Thug Life

Thug Life was an American hip-hop group formed in 1993 by 2Pac, built around his vision of turning a personal philosophy — expressed through the acronym THUG LIFE, standing for «The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody» — into a musical collective. Alongside 2Pac, the lineup included Big Syke, Macadoshis, Stretch, The Rated R, and 2Pac's half-brother Mopreme Shakur, giving the project a distinctly West Coast, Death Row-adjacent gangsta rap sound rooted in raw storytelling about street life, survival, and loyalty.

The group released a single album, «Thug Life: Volume 1», in 1994, which achieved gold certification and stands as the project's sole full-length statement. Tracks from the record and related sessions, including «Str8 Ballin'», «Bury Me a G», «Cradle to the Grave», and «Pour Out a Little Liquor», reflect the hardened, confrontational tone that defined mid-1990s West Coast gangsta rap while also carrying 2Pac's recurring themes of mortality and mourning, as heard on «How Long Will They Mourn Me?».

Thug Life never became more than an occasional outlet alongside 2Pac's solo career, and the group effectively dissolved following his death on September 13, 1996. Despite its brief existence, the project remains a significant piece of 2Pac's legacy and a touchstone for the era's West Coast rap sound.