Shakur was born in New York City to parents who were both political activists and Black Panther Party members. Raised by his mother, he relocated to Baltimore in 1984 and to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1988. With the release of his debut album 2Pacalypse Now in 1991, he became a central figure in West Coast hip-hop for his conscious rap lyrics. Shakur achieved further critical and commercial success with his follow-up albums Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... (1993) and Me Against the World (1995). His Diamond certified album All Eyez on Me (1996), the first double-length album in hip-hop history, abandoned his introspective lyrics for volatile gangsta rap. In addition to his music career, Shakur also found considerable success as an actor, with his starring roles in Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993), Above the Rim (1994), Bullet (1996), Gridlock'd (1997), and Gang Related (1997).
During the later part of his career, Shakur was shot five times in the lobby of a New York recording studio and experienced legal troubles, including incarceration. In 1995, Shakur served eight months in prison on sexual abuse charges, but was released pending an appeal of his conviction. Following his release, he signed to Marion "Suge" Knight's label Death Row Records and became heavily involved in the growing East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry. On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times by an unidentified assailant in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas; he died six days later. Following his murder, Shakur's friend-turned-rival, the Notorious B.I.G., was at first considered a suspect due to their public feud, but was also murdered in another drive-by shooting six months later in March 1997 while visiting Los Angeles.
Five more albums have been released since Shakur's death, all of which have been certified Platinum in the United States. In 2002, Shakur was inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Shakur among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Shakur was born on June 16, 1971, in the East Harlem section of Manhattan in New York City. While born Lesane Parish Crooks, at age one he was renamed Tupac Amaru Shakur. He was named after Túpac Amaru II, the descendant of the last Incan ruler, Túpac Amaru, who was executed in Peru in 1781 after his failed revolt against Spanish rule. Shakur's mother explained, "I wanted him to have the name of revolutionary, indigenous people in the world. I wanted him to know he was part of a world culture and not just from a neighborhood."
Shakur had an older stepbrother, Mopreme "Komani" Shakur, and a half-sister, Sekyiwa Shakur, two years his junior.
Fright Night
2Pac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And huh, I started out dumb, sprung of a hood-rat,
listening to the radio, wishing that I could rap...
but nothing changed, I was stuck in the game,
cause everybody in the industry was fuckin' me man...
listen, I got a scheme, break away, do my own thang,
drop some conversation, sit back and let the phone ring...
'97 watch me cut these muthafuckas down to size...
and if I catch another case, Lord knows how to hate me,
got a playa in the court room, please don't let 'em frame me...
I been dumpt a lot of bad cards, livin' as a thug,
count my blessings, gone stressing in this land with no love...
maybe they seen me rolling, look at all this green I'm holding,
I guess this ridah envious and get they eyes swollen...
open to heavenly father of a hustler,
meet the hardest nigga on the earth to ever bust a nut...
my homies tell me have a heart, fuck they feelings,
I've been tryin' to make a million since we started, we cold-hearted...
niggas in mash that'll blast up the task force, empty out my clip,
time to mash, they asked for it...
me Makaveli I'm a muthafucka,
we break bread, now we thug brothas...
ha ha...
niggas talk a lot of non-shit,
I choose to ignore, but war, they ain't ready for it...
ha ha...
[Chours]
[2Pac]
Watch me clown, give me lovin' when I'm high,
I'm a Outlaw, baby I'll be thuggin' til I die...
in my drop top Double R,
life as a rap star,
hustle like a crack fein,
til they catch me...
go at somebody til ya show, watchin' niggas out to sight, in my nightscope,
cookin' white dope...
got my nigga 25 to Life stressed out,
tryin' to have all the better things in life...
while Makaveli, a born leader to millimeter,
changin' niggas futures like a switch-ofrenic palm reader...
he, from out the bible I read, see the meet,
shall inheriet the earth, and the strong will lead...
hittin' weed like it's alright,
I'm in the studio, makin' music all night...
ha ha...
my enemies cry whenever I rise, I hate it to the death,
tryin' to peep me out my last breath...
what you gonna do?.
