Born to Mack

Studio album by Too Short

Released

July 20, 1987
September 22, 1988
(Dangerous Music/RCA release)
August 24, 1989
(Jive/RCA compact disc release)

Recorded

1987–1988

Genre

Golden age hip hop, dirty rap

Length

51:12

Label

Dangerous Music, Jive, RCA

Producer

Too Short, T. Bohanon

Too Short chronology

Raw, Uncut, and X-Rated
(1986)

Born to Mack
(1987)

Life Is...Too Short
(1989)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
RapReviews	(7/10)^[2]

Born to Mack is the first full length album by Too Short, and his first major album release. This album was re-released by Jive Records after the success of Raw, Uncut, and X-Rated. It was originally released in the summer of 1987 by Dangerous Music and in 1988 through Jive/RCA, although Jive Records logos did not appear on it until it was released on compact disc in 1989.

Lyrics and music

This album features sexually explicit lyrics over strong Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 synthesizer bass lines and Roland TR-808 drum programming.

Reception

The album was an underground sensation over a wide area of the country. It was eventually certified Gold by the RIAA.

Legacy

In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums, and the song "Freaky Tales" reached #92 on the 100 Greatest Rap Songs.

The album art was redone by another Bay emcee, Bailey, this time using a 1962 Chevrolet Impala and gold Daytons in place of the Cadillac.

In 2012, Insane Clown Posse paid tribute to "Freaky Tales", an eight minute long sex rap appearing on Born to Mack, by releasing the album Freaky Tales, which consists of over an hour of "hoe flows".^[3]

Track listing

"Partytime" 5:00
"Mack Attack" (released on 1988 version) 5:57
"Playboy Short II" (Part I on Don't Stop Rappin') 7:10
"You Know What I Mean" 6:00
"Freaky Tales" 9:30
"Dope Fiend Beat" 6:50
"Little Girls" (featuring MC Jah) 6:10
"The Universal Mix" 3:42

Chart positions