Shorty Wanna Be A Thug
2Pac Lyrics

Say he wanna be
He's expressing his desire to become a thug.

Shorty's gonna be a thug
He has already decided that he's going to become a thug.

Said he gonna be
He's asserting his determination to achieve his goal of becoming a thug.

One day he's gonna be
He acknowledges that it will take some time for him to become a thug.

Was a nice middle class nigga
He had a decent upbringing and was from the middle class.

But nobody knew the evil he'd do when he got a little bigger
People never expected him to turn into a criminal when he grew up.

Get off the final blaze
He's smoking a Newport cigarette, which is his way of coping with life's problems.

While puffin' on a Newport
He's smoking a Newport cigarette, which is his way of coping with life's problems.

Plottin' on another way to catch a case
He's thinking of ways he can commit crimes and get away with them.

Was only sixteen, yet convicted as a felon
At a young age of sixteen, he had already been convicted of a felony.

With a bunch of old niggas
He was in the company of older criminals who influenced him negatively.

But you the only one who ain't tellin'
Despite being with these criminals, he's the only one who refused to snitch or tell on them.

I tell you it's a cold world, stay in school
He's advising people to stay in school and pursue education because the world can be harsh and unforgiving.

You tell me its a man's world, play the rules
People tell him that he needs to play the rules to survive in a world that's dominated by men.

And fade fools, break rules until we major
He's urging people to ignore rules and become successful by any means necessary.

Blaze up, gettin' with hoes through my pager
He's smoking marijuana and hooking up with women through his pager.

Was raised up, commence the money makin' tactics
He grew up learning how to make money through criminal tactics.

It's gettin' drastic, niggas got automatics
The situation is becoming more dangerous as people acquire automatic weapons.

My fingers on the trigga, tell the Lord
He's ready to pull the trigger of his gun and cause harm to others.

"Make way for another straight thug nigga"
He's making it known that he's a thug and shouldn't be messed with.

I'm sittin' gettin' buzzed, lookin' for some love
He's getting drunk and stoned while searching for love and companionship.

From the homies, 'cause shorty wanna be a thug
He wants to be accepted by his friends and gang members, and therefore tries to prove himself as a thug.

Straight from the Hall to the Pen'
He has been in juvenile detention and then prison.

Adolescent nigga scalin' weight and standin' six feet ten
He's a very tall and strong adolescent who is involved in selling drugs to make money.

He carried weight like a Mack truck
He was dealing with heavy amounts of drugs and could handle them like a Mack truck.

Gonna bust on some playa haters
He's ready to use violence on people who oppose him or his gang.

If the motherfuckas act tough
If someone tries to confront him or act tough, he will use violence against them.

Then that's what? A lethal weapon with the razor
Using a razor as a weapon can be very lethal and dangerous.

This little nigga smokin' weed and gettin' blazed up
He's smoking marijuana and getting high.

No one could figure, when the guns blast, pull the trigga
Nobody could anticipate when someone would pull a gun and start shooting.

Could take the life of a young nigga, guns bigger
A single gunshot from a big gun can take the life of a young person.

No mother and father, you see, the niggas all alone
He doesn't have a mother or father, and is therefore alone in the world.

Old timers my role model, the war zone
He looks up to older criminals as his role models and saw life as a war zone.

Relates with this game 'til its a part of me
He identifies with the criminal lifestyle until it becomes a part of who he is as a person.

My heart don't beat no fear and it ain't hard to see
He has no fear and easily shows it to others.

The future's lookin' dim
He doesn't see a bright future ahead of him, as the consequences of his actions could be dire.

I'm tryin' to make a profit out of livin' in this sin
He's trying to earn money through criminal activities, despite knowing it's morally wrong.

I'm in the dark gettin' buzzed, lookin' for some love
He's in a state of depression and is seeking love and affection through drugs and alcohol.

Out with the homies, 'cause shorty wanna be a thug
He's hanging out with his friends and gang members because he wants to be accepted as a thug.

You little bad ass nigga (to the young niggas)
He's addressing the younger members of his gang who are involved in criminal activities.

Gotta stay sharp nigga, play your part
He's telling them to stay alert and do their part in the gang's activities.

You got plenty of time (you bad motherfuckas)
He's telling them that they have many years ahead of them to be involved in criminal activities.

You only gettin' three mistakes, then that's life, big baby (niggas crazy)
He's saying that they only have three chances to make serious mistakes in their criminal activities, as anything beyond that could lead to fatal consequences.

Watch the signs
He's advising them to be aware of any signs of potential danger or police presence.

Damn, you ain't but sixteen, nigga?
He's surprised that someone who is so young is already involved in criminal activities.

Sixteen
He's emphasizing the young age of the person he's talking to.

That's a bad motherfucka
He's impressed with the young person's abilities and potential as a criminal.