoop Dogg and will.i.am, BLOW THE WHISTLE sounds remarkably au courant, with ample doses of crunk and hyphy beats. But Too Short manages keeps it old-school with his tried-and-true style, delivering plenty of hardened braggadocio and X-rated exploits to accompany the head-nodding beats.