Too Short: Can't Stay Away : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

In the era of the Starr report, can the rhymes of a ribald MC still titillate ears? Maybe not, but Too Short fans still won't be able to resist Can't Stay Away, the Oakland-raised, Atlanta-based rap veteran's return from a self-imposed retirement/record-deal-renegotiation. Don't expect any curveballs here: Can't Stay Away exudes the same horny, pimped-out vibe as Short's previous albums. The inventive flow of Bay Area neighbor E-40 (on "You Might Get G'eed") and the Space Age macking of Eightball and MJG ("Don't Stop Rappin' ") add some flavor, but Short's recent guest appearances alongside lyrical masters like Jay-Z (who appears here on the pimping ode "Here We Go") served more to expand the Short Dog's fan base than to broaden his microphone technique. Can't Stay Away keeps things straightforward and funky, just the way his fans like it. (RS 809)

MILES MARSHALL LEWIS