Life’s Too Short Essay, Research Paper

English 110

11-18-96

Life?s Too Short

Often times when the normal parent or upstanding citizen turns on the TV and sees a young black man rapping about the hood they are usually turned off. Stereotypes come in to play and the channel is switched without even considering what message that human being is trying to convey. When listening to rapper Too Short and his song “Gettin it”, you here a lot of stereotypes being defied. The song is about getting out of the hood and making a good life for yourself. Most of society just assumes that these young black rappers have no brain?s and no sense of purpose for life. Too Short?s song “Gettin it” tells a different story. Too Short?s successes portray the dream that kids have growing up in the hood. Those kids dream of getting rich at a young age and living like a true “player” for the rest of their day?s. They want to drive around in a benz? and have girls fill the whole thing. What these kids don?t understand is that Too Short didn?t get to where he is by pimping or selling drugs, he got to where he is by some simple rules discussed in his song “Gettin it”.

First of all, an important ingredient to the song is how it appeals to kids. With it?s ghetto beat and monster bass the song is something that kids feel cool listening to. This is his first success ingredient, getting the attention of his audience so that they will listen to

his message. His message is of course the best thing about the song. It explains to kids to “stop just hangin out, set your self some goals, think positive, and keep hustling”.

Too Short has got to the financial level he?s at, by following the keys that he describes in his song, not by following the stereotypes that parent?s turn off of the TV. Acting ghetto, for appeal, and rapping with a sweet rythym tongue was only the bare minimum of what he needed to rise to the top of the rapping industry. Studies show that the majority of successful people are not lucky, nor are they geniuses. Successful people usually follow three simple keys that are outlined in Too Short?s song.

The first key to success is the ability to take action and go out and get what you want out of this life. Too Short talk?s about this when he says, “you got to get a good job and set your self some goals think positive, and never stop hustling”. The world owes you nothing, you have to do the right things, or you will slide down to average or below. Successful people are models that leave clues to follow. Too Short watched guys rise out of the hood and go on to live very prosperous lives. He noticed how they did it and he learned from them. One of these people probably once told him that you either climb or you fall, there is no cruise control.

The second key is to determine your goals of life. Determine the outcome you want to reach at the peak of your carreer. Too Short says throughout the song that he set himself some goals and had a passion and obsession to reach them. Early on when he was around 17, he thought of what resources he had to change his present situation of living in the hood

with no job. He knew he was good at rapping and that he could portray the life of a pimp in order to appeal to certain kids. He took these resources and ran with them.

The third and final key he used was the ability to alter his approach. Too Short didn?t succeed on his first album or his second, but he kept hustling and started making big bucks by his next couple album?s.

He was always looking for ways to improve his rapping and come up with new beats and titles.

So do you still think all young black rapper?s have no purpose in their babbling of word?s amidst tons of bass and beats. I think that if you listen to some, they might just surprise you, and teach you some lessons. Do you think that Too Short?s success had to do with intelligence? By no means have Too Short?s millions of dollars came from intelligence, he didn?t even graduate from high school. What he has is the ability to take action, then set himself some goals, “think positive and the rest is old”. Lastly, Too Short “never stopped hustling” he altered his approach until he got to where he wanted to be.

Through mastering the art of communication he grasped an audience and got the chance to convey his message.

The song, “Gettin it”, with its many teaching keys, and the life of Too Short are a great example of the fact that successful people don?t get struck from heaven with a golden wand, successful people aren?t always intelligent, successful people usually earn their way to the top by setting goals, taking action on those goals, and changing in anyway

needed to acquire those goals. We all love to be at the top, but the question is, what are you willing to do to get there?

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