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Thug Life (group)

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This article is about the hip hop group. For other uses, see Thug life.
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, the name originally started as an acronym: "The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody". It represented the idea that the racism and marginalization experienced by black youth ends up negatively affecting society.[1]

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.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4]

Stretch's death

On November 30, 1995, Stretch died after being shot four times in the back by three men who pulled up alongside his minivan in Queens Village.[5] He was killed exactly one year after 2Pac's 1994 Quad Studio shooting.[6]

Members

  • Tupac Shakur (d. 1996)
  • Big Syke (a.k.a. Little Psycho or Mussolini) (d. 2016)
  • Mopreme Shakur (a.k.a. Mocedes, The Wycked, Komani or Mo' Khomani)
  • Macadoshis (a.k.a. The Original Mac 10)
  • The Rated R (a.k.a. Super Star, Runner)

Discography

Studio albums

References

  1. ^ "Here's How Tupac and THUG LIFE Inspired the Hate U Give". 7 April 2017.
  2. ^ Big Syke bio at Allmusic
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Tupac Month: 2Pac's Discography - XXL". XXL Mag. 16 September 2011. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  5. ^ Jones, Charisse (1 December 1995). "Rapper Slain After Chase in Queens". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  6. ^ Reid, Shaheem (16 March 2008). "Biggie, Diddy Knew Tupac Would Be Ambushed In 1994, Alleges Los Angeles Times Reporter". mtv.com. MTV. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
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