Thug 4 Life (Original Version)
Track Information
| Artist | 2Pac featuring Stretch |
| Track | Thug 4 Life (Original Version) |
| Performers | 2Pac and Stretch |
| Producer(s) | Johnny J |
| Writer(s) | Tupac Shakur and Randy Walker (Stretch) |
| Recorded | 1993 |
| Status | Unreleased |
| Length | 3:41 |
Overview
Thug 4 Life (Original Version) is the original recording of the song that was later remixed and officially released on the album Loyal 2 The Game. Recorded during Tupac's Interscope years, the original version features a substantially different production together with a complete guest verses from Stretch that was removed from the posthumous release.
The song celebrates the ideals of the Thug Life movement, combining themes of loyalty, survival and pride with a more uplifting atmosphere than many of Tupac's recordings from the same period. Stretch's performance plays a major role in the original arrangement, making the recording one of the most significant unreleased collaborations between the two artists.
Although never officially released, the original version without Stretch's verse has circulated among collectors for many years and is widely regarded as the definitive version of the song.
Recording History
The exact recording date has never been officially confirmed, although the song is generally believed to have been recorded during the original Thug Life sessions in 1993. Collector research indicates that the song was intended for one of Tupac's early Interscope projects before being shelved alongside many other recordings from the period.
The original recording features a complete Stretch verse and a different arrangement from the commercially released version. When the song was revived for Loyal 2 The Game, the instrumental was replaced, Stretch's performance was substantially reduced and the overall structure of the song was altered.
Release History
| Year | Release | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Original Studio Recording | Unreleased | Circulated privately among collectors. |
| 2004 | Thug 4 Life | Commercial Release | Heavily remixed version released on the posthumous 2Pac album Loyal 2 The Game |
Samples
- Deniece Williams - Slip Away (main melodic sample)
Lyrics
2Pac
Hahaha
Thug for life nigga
Can't you read the signs?
ay fuck it man
[Whatchu doin?]
Mobbin' like a motherfucker, stuck
Can you put your middle finger out the window
Gettin' fucked off liquor, gettin' loaded, can't control it
Nigga, pass me the blunt and let me roll it
You get the bozack to the ho-stack, that's for sure, black
So be a mack and keep your dough fat
And tell me, what does it take to be a G?
I started with a quarter ounce, soon bounced to a key
You gotta watch your back, stay strapped, be alert
Started as a young motherfucker doin' dirt
And now I'm in the rap game, like the crack game, I got enemies
Can't pretend to see my friends are not my enemies
And even thug motherfuckers wanna have fun
Stuck in, buckin' my motherfuckin' Magnum
What does it take to be a G?
Silence is a must, violence is a plus
Bust shots at my adversaries, them niggas scurry
Pick a spot to be buried, ‘cause I'll be buckin' in a fuckin' hurry
Thug 4 life, high til I die
Shootin' crooked ass cops, let me fry
Do or die, to my brothers in the penitentiary
Raise hell when them niggas mention me
Thugs 4 life!
[chorus x4]
Tell em'
Thug for life
High till' I die
When em' stupid ass bitches ask why?
Stretch
I stay high living do or die,
serving mad niggas with the Glock living rockabye,
Baby, can't fade me, I struggle thug 4 life,
I was raised on the streets an now you paying the price.
Living low, choke from the smoke as I inhale,
With rocks on the block as I'm making a drug sale,
Mail must be stacked when you coming up,
So you make bail when them chumps start running up, gotta live!
Gotta make them suckas peep game,
I'm tired of pain...
I represent you know my fuckin name...
Big Stretch let me blaze up another one,
Crack another bottle of gin a niggas having fun.
Fuck the coppers I'm a menace to meet and when them suckers run up it's gonna be another casualty.
So bear witness cause I'm living mad trife,
A nigga's living thug for life...motherfucker!
[chorus x4]
Tell em'
Thug for life
High till' I die
When em' stupid ass bitches ask why?
2Pac
Game thicker than most of these tricks
I got my mind on makin' money, but you stuck on these fake bitches
And jealous motherfuckers can't see
That's it's the fame that caused these stupid bitches to pass the pussy free
So tell me, why you sweat a motherfucker like me?
A young nigga, tryin' to hustle up some Gs
You pussy-ass player hatin' hoes
Speakin' down on niggas, jumpin' around at the shows
And you the first motherfucker to jump To the trunk, when it's time for funk
Little trick-ass punk
Thug motherfuckers don't die
We get high and we multiply, motherfucker
Give a holler to my niggas in the Bay
I'm livin' in L.A., still clutchin' on my AK
Rest in peace to my nigga Kato
Til they bury me nigga, lay low
Thugs 4 life!
[Chorus x6]
Tell em'
Thug for life
High till' I die
When em' stupid ass bitches ask why?
THUG FOR LIFE BIATCH!!
Yeah nigga, thug life, from now till' the muthafuckin' ever
Havenotz in this muthafucka
YEAH, No doubt