This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "Thug Life" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Thug Life
From left to right: Big Syke, Mopreme, 2Pac, Macadoshis, The Rated R
From left to right: Big Syke, Mopreme, 2Pac, Macadoshis, The Rated R
Background information
Genres
Years active1993–1995
Labels
Past members

Thug Life was an American hip hop group that consisted of 2Pac, Big Syke, Mopreme, Macadoshis, and The Rated R. They released one album, 1994's Thug Life, Volume I, before disbanding in 1995.

Etymology

According to Tupac Shakur, the name refers to the acronym: "The Hate U Gave Little Infants, Fuck Everybody".§[1] It represents the idea that the racism and marginalization experienced by black youth ends up negatively affecting society.[2]

History

Big Syke was a Crips gang member and Macadoshis was a drug dealer during the 1990s. Tupac, Randy "Stretch" Walker and Princess Mel formed Thug Life in 1992 with Tyruss "Little Psycho" Himes.[3] They recorded a song also titled "Thug Life". Soon Little Psycho joined the group, under the name Syke. Later Macadoshis and The Rated R joined the group. They signed with Interscope Records and recorded an LP titled Thug Life, Volume I. Tupac's stepbrother, Mopreme Shakur, later joined the group.

Thug Life, Volume I

On September 26, 1994, Thug Life, Volume I was released.

The first single and video was "Pour Out a Little Liquor" (which originally appeared on the Above the Rim soundtrack, released six months earlier), which was a Tupac solo song.

Tupac performed "Out on Bail" at the 1994 Source Awards.[4] The album was originally released on Shakur's label Out da Gutta. Tupac's mother's label, Amaru Entertainment, has since gained the rights to the album.

The track "How Long Will They Mourn Me?" appeared on Tupac's 1998 Greatest Hits album.

Thug Life, Volume I had sold 478,419 copies in the United States as of 2011.[5]

Members

Discography

Studio albums

References

  1. ^ [/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TfEr_BLW30 "Tupac explains thug life"]. ((cite web)): Check |url= value (help)
  2. ^ "Here's How Tupac and THUG LIFE Inspired the Hate U Give". 7 April 2017.
  3. ^ Big Syke bio at Allmusic
  4. ^ Aqua Blanco, Alvin (9 September 2012). "Busta Rhymes Says Tupac Dissing A Tribe Called Quest Was A Misunderstanding". hiphopwired.com. Hip Hop Wired. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  5. ^ "Tupac Month: 2Pac's Discography - XXL". XXL Mag. 16 September 2011. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
Categories