[Chours ]
[Storm]
Who's to blame for my mind frame,
tryin' to lead this money game,
got me feinin' for riches wantin' to kill for a case of fame...
recurrin' dreams of illess ends, front page magazines,
livin' life like a thug queen...
but instead, I'm having nightmares,
they call 'em Outlaw preminitions of premeditated missions...
livin' conditions suspecious, so they got me on a hit list,
wishin' that I was flip like a wet bitch...
but it's the timin' nigga,
and I've been waiting for you years, I put my grind in nigga...
I see you scopin', cause I got what you want to flaunt,
my every calculated move is a nail to ya couffin...
not what ya don't know is I got .16 point holla,
thugged out female Boss shot-calla...
now what you gonna do?.
where yo busta ass crew?.
when my niggas come for you...
[Chours]
In the song "Fright Night," 2Pac talks about his journey in the music industry and how it has been difficult for him. He started out as a young man listening to the radio, dreaming of becoming a rapper. However, the industry has been unforgiving, and he has been constantly held back. He talks about his desire to break away and do his own thing, to carve out his own path. He also raps about his struggles with the law, and how he hopes he won't be framed for any crime he has not committed.
As the song goes on, 2Pac comes across as a tough and cold-hearted individual, who is not afraid to go up against his enemies. He talks about his life as a rap star, and how he is always hustling, trying to make ends meet. He mentions his affiliation with the Outlawz, who are his brothers and that he is a natural-born leader who can change people's futures. He also warns his enemies, telling them that they are not ready for the war he is about to bring.
The lyrics in "Fright Night" are introspective, with 2Pac speaking honestly about his life and experiences. The song is also notable for its aggressive and confrontational tone. It showcases 2Pac's lyrical skills, with witty wordplay and well-crafted rhymes. Overall, "Fright Night" is a great example of the type of rap music that 2Pac was known for.
Line by Line Meaning
And huh, I started out dumb, sprung of a hood-rat,
I started out ignorant, coming from a disadvantaged background,
listening to the radio, wishing that I could rap...
Dreaming of becoming a musician while listening to rap on the radio...
but nothing changed, I was stuck in the game,
But things didn't change for me, and I was still stuck in the rough world of the music industry.
cause everybody in the industry was fuckin' me man...
This was because everybody in the industry was taking advantage of me and not helping me get ahead.
listen, I got a scheme, break away, do my own thang,
So I came up with a plan to break away from the industry and do things my own way.
drop some conversation, sit back and let the phone ring...
I will simply drop some clues and just wait for people to come to me.
niggas they wanna see me rise, '97 watch me cut these muthafuckas down to size...
People are envious and want to see me fall, but they should be careful because in 1997 I will cut them down to size.
and if I catch another case, Lord knows how to hate me,
But if I get in trouble with the law again, who knows how much worse things will get for me.
got a playa in the court room, please don't let 'em frame me...
I have someone in the courtroom who can help me fight false charges and prevent me from being unfairly convicted.
I been dumpt a lot of bad cards, livin' as a thug,
I've had a lot of bad luck, and it's been rough for me living the life of a thug.
count my blessings, gone stressing in this land with no love...
I try to focus on the good things in life, but it's hard to stay positive when you live in a world that doesn't love you.
maybe they seen me rolling, look at all this green I'm holding,
Maybe it's because people see me as rich and successful that they are envious and want to bring me down.
I guess this ridah envious and get they eyes swollen...
That jealousy and envy are causing people to become dysfunctional and harmful to themselves.
open to heavenly father of a hustler,
I'm open to God, especially since I'm always hustling and trying to make a better life for myself.
meet the hardest nigga on the earth to ever bust a nut...
I'm the toughest man on earth and will fight until the end.
my homies tell me have a heart, fuck they feelings,
My friends tell me to be kind and considerate, but I don't care about their feelings and will do what I think is best for me.
I've been tryin' to make a million since we started, we cold-hearted...
I've been working hard to achieve financial success and am willing to be ruthless to get what I want.
niggas in mash that'll blast up the task force, empty out my clip, time to mash, they asked for it...
I have people who will fight for me and help me take down my enemies, and it's time for us to do what needs to be done.
me Makaveli I'm a muthafucka, we break bread, now we thug brothas...
I'm a tough guy, and I have a close relationship with others who live a life of crime.
ha ha...
A short, confident laugh.
niggas talk a lot of non-shit, I choose to ignore, but war, they ain't ready for it...
