Slippin' Into Darkness
2Pac Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

yeah! ha ha yeah.... thats right!
the F.A's comin striaght from the wild wild west

look at baby girl born in 19-7-deuce
Pop's on his fix, Mom's stuck on that crazy juice
went to school, It's all cool but in Junior Hiiigh
Little hooker in the bathroom getting hiiigh
What she doing and what she smoking, nobody knows
Is she addicted or just slipping into melbose
A bad ass broad running with the girl gang
just got some tat's,Talking all that girl slang.
first one to slap, because La vida dont matter
Wip out a cuete watch your brains get splattered
Selling them doves, hanging with thugs and all that
Beating up fools with a baseball bat
Started having sex at only 14
Imagine O.G. wears his clothes all crisp and clean
Got pregnant had a baby in December
she wont see the daddy till next September
Mom's and Pop's gave her the boot
Kicked her out La Casa, Now what Raza
with the money she got, She bought a spot of the block
Started paying the rent by slangin' phat ass coca rocks
Now shes 23 her four kids all alone, and loc'ed out
and plus shes all smoked out,the base face
You could see it in her eyes, it could also tell the tears
of a life long cries.
They was headed for self destruction
Conjunction Junction,(hey Yo!) Whats your Function?
Her own kids gotta healp, 'cause they knew she was slippin'
took the devil away homegiiirl, You was Slippin'.

CHORUS:
Slipping into Darkness
When you slip you trip and fall
Slipping into Darkness
Ain't no sense to give ya'll no love at all

They say we're slipping, as a whole one race
So, what we gonna choose, Don't want the blues
I turn to the news and what do I see
(merciless)"Everybody in the world ready to D. I. E."
We got blacks against blacks, browns against browns
whites against whites,from governments to undergrounds
So, Peep the sound as it bumps through your stereo
Ear to your brain now check out the scenerio
Cali got quakes, Mudslides, and Floods
Pesadillas(nightmares)Crips and Bloods
Hustlas, Pimps, Shot Callers, and Killas
O.G. , Macks, and the big Coca Dealers
We got homeboys who just like kicking it
and Vato's like me who grab the mic and start splitting it
(merciless) "You're in for a phat treat trip into a phat beat"
So get closer to the funk and slip into the backseat.

CHORUS X2

They wanna band me cause a brothas makin noise a lot
ill shoot they ass in a sec wit a poisin dart
they got me runnin down the street gettin hotter
runnin from the cops as i try to clock my glock
the war wont stop
thats why they wanna band the music
you ever notcie how the cops cant stand the music
see a black man coolin wit a mexican
we can all have peace, the sun sets again
they try to shove us in the pen
but we clown and we frown every time we hit the top ten
once again, its your friend outta oakland,hopin
to keep the hip hop clubs open
now we can lay back and let them close'm
or we can have beef and show that we control'em
now aint nobody gettin paid, its a damn shame
why gang bang brothas in the same gang?
they say securitys to blame, cause they lettin it off
brothas come to have fun but they settin it off
one time, make it worse when they sweat us
send an army of pigs to come get us




now im runnin outta time and im cool down with the aztecs
this is sorta like soul food

Overall Meaning

In 2Pac's "Slippin' into Darkness," he tells the story of a young girl who starts using drugs and getting mixed up with a dangerous crowd. He paints a picture of her life, from being born to a drug-addicted mother and father, to using drugs in junior high, getting involved in a gang, selling drugs, and ultimately being alone with four children and addicted to drugs. The chorus speaks to the idea of slipping into darkness, a metaphor for the downward spiral of life and addiction.


The lyrics are a commentary on the effects of poverty and lack of opportunity on communities, particularly communities of color. The song touches on themes of personal responsibility, societal oppression, and the need for unity among different races and communities. Pac raps about the various issues that plague inner-city black and brown communities, such as gang violence, police brutality, and drug addiction.


Line by Line Meaning

look at baby girl born in 19-7-deuce
The song is describing a baby girl who was born in the year 1972.


Pop's on his fix, Mom's stuck on that crazy juice
The girl's father is taking drugs, and her mother is an alcoholic.


went to school, It's all cool but in Junior Hiiigh
The girl went to school and had a normal experience until she reached junior high.


Little hooker in the bathroom getting hiiigh
The girl is using drugs in a school bathroom.


What she doing and what she smoking, nobody knows
Nobody knows what she is smoking or what she is doing in the bathroom.


Is she addicted or just slipping into melbose
The song questions if the girl is addicted to drugs or if she's just experimenting.


A bad ass broad running with the girl gang
The girl is running with a group of tough girls.


just got some tat's, Talking all that girl slang
The girl got tattoos and is talking in a specific dialect or slang used by her group of friends.


first one to slap, because La vida dont matter
The girl is violent and quick to slap someone because she values her life very little.


Wip out a cuete watch your brains get splattered
If anyone pulls out a gun, they will be shot in the head.


Selling them doves, hanging with thugs and all that
The girl is selling drugs and hanging around with criminals.


Beating up fools with a baseball bat
The girl is violent and will beat people up with a baseball bat.


Started having sex at only 14
The girl started having sex when she was only 14 years old.


Imagine O.G. wears his clothes all crisp and clean
The song imagines an O.G. (Original Gangster) who wears crisp and clean clothes.


Got pregnant had a baby in December, she wont see the daddy till next September
The girl got pregnant and had a baby in December, but won't see the father of her baby until the following September.


Mom's and Pop's gave her the boot, Kicked her out La Casa, Now what Raza
The girl's parents kicked her out of the house and she has nowhere to go.


with the money she got, She bought a spot of the block
The girl used the money she had to buy a spot on the block to sell drugs.


Started paying the rent by slangin' phat ass coca rocks
The girl pays her rent by selling big cocaine rocks.


Now shes 23 her four kids all alone, and loc'ed out and plus shes all smoked out, the base face
The girl is now 23 years old and has four kids, she's alone and addicted to drugs.


You could see it in her eyes, it could also tell the tears of a life long cries
You can see the damage in the girl's eyes that come from a lifetime of tears.


They was headed for self destruction
The girl and her friends are on a path towards self-destruction.


Conjunction Junction,(hey Yo!) Whats your Function?
The song is referencing a popular song from a children's TV show that taught grammar to make a point about the state of society.


Her own kids gotta healp, 'cause they knew she was slippin'
The girl's own kids have to help her because they know she's slipping.


Slipping into Darkness
The song's title refers to the character's descent into darkness and self-destruction.


When you slip you trip and fall
The song is explaining that when you start to slip and mess up, it's hard to stop yourself from falling deeper into trouble.


Ain't no sense to give ya'll no love at all
The song is saying there's no point in showing love if society is headed towards self-destruction.


They say we're slipping, as a whole one race
The song is talking about how society as a whole is slipping and falling apart.


So, what we gonna choose, Don't want the blues
The song is asking what society as a whole is going to choose to do, and we don't want things to get worse.


I turn to the news and what do I see, Everybody in the world ready to D. I. E.
The song points out that when you look at the news, it seems like everyone is ready to die, implying that the world is headed towards destruction.


We got blacks against blacks, browns against browns, whites against whites,from governments to undergrounds
The song is saying that everyone is against each other, and there is no unity.


So, Peep the sound as it bumps through your stereo
The song is telling the listener to pay attention to the sound and message of the song.


Ear to your brain now check out the scenerio
The song is asking the listener to listen carefully and try to understand what's happening in society.


Cali got quakes, Mudslides, and Floods, Pesadillas(nightmares) Crips and Bloods
The song is referencing some of the problems and dangers that exist in California, including natural disasters and gang violence.


Hustlas, Pimps, Shot Callers, and Killas, O.G. , Macks, and the big Coca Dealers
The song is naming some of the people who are involved in criminal activities.


We got homeboys who just like kicking it
The song acknowledges that not everyone is involved in criminal activities and that some people just like to socialize.


and Vato's like me who grab the mic and start splitting it
The song is referencing the rapper who is a 'Vato' (a Mexican gangster slang) and grabs the microphone to start rapping.


You're in for a phat treat trip into a phat beat
The song is telling the listener that they're about to experience an exciting and fun beat.


So get closer to the funk and slip into the backseat
The song is telling the listener to get even more into the music and relax into it.


They wanna band me cause a brothas makin noise a lot
The song is anticipating that the rapper may face censorship or legal issues for speaking out.


ill shoot they ass in a sec wit a poisin dart
The song is suggesting that the rapper will retaliate with violence if anyone tries to silence him.


they got me runnin down the street gettin hotter, runnin from the cops as i try to clock my glock
The song is describing a situation where the rapper is running from the police while trying to load his gun.


the war wont stop, thats why they wanna band the music
The song is saying that the war between people won't stop, and that's why some people want to ban the message in the music that speaks out against this.


you ever notcie how the cops cant stand the music
The song observes that police officers often seem to be intolerant of the message in the music that relates to their job.


see a black man coolin wit a mexican, we can all have peace, the sun sets again
The song is suggesting that if people can get along peacefully despite their differences, then they can all enjoy a better future.


they try to shove us in the pen, but we clown and we frown every time we hit the top ten
The song suggests that society tries to imprison and contain people, but despite this, artists still make it to the top of the charts and gain popularity.


once again, its your friend outta oakland,hopin to keep the hip hop clubs open
The song is announcing the rapper as a friend from Oakland who is dedicated to keeping hip-hop clubs open for business.


now we can lay back and let them close'm, or we can have beef and show that we control'em
The song is saying that people can either give up and let authorities close the clubs, or they can fight to keep them open and prove that they have control over their own lives.


now aint nobody gettin paid, its a damn shame
The song is lamenting that nobody is making money while the clubs are closed, and it's a shame for everyone involved.


why gang bang brothas in the same gang?
The song is questioning why gang members within the same gang are attacking and killing each other.


they say securitys to blame, cause they lettin it off, brothas come to have fun but they settin it off
The song is saying that security should do more to stop violence at clubs, but people also have to take responsibility for their own behavior.


one time, make it worse when they sweat us, send an army of pigs to come get us
The song is saying that when police become too aggressive with their tactics, they make things worse and create more problems instead of solving them.


now im runnin outta time and im cool down with the aztecs, this is sorta like soul food
The song is saying that the rapper is running out of time to make a change, but he is still trying to work with different groups of people, like the Aztecs. The last line is suggesting that the message in the song is a sort of nourishment for the soul.




Contributed by Abigail F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@JohnBoyBeattie

Pac killed it. Awesome verse.

“...that’s why they wanna ban the music,
You ever notice how the cops can’t stand the music?”

@lime187

Pac made tracks with everyone putting people on. Was unheard of back then pac broke that barrier

@apolo_judo_club

In 2024 listen

@bernicemeade3232

classic Tupac

@smokey-vv4xb

2PAC UNTIL I DIE

@abdulhamidalhammadi800

Funky Aztecs killed it for real

@lionheart4529

Fuck them. Pac did.

@81Support

@Eternal Darkness the whole Album is dope! 😎

@stevenburben9862

When pac came on , The song came to life though. Legend

@friscofunksta7528

very disrespectful..Aztecs did their thang

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