Too Short is an American rapper. A pioneer of West Coast hip-hop, Shaw was among the first acts to receive recognition in the genre during the late 1980s. Shaw began recording in 1983, and cultivated a regional following with three independent projects tailored for his native Oakland. His fourth album, Born To Mack (1987) sold an estimated 50,000 units from Shaw's car trunk, leading to a commercial re-issue by Jive Records the following year. His fifth album, Life is... Too Short (1989), received double platinum certification by the RIAA and became his first entry on the Billboard 200. His sixth album, Short Dawg's in the House (1990), peaked at number 20 on the chart and spawned the single "The Ghetto", which became his first and highest-charting entry on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist. His next four albums—Shorty The Pimp (1992), Get In Where You Fit In (1993), Cocktails (1995), and Gettin' It (Album Number Ten) (1996)—each peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200 and received platinum certifications by the RIAA.