The Stranglers

They are currently preparing a follow-up album for release in early 2006. $hort has come from rapping over raw drum beats, through the G-funk era, through the Bay Area signature sound, and on his latest efforts, the crunk era. The Stranglers had a critical and popular renaissance in 2004 (together with their first top 40 hit for 14 years) with the highly acclaimed "Norfolk Coast" album and a subsequent sell-out tour. In the late 90s $hort relocated from Oakland to Atlanta, but he still represents his Oakland roots as on his 2003 record he has a track titled "California Girls." Along with his crafty appearances, $hort has been able to remain a prominent figure on the underground scene, a West Coast hero, and an overall legend by constantly updating and reinventing his sound. "Peaches", finally, also takes pride of place in another British movie, Sexy Beast by director Jonathan Glazer. Other notable hits include, "Ain't No Bitches," "Money In The Ghetto," "I Want To Be Free," "You Nasty," "I Luv," "Just Another Day," "Good Life," "Invasion of the Flat Booty Bitches," "Don't Stop Rappin," "Freaky Tales," and "The Ghetto.". Interest in The Stranglers resurfaced when, in 200, singer Tori Amos covered their song "Strange Little Girl" and titled the album it was featured on "Strange Little Girls" and their song "Golden Brown" was also used in the hit film Snatch by film director Guy Ritchie. Although $hort's hit list is lengthy, the biggest hit of his career is perhaps, "Cocktales," which appeared on his 1995 album Cocktails.

The Stranglers classic period 1977-1990 has secured them a respected place in British popular music history. After the G-funk era came to an end and he relocated to Atlanta, he began working with a more diverse variety of artists including Twista and Lil Jon. The remaining members recruited two replacements and have continued to tour and release independent label records to little fanfare. Diddy), E-40, Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Soopafly, B-Legit, as well as well recognized verses by $hort himself. Founding member Cornwell left in August 1990 to pursue a solo career. The album included guest appearances by Eightball & MJG, Puff Daddy (now P. Who can forget the rippling pipe organ on "Skin Deep", the best-known song from their 1984 album Aural Sculpture? Their 1986 album, Dreamtime, was also good, but reverted to softer, more soothing 'instrument work' and vocals that were clearly more subdued than Aural Sculpture and most of their albums before it. In 1996, he claimed he was retiring, but Ice Cube brought him out to do guest appearances including the hit "Player's Holiday" which appears on T.W.D.Y.'s debut album and Priority Records compilation "Nuthin But A Gangsta Party." After the appearances, he began working on his 11th album which was appropriately titled Can't Stay Away, and is considered by many to be his best album next to Cocktails.

Songs of creditable quality. In his early years, $hort teamed up with close friends Ice Cube and producer Ant Banks to create several classic records. The Stranglers went on to score hits with the ballad "Golden Brown" (1982) and "Strange Little Girl" the same year, and by 1990 had more British chart hits (28) than any other artist never to reach the number one spot. Of his 15 albums, classics that stick out in his collection include Get In Where You Fit In (1993), Cocktails (1995), Gettin It (1996), Can't Stay Away (1998), and Married To The Game (2003). This album and the ones before it are landmarks that never sound dated and even today earn critical praise. Over the years, Too $hort has released many albums hailed as classics, along with appearing on more top selling albums than any other artist in the game through his collaborations, which include over 60 guest appearances to date. This was both the beginning and the end of a musical era for the Stranglers, as their music took a very different turn in albums following that excellent release. Too Short is a legend in the game, and has dropped 15 albums to date, with his latest being Married To The Game, which contains the hit singles "Choosin" featuring Jagged Edge and the club banger "Shake That Monkey" ft. Lil Jon.

Take one listen to the title track from the album -- even just the first minute -- and you'll be convinced. Two albums later the Stranglers released La Folie. As of 2004, Too $hort is one of the few artists to have released six back-to-back platinum albums (others include LL Cool J and Ice Cube). If one were to listen to the songs (or at least some of them) on The Raven, their 1979 album, one would clearly see the 'symptoms' of their separating from 'traditional' punk, and with that album they would lay out a musical foundation that is emulated to this day. He also played percussion in his high school marching band. Their sense of melody and structure are free, their creativity never wanes, and with the spiraling keyboards of Dave Greenfield, the shredding guitar work of Hugh Cornwell, the rumbling bass of JJ Burnel, and the pulsating drum work of the Jet Black, these albums built a fan following that exists in full force to this day. They would glamorize a person on a 30-minute tape, and the transaction would usually cost $10. These albums (Rattus Norvegicus, No More Heroes, Black and White) are gems. In the early 1980s $hort produced custom raps for people with his high school friend, Freddie B.

Although initially received with mixed reaction because of their supposedly "sexist" and "racist" innuendo, the Stranglers employed a sort of intelligent dog-humour in their lyrics that won over many music critics. Too $hort is now based in Atlanta, Georgia. Their early albums are essential classics by most critic's standards. He has released over ten albums and recently founded his own label. It was their frequent run-ins with the law and their strong following amongst British street gangs like the Finchley Boys that gave them a menacing persona. Through his music, Too $hort has cultivated a persona of a no-nonsense pimp, and is widely credited for popularizing pimp culture in hip hop, along with Ice T, Slick Rick, and Snoop Dogg. The band has been quoted as saying that they did not consider themselves to be a "punk" band. Too Short, or Too $hort, (born Todd Anthony Shaw on April 28, 1966) is a rapper who started his career in his hometown of Oakland, California.

They wrote a string of top ten hits, including "No More Heroes" and "Peaches", which placed the band at the forefront of the New Wave movement - a branch one step removed from the spitting, snarling punks - not to mention that The Stranglers' material was fiercely intellectual, while never pretentious or boring. However, the four members of the group - Hugh Cornwell, Jean Jacques Burnel, Dave Greenfield and Jet Black (real name: Brian Duffy) - were not regarded as punks by their musical peers for the reason that they could actually play. They began as a sinister sounding, hard-edge pub rock group, and beginning in 1976, were tangentially assocated with punk rock, due in part to their opening for The Ramones' first British tour. The Stranglers were also associated with new wave music, but their idiosyncratic approach never fit completely within any musical genre.
The Stranglers are a British rock music group, formed in 1973 in Guildford.

2004 Beyond Elysian Fields. 2003 In the Dock. 2002 Mayday. 2002 Sons of Shiva.

2002 Footprints in the Desert. 2000 Hi Fi. 1999 Black Hair Black Eyes Black Suit. 1997 Guilty.

1993 Wired. 1992 CCW. 1988 Wolf. 1979 Nosferatu.

Fire and Water. Un Jour Parfait. Euroman Cometh. Norfolk Coast.

Coup de Grace. Written in Red. About Time. In the Night.

Greatest Hits 1977-1990. All Live, and All of the Night. 10. Dreamtime.

Aural Sculpture. Feline. The Collection 1977-1982. La Folie.

The Gospel According to The Men in Black. The Raven. Live -XCerts. Black and White.

No More Heroes. Rattus Norvegicus.