The Dangerous Crew

Too Short's collective

The Dangerous Crew was an Oakland collective formed by Todd “Too Short” Shaw and active from 1988 to 1996. Its core was a group of musicians who shaped the funk-driven sound of Too Short's records: Shorty B on bass, guitar and drums, Pee-Wee on keyboards, drums and guitar, Ant Banks on keyboards, drum programming and mixing, and Sean G on live drums.

Rappers and associates

The rap lineup at various points included Too Short, Goldy, Dangerous Dame, Rappin' Ron, Ant Diddley Dog, Spice 1, Rappin' 4-Tay and Father Dom, several of whom went on to solo careers. Rappin' 4-Tay, for example, made his first appearance on Too Short's 1988 album “Life Is...Too Short” before releasing his own records. The R&B group About Face was associated with the crew on later releases.

Recordings

The crew's first album, “Dangerous Crew,” appeared on Too Short's Dangerous Music label in 1988. Its best-known release, “Don't Try This at Home,” came out on November 21, 1995, through Dangerous and Jive Records. The set featured Too Short and Spice 1 alongside guests including Shock G, Erick Sermon and MC Breed, with production by Shorty B, Pee-Wee, Ant Banks, L.A. Dre, Father Dom and J-Dubb. It reached number 191 on the Billboard 200, number 23 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 6 on the Heatseekers chart, and “Buy You Some” was issued as a single. AllMusic singled out the strength of the MC lineup.

Legacy

By combining in-house players with a roster of East Bay rappers, the Dangerous Crew worked more like a small label and production team than a conventional group. Its musicians, especially Ant Banks, Shorty B and Pee-Wee, also appear across the solo records of its members through the late 1980s and 1990s.