People talk a lot of nonsense, and I choose to ignore them. But if they want to start a war, they're not ready for what I'm capable of doing.
Watch me clown, give me lovin' when I'm high, I'm a Outlaw, baby I'll be thuggin' til I die...
Watch me act like a fool, show me love when I'm high, I'm an outlaw who will live a life of crime until I die.
in my drop top Double R, life as a rap star, hustle like a crack fein, til they catch me...
I'm living like a rap star, driving my expensive car around, but I know the good times won't last forever because eventually the law may catch up with me.
go at somebody til ya show, watchin' niggas out to sight, in my nightscope, cookin' white dope...
I will relentlessly pursue someone until they show themselves, and I'm always watching at night using my nightscope. I am also cooking drugs to make money.
got my nigga 25 to Life stressed out, tryin' to have all the better things in life...
I have a friend who has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, and it's hard for him because he always wanted to live a better life.
while Makaveli, a born leader to millimeter, changin' niggas futures like a switch-ofrenic palm reader...
I am a natural leader down to the millimeter, and I have the power to influence others and change their futures like a psychic palm reader.
he, from out the bible I read, see the meet, shall inheriet the earth, and the strong will lead...
As I read the Bible, I'm reminded that in the end, the humble will inherit the earth, and the strong will lead them.
hittin' weed like it's alright, I'm in the studio, makin' music all night...
I'm smoking marijuana all the time and working on my music in the studio every night.
my enemies cry whenever I rise, I hate it to the death, tryin' to peep me out my last breath...
I hate to admit it, but my enemies are always upset when I am successful, and I have to be careful because they are always trying to bring me down.
What you gonna do?...
What are you going to do when I come for you?
Who's to blame for my mind frame, tryin' to lead this money game...
Who is responsible for my mindset of wanting to lead a wealthy life of crime?
got me feinin' for riches wantin' to kill for a case of fame...
I can't get enough of the idea of becoming rich and famous that I'm willing to kill for it.
recurrin' dreams of illess ends, front page magazines, livin' life like a thug queen...
I keep having dreams of a tragic end, but I still want to be on the front page of magazines and live like a powerful, criminal queen.
but instead, I'm having nightmares, they call 'em Outlaw preminitions of premeditated missions...
Instead, I am having nightmares about the illegal things that I'll have to do in the future, as if I'm seeing the consequences of a planned future event.
livin' conditions suspecious, so they got me on a hit list, wishin' that I was flip like a wet bitch...
I am living under suspicious conditions, so people have put me on a hit list. They want me to act scared and vulnerable like a weak, female dog.
but it's the timin' nigga, and I've been waiting for you years, I put my grind in nigga...
But the timing is right for me, and I've been waiting for the right moment to take action. I've worked hard to prepare myself.
I see you scopin', cause I got what you want to flaunt, my every calculated move is a nail to ya couffin...
I see you watching me because you're envious of all that I have to flaunt, but every decision I make will bring you closer to your own doom.
not what ya don't know is I got .16 point holla, thugged out female Boss shot-calla...
What you may not know is that I have a powerful female boss behind me and that I'm really tough.
now what you gonna do?. where yo busta ass crew?...
So, what are you going to do now that you know who you're up against? Where are your weak associates?
when my niggas come for you...
I will come after you with my own team of guys.
Contributed by Hannah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jaysonnn8266
this is the best version of this track still hits.
@quincyyoungbloodakajudah4-486
Hard af
@sjsdoodleadventures
The mind of a lyrical genius. RIP Pac
@Sickillj
Remember when i got this song on one of the bootleg 2pac cds that came out back in the day. Always been one of my fav songs
@whynumber7
these are those type of songs where it just makes you believe he's alive..... "'97 watch me cut these mfs down to size" 🔥👍👑🐐
@edmundscott7824
“Maybe they see me rolling..look at all this green I’m holding I just that why they envious and get they eye swollen” str8 raw lyrical bars🔥
@solodolo522
Mannn....wht str8 lace no chaser...
@Julia2K08
Can't believe it's my first listening to this, well I can't be surprised since it's PAC, you always expect to hear something you haven't heard before like this gem
@yogibear2542
First time i found this song it was love for my ears! 2021 it still banging in my ears!
@GrimeisAlive
yes