Still Blowin

Todd Shaw is 44 years old but after almost three decades as rap’s preeminent pimp, does *Still Blowin’* show him finally going straight? Listen to “Player Card”: “You used to keep an extra chick / Just for booty calls and sexy trips / But now you’re at the grocery store / Target, Wal-Mat and Home Depot.” Say it ain’t so, Too $hort! As if to compensate for this moment of self-doubt, $hort follows it up with three of his nastiest songs to date: “I’m a Pimp,” “Checking My Hoes” and “Porno Bitch,” the last of which finds $hort extolling the virtues — or lack thereof — of his favorite adult film actresses. The influence of Short’s frequent collaborator Lil Jon is all over “I Want That,” a solid piece of post-crunk that blends mean bass and laser synthesizers. The pimp in Too $hort might not be mellowing any time soon, but it’s nice to hear him cede the mic to a female MC. The two songs with Silk E —“Maggot Brain” and “All for Love”— leave the listener craving a full-length collaboration between Too $hort and a tough-minded female counterpart.