Too Short Tells The Baller Alert Show That E-40 Was His Biggest Competition, But Their Rivalry Was Never Beef

The Too Short rivalry with E-40 was never about beef. During a recent appearance on The Baller Alert Show, the Oakland rap legend explained that one of the biggest sources of motivation throughout his career was trying to keep pace with a friend who refused to stop raising the bar.

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Too Short described E-40 as a major competitive force in his career while reflecting on the years when Bay Area artists were fighting to expand their reach beyond the region. In the conversation with Baller Alert, he made it clear that competition and friendship were never opposites for the two rappers. They could root for each other, exchange advice, and still want to have the better record.

“I’m going to tell you, one of my main motivations has always been E-40. And I got in the game before E-40. I got in the game before most people from the Bay. I don’t think nobody, like most people from the West Coast, but nobody from the Bay really got on before me.”

That history helps explain why Too Short rivalry with E-40 carried so much weight. Too Short had already established himself in Oakland before E-40 became a major force out of Vallejo. E-40 first emerged with The Click before launching his solo career with “Federal.” Jive Records, which later signed E-40, had already been home to Too Short.

Still, Too Short did not describe the Bay Area as a one man race. He specifically acknowledged Mac Dre while remembering the artists who were creating momentum around him.

“But when E-40 came along, you know, Mac Dre, he was out there, too, doing the thing, you know, the people’s champ. But me and E-40, we talk a lot.”

What followed was a relationship built around the type of friendly pressure that can sharpen an artist. Too Short said that once he and E-40 were moving toward a bigger national and global audience, they became competitors without sacrificing their friendship.

“And when we was on the come up, like, you know, really on the national scale, like, you know, going global and s**t, we was competition. But we was homeboys.”

That distinction matters because Too Short rivalry with E-40 was not rooted in resentment. Instead, it was more like two elite players constantly checking the scoreboard while still practicing together.

Too Short revealed that their friendship even gave them access to each other’s music before the public heard it. Instead of keeping everything secret in the name of competition, they would critique records and tell each other where something could improve.

“So I’d be trying to outdo him. But then at the same time, we’d be giving each other pointers and tips and critiquing each other’s unreleased music and stuff. Like, bro, you should do this, do that.”

The dynamic lines up with what both rappers have said publicly about their relationship over the years. Before their 2020 Verzuz appearance, Too Short and E-40 had known one another since the 1980s and viewed themselves less as opponents than as two Bay Area artists facing the larger industry together.

Their Verzuz also turned that decades long relationship into a national celebration. The December 2020 event featured the two artists trading songs and stories while highlighting decades of Bay Area music rather than leaning into hostility.

Too Short says the competitive part was still very real behind the scenes. When one artist scored a major win, the other felt pressure to answer.

“And it kind of, I would do my, bro, I’d come out, platinum hit, kicking it. And then I’m like, you know, the downtime in between albums and this s**t…He got the streets lit…And I come back, do it again.”

That cycle became its own source of energy. Instead of watching another Bay Area rapper win and seeing that success as a threat, Too Short used E-40’s momentum as motivation to create another moment of his own.

“And it was just that slingshot motivation of just like, you know, I’m about to one-up this . And then every time I do it, he do it again. I’m like, damn. So that right there was the early part.”

That relationship continued long after their early climb. Too Short and E-40 eventually joined Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube in “Mount Westmore.” In a group interview with NME, Too Short said their longstanding friendships allowed the artists to openly disagree, criticize lines, and speak honestly during the creative process because the relationships were already secure.

Even decades into their careers, the two remain publicly connected to the Bay Area culture that shaped them. In February 2026, Too Short and E-40 performed during NFL Honors festivities in San Francisco as Bay Area music received a major spotlight during Super Bowl week.

Looking back, Too Short rivalry with E-40 sounds less like a battle for supremacy and more like a blueprint for longevity. They competed, challenged each other, shared information, and kept moving. Each time one created another reason to celebrate, the other had a new reason to work.

For Too Short, having a friend like E-40 in the race meant there was always another level to chase.