Too Short and Ice Cube appeared on the incredible 1997 compilation album Big Thangs from multi-platinum producer Ant Banks, on the title track, “Big Thangs”. The Big Badass composed an incredible compilation of tracks performed by a bevy of West Coast rap artists, and the “Big Thangs” collaboration between two West Coast icons over a groovy, funk beat from Ant Banks stole the show.
Teaming up seven years after their “Ain’t Nothin’ But A Word To Me”, the two pioneering legends re-connected for a stellar performance. Prior to this record, Too Short had announced his retirement from rapping, so when Ice Cube kicks off the track saying, “Ice Cube, the only nigga that can bring Too $hort out of retirement,” you knew it was about to be something dope.
As the two trade split verses over a smoothed out cut by Ant Banks, Cube spits some pimp-style lines like, “Now how can I let this bitch run it/When her ass ain’t never felt the seats of a six hunnit? (Now.)/Tricks, we take shits at the Ritz/We don’t get excited, over long hair and big tits/Shortdog, they get hella weak when I tell the freak/We the richest niggas that you gonna ever meet/We got bosses in the back, countin’ the stack/We got cunts in the front, with Hennesey and blunts/Now what you want?”
Too Short obviously does what Shorty the Pimp does best, and that’s macking: “Bitches with big brains; I went to Spelman College/To see if my dick could get some higher knowledge/But pussy is pussy, from Bel-Air to the projects/Bitch better suck my dick/Ain’t nothin’ new; the game is old/You think the bitch is decent, and that’s the same old ho/Used to fuck the whole crew; we was ballin’, man”
The two close out the record in true Cali swagger. Ice Cube & Too Short are two of the West’s finest, and each time they collaborate it’s something special.
Check out the classic Ant Banks-produced “Big Thangs” with Too Short and Ice Cube below: