Thug Life
Consisting of Tupac Shakur, Rated R, Macadoshis, Mopreme Shakur, Big Syke, and with production and appearances by Stretch the album was originally supposed to be titled Thug Life: Out On Bail. The album was advertised on the liner notes of the single for Shakur's "Papaz Song". The single included the first song by Thug Life titled "Cradle to the Grave". The version that appeared on the "Papaz Song" single was not accepted by Interscope Records as a single and forced Thug Life to submit a remix. The remix was later on used for the album and the video. The title song, "Out on Bail" was rejected and the album's title Thug Life: Volume 1. The Notorious B.I.G. appeared on the track called "Runnin from the Police", which was supposed to be track 5 of the album. It was on the Thug Life: Vol. 1 promo version that was given to press outlets for review and reviews from the time still make reference to the song. The track was replaced with "Stay True" for the LP. The group eventually released their debut album, Thug Life: Volume 1, in September 1994 after it was rejected multiple times by Interscope. It only had ten tracks when dozens more were recorded during the sessions.
Promotion was lacking. The album didn't sell because few mainstream rap fans knew of it's existence. When Shakur was shot and incarcerated later that year, it forced Rated R and Macadoshis to part ways and the group quickly disbanded, although all remain on good terms and often collaborate on each other's projects.
Mopreme and Big Syke continued to rap with Shakur after his prison time while he was signed to Death Row. At the end of Shakur's life he and Big Syke were working on Thug Life: Volume 2, which was to be released on Makaveli Records.
Philosophy of Thug Life
As detailed in the film Tupac: Resurrection the concept of "Thug Life" was viewed by Shakur as a philosophy for life. Shakur developed the word into an acronym standing for "The Hate U Gave Little Infants Fucks Everybody." Also "Nigga" was interpreted as, "Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished." He declared that the dictionary definition of a "thug" as being a rogue or criminal was not how he used the term, but rather he meant someone who came from oppressive or squalid background and little opportunity but still made a life for themselves and were proud.
"I didn't create Thug Life, I diagnosed it." - Tupac Shakur.
Thug Life became a calling card for how Shakur viewed his influence on society. He had people from all walks of life -- criminals in jail, white kids in the suburbs, poor black kids in the ghetto -- wanting to know how they could be a part of his movement. Shakur admitted this sudden power he had over people frightened him. But he used the idea of Thug Life to transform the desires of these people into something he viewed as positive, a way to reach out to the poor, the disenfranchised, and the oppressed. Gang members instituted what was called the Code of Thug Life, and gangs from New York to Chicago to Los Angeles claimed to abide by it. Examples of the rules in this Code of Ethics were that civilians were not to be targets in gang warfare, and that children in schools should not be indoctrinated by gang propaganda.
Shakur's philosophy of Thug Life was met with harsh criticism from most of the leaders in government and politics, including many notables in the black community.
04. Pour Out A Little Liquor
Thug Life Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pour out a little liquor for your homies nigga
This one here go out to my nigga Mike Coolie (Light up a fat one for this one)
How you come up man?
I started young kickin' dust and livin' rough
You watch you mouth around my mama you couldn't cuss man
I had a down ass homie though; we ran the streets
I packed a nine and my nigga packed a forty-five
We drinkin' forties, lil' shorties livin naughty lives
You couldn't stop us, long as I got my glock, fuck! The coppers
Hangin' on the block, slangin' rocks and makin' profits
I couldn't fuck with the school life, I was a fool
I'll play that motherfucker for a toll man
Tonight'll be the night that's what we figurin'
Hustlin' in the rain felt no pain 'cause we drinkin'
Playin' them hoes like manure
First let my nigga fuck and then I fuck that's how we do it (ha ha!)
It's two niggas comin' up out the hood
Livin' life just as good as we could
But since a bitch can't be trusted
Hoes snitched to the po-lice, now my nigga's busted
The cops whoopin' on my nigga in jail
Tryin' to get a motherfucker to tell
And couldn't nobody diss my nigga
Damn, I miss my nigga
Pour out a little liquor!
"My cousin died last year and I still can't let go"
"My cousin died last year and I still can't let go"
"My cousin died last year and I still can't let go"
"My cousin died last year and I still can't let go"
This goes out to all you so called G's
Pour out a little liquor for your real motherfuckin' partners
Don't let the drink get like that y'all, huh
Pour out a little liquor
Pour out a little liquor
What's that you drinkin' on?
Drinkin' on gin, smokin' on blunts and it's on
Reminisce about my niggas, that's dead and gone
And now they buried, sometimes my eyes still get blurry
'Cause I'm losin' all my homies and I worry
I got my back against a brick wall, trapped in a circle
Boxin' with them suckers til my knuckles turn purple
Mama told me, "Son there'll be days like this"
Don't want to think so, I hit the drink and stay blitzed
We had plans of bein' big time G's
Rolling in marked cars, movin' them keys
And now I roll up the window, blaze up some indo
Get to' down for my niggas in the pen, yo
Your son's gettin' big and strong
And I'd love'm like one of my own, til you come home and
The years sure fly with the quickness
You do the time, and I'll keep handlin' yo' business
That's the way it's supposed to be
Homie, if it was me, you'd do the shit for me
Homie, I can remember scrapin' back to back
Throwin' dogs on them suckers runnin' up on this young hog
I hope my words can paint a perfect picture
And let ya know how much a nigga miss ya
Pour out some liquor!
"My cousin died last year and I still can't let go"
Look at you
Drinkin' got you where you don't even give respect to your partners
Pour out some liquor nigga!
It ain't like that
Tip that shit over
Pour out a little liquor!
"My cousin died last year and I still can't let go"
"My cousin died last year and I still can't let go"
"My cousin died last year and I still can't let go"
"My cousin died last year and I still can't let go"
This for my nigga Madman
Dagz, Hood, Silk yeah
A little liquor for my homies y'all
We in this motherfuckin' piece, yeah!
Pour out a little liquor
Young Queen, yeah!
This one goes out to all my mack partners
Back in the motherfuckin' Bay
Oaktown still in the motherfuckin' house (Pour out a little liquor)
My nigga Richie Rich, Gov'na (I don't care, Nighttrain, Henessey)
All my real motherfuckin' partners (Pour out a little liquor)
And all my real partnas in Marin, fuck you busta ass niggas
Yeah nigga, pour out a little liquor!!
Thug Life's song "Pour Out a LiL Liquor" is a heartfelt tribute to the rapper's fallen friends. The lyrics describe the harsh realities of growing up in a rough neighborhood and the bond between two friends who engage in illegal activities to get by. The song is an ode to those who have passed and a call to action for those who are still alive to honor the departed.
The opening lines of the song ask listeners to pour out a little liquor for their departed friends, setting the tone for the emotional lyrics that follow. The rapper describes his youth, reflecting on his past experiences and friendships. The imagery is vivid, with references to guns and drugs interspersed throughout the verses. The chorus repeats the lines, "My cousin died last year and I still can't let go," driving home the message that the pain of loss can linger long after the actual event.
The song is a reflection of Thug Life's view of the world around him, and the experiences that shaped him. The rapper's delivery is raw and unfiltered, capturing the intensity of the emotions he is expressing. The lyrics strike a chord with anyone who has lost a friend or loved one, and the song remains a powerful tribute to those who have passed on.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah
Agreement and acknowledgement before soaking in nostalgia
Pour out a little liquor for your homies nigga
A request to honor the dead by pouring out some alcohol
This one here go out to my nigga Mike Coolie (Light up a fat one for this one)
A dedication to a friend who is no longer alive, with a request to smoke marijuana in his honor
How you come up man?
Asking about the beginnings of success
I started young kickin' dust and livin' rough
A rough upbringing with a lot of struggles
You watch you mouth around my mama you couldn't cuss man
A warning against disrespecting one's mother
I had a down ass homie though; we ran the streets
Having a close friend who shared the same lifestyle
And on the scene at the age of fourteen huh
Entering a life of crime and street activity at a young age
I packed a nine and my nigga packed a forty-five
Carrying guns as a form of protection or intimidation
We drinkin' forties, lil' shorties livin naughty lives
Underage drinking and engaging in risky behavior
You couldn't stop us, long as I got my glock, fuck! The coppers
Feeling invincible as long as they had a gun
Hangin' on the block, slangin' rocks and makin' profits
Selling drugs to make money
I couldn't fuck with the school life, I was a fool
Lacking interest in formal education
I'll play that motherfucker for a toll man
Treating school as a game only to get by
Tonight'll be the night that's what we figurin'
Planning criminal activity
Hustlin' in the rain felt no pain 'cause we drinkin'
Using alcohol to numb the pain of struggling in life
Playin' them hoes like manure First let my nigga fuck and then I fuck that's how we do it (ha ha!)
Objectifying women and engaging in casual sex
It's two niggas comin' up out the hood Livin' life just as good as we could But since a bitch can't be trusted Hoes snitched to the po-lice, now my nigga's busted
Two friends from a low-income area who were doing their best, but got betrayed by a woman and one got arrested as a result
The cops whoopin' on my nigga in jail Tryin' to get a motherfucker to tell And couldn't nobody diss my nigga Damn, I miss my nigga Pour out a little liquor!
One friend reminiscing about another who's in jail and facing pressure to confess to a crime, and expressing sadness about the situation
This goes out to all you so called G's Pour out a little liquor for your real motherfuckin' partners
A message to those who claim to be gangsters but don't truly understand the importance of loyalty and brotherhood
Don't let the drink get like that y'all, huh Pour out a little liquor
A warning against drinking excessively and becoming unrespectful towards friends who have passed away
What's that you drinkin' on? Drinkin' on gin, smokin' on blunts and it's on Reminisce about my niggas, that's dead and gone And now they buried, sometimes my eyes still get blurry 'Cause I'm losin' all my homies and I worry
Drinking and smoking marijuana as a way of coping with the grief of losing friends who have died, and feeling sad and anxious about losing more
I got my back against a brick wall, trapped in a circle Boxin' with them suckers til my knuckles turn purple Mama told me, "Son there'll be days like this" Don't want to think so, I hit the drink and stay blitzed
Feeling stuck and trapped in life and fighting with people who get in the way, ignoring advice from one's mother and drowning out pain with alcohol
We had plans of bein' big time G's Rolling in marked cars, movin' them keys And now I roll up the window, blaze up some indo Get to' down for my niggas in the pen, yo Your son's gettin' big and strong And I'd love'm like one of my own, til you come home and The years sure fly with the quickness You do the time, and I'll keep handlin' yo' business
Dreaming of achieving success through drug dealing, but now keeping a low profile and smoking marijuana to honor imprisoned friends, promising to look after their children until they are released from jail
Homie, if it was me, you'd do the shit for me
Emphasizing the importance of friendship, loyalty, and supporting each other no matter what
Homie, I can remember scrapin' back to back Throwing' dogs on them suckers running up on this young hog I hope my words can paint a perfect picture And let ya know how much a nigga miss ya Pour out some liquor!
Remembering past fights with enemies and hoping to communicate how much the friend who has passed away is still missed
Look at you Drinkin' got you where you don't even give respect to your partners Pour out some liquor nigga!
Accusing someone of becoming too drunk and forgetting to show respect to deceased friends
It ain't like that Tip that shit over
Disagreeing with someone and encouraging them to spill their drink in a gesture of disrespect
This for my nigga Madman Dagz, Hood, Silk yeah A little liquor for my homies y'all We in this motherfuckin' piece, yeah! Young Queen, yeah!
A shoutout to deceased friends and a call to honor them with a drink, while also acknowledging the presence of those who are still alive
This one goes out to all my mack partners Back in the motherfuckin' Bay Oaktown still in the motherfuckin' house (Pour out a little liquor) My nigga Richie Rich, Gov'na (I don't care, Nighttrain, Henessey) All my real motherfuckin' partners (Pour out a little liquor) And all my real partnas in Marin, fuck you busta ass niggas Yeah nigga, pour out a little liquor!!
A dedication to various partners in the music industry and to friends in different places, with a request to pour out a drink in their memory
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TUPAC SHAKUR, KENNY GAMBLE, LEON HUFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
geoice23
I’m 52 and never seen this video. Always loved this song, because it hit on so many levels, missing friends and loved ones at an early age. When PAC died, to our generation coming up, it was like losing a family member. He was our Goat, still is our Goat, to my generation. He is still surely missed.🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿
Olivia Rainbow
I appreciate this comment.. he was always be my GOAT .. wishing Pac a peaceful journey, he will be greatly missed. But thanks to all the music platforms, his music will live on fa Eva!
Nino Dean
I'm 40 myself and said the same thing
Alex Anomneze
TU pac genius , master
tylon hughes-stanton
Tupac was such a good lyricist, he would often write clean versions to his tracks instead of just letting producers chop and cut verses
Gabiblog
Poeta y liricista genius
CruzNY2CA
@Gabiblog nooooooo....
Ulični Parlament
He always do like 2 or 3 versions of one song.. A 100 of them are unheard.. The goat
RSD
"Back against a brick wall trapped in a circle boxing with them ninjas til my knuckles turned purple".. There are people who say this guy aint lyrical smh..
Kaneki [weeb clan]
2pac's 200 iq moves