Too $hort recently added to his catalog with Sir Too $hort Vol. 1 (Freaky Tales), his first album in five years. Speaking to Billboard, he said the break was the result of his perception of the industry, which he notes has drastically changed since he kicked off his career.

“I make a lot of songs, and a lot of the songs I make are really good songs — I just haven’t been releasing them. Sort of because of how the industry is,” $hort shares. “Like, are you gonna be independent? Are you gonna try to get a deal with a major? What’s gonna happen with the marketing and the singles and stuff? It just changed a lot from the OG way I used to do it — and then the results I would get, I wasn’t really feeling like I needed to prove anything.”

Despite the feeling, his “pre-music video mindset” is what keeps him in the game, as well as the hope that he can serve as motivation for younger rappers. When asked what advice he’d give them to survive in the game, he says he would tell them to value loyalty.

“Sticking with the people who are really your friends that you started with, who really know you and love you and tell you you ain’t s*** — cause at that moment you really ain’t s***,” $hort explains.

He adds, “Everybody that’s had a long career, it wasn’t just one long run. Big f****** dry spots in the middle where you gotta figure it out. Big moments of doubt. The crossroads come, I wouldn’t say often but they continuously come and when you stand at that crossroads you have options. So you might make a wrong turn. So what? Find your way back on track.”

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