Under Pressure
Tupac Feat. Stretch Lyrics

Ha ha, under pressure, yeah, bay-bay!
The singer acknowledges being under high pressure.

The pressure's on, Thug Life
The pressure is intense, especially for those who live a violent criminal life.

When it's on, it's on
When violent tension is high, it becomes an unavoidable reality.

One of these days I'll, learn, don't fuck with trick-ass niggas
The artist hopes to learn to not deal with deceitful individuals who will betray and behave like a coward.

Cause they, turn, into bitch-ass niggas
Deceitful individuals tend to change their behavior and end up being cowardly.

I'm sick of bein' stuck in the county jail
The singer dislikes being held in jail but finds himself frequently sent there.

My niggas clown, bring a pound when they postin' bail
The singer's friends bring weed when posting bail so they can smoke and relax after getting out of jail.

Smokin' blunts in the driveway, my fo'-five
The artist smokes marijuana and carries a firearm.

Screamin', "Fuck the police!" when we fly away, thug 'til I die
The artist and his friends yell vulgarities at the police as they drive away, believing in a life of criminal violence until they die.

You wonder why I'm made this way
The artist implies there are reasons why he is the way he is.

I wasn't, turned out, I was raised this way
The singer was not influenced to become violent in his youth, but it is in his nature due to his upbringing.

I'm thinkin' these, are the dreams of a young teen
The artist believes that drug dealing in exchange for an illicit lifestyle is what young people dream of doing.

Scheme, to stack cream off of crack fiends
The singer's plan is to make money off those addicted to crack cocaine.

One-time can't hold me
The police force cannot hold the singer for long.

One of these days, we gotta bust back for the homies
The singer plans on retaliating against those who harm his friends.

Locked down in the penitentiary
The artist is imprisoned in a correctional facility.

I'll, probably lose my mind if the pig sentence me
The artist believes that he will lose his sanity if sentenced by law enforcement.

I'm, stressed, smokin weed, and nicotine
The singer is under a lot of pressure, using marijuana and nicotine to cope.

But what a nigga really need, is Thorazine
Thorazine, an antipsychotic medication, is what the singer believes he truly needs to alleviate his stress.

Right before I die I'll be cursin the law
The artist implies that he will die due to violent circumstances while cursing the legal system.

Reincarnated bitch, even worse than befo'
The artist believes that he will be reborn into a more vile and violent person.

My fo'-fo' screamin payback
The artist's firearm is announcing that he will seek revenge.

My underhanded plan to get them niggas while they laid back
The singer's plan is to catch his enemies off-guard while they are relaxed and unprepared.

And Big Stretch hit the scene with the mini-14
Big Stretch arrives with a semi-automatic rifle.

Servin suckers like dope fiends, empty the whole thing
Big Stretch kills his enemies just as drug dealers sell and deliver drugs to their customers.

Never run, throw your gun in the air, oh yeah!
Do not run from violent confrontations, use your firearm as a symbol of standing your ground.

Nigga bust ain't no time to spare
No time to hesitate, shoot your gun instantly.

Cause the ruckus motherfucker and we fuck shit up
The artist and his associates make a lot of noise through violent actions and disrupt social order.

And with the stainless steel ribbon boy we cuttin' shit up
The stainless steel ribbon is a metaphor for a firearm that can cut through anything that gets in their way.

Flash then blast a nigga with the quickness
The singer shoots at his enemies rapidly and without mercy.

Cock the four pound motherfucker when I spit this and rip this
The singer is preparing his firearm for the next violent encounter.

Damn, my mind is in the depths of hell
The artist's mind is corrupted by a life of violence.

But when I'm walking on the street kid my name rings bells
The artist is well-known in his community for his violent reputation.

And I never fell, nigga I stand too tall
The artist has never been defeated and is very confident in his violent abilities.

I'm just a thug motherfucker who was born to brawl
The singer believes that he was born to fight and asserts that he is a thug through and through.

Givin' my all, so niggas wanna bring it to me
The artist is always ready to fight and those who oppose him welcome a violent confrontation.

So I'mma sell my cocaine, and lay they ass down G
The singer will use his illicit drug dealing activities to finance his violent lifestyle and attack his enemies.

Runnin' wild, I never smiled as a juvenile
The singer is unrepentant and violent since he was a young person.

Even now I keep a frown when I come around
The singer is still violent and unfriendly as an adult.

Don't ask me 'bout the past, it was all bad
The artist refuses to discuss his past because it was violent and negative.

Shots blasted, will I last in the wrong path
The artist is taking a violent and criminal path in life, wondering whether he will survive such a lifestyle.

In the dark is where my heart saw the most grief
The singer has seen much violence and grief in his life & feels most sad and hopeless at night.

Motherfuckers is gettin' shanked over gold teeth
People are being stabbed violently to steal their gold teeth.

Am I sick, cause I'm addicted to gettin' splifted
The artist questions whether they have a problem because they are addicted to getting high.

Watchin' stupid-ass tricks get lifted
The artist is entertained by watching foolish people get high and make mistakes.

Nothing's changed, 'cause in the game it's a steady aim
Nothing has changed in the life of violence and crime, consistency is key.

Fuck friends cause in the danger them niggas change
Friends cannot be trusted when danger is present and may betray the singer in violent situations.

Puff weed, and stuff G's in my sock G
The artist smokes marijuana and carries money in his sock.

Car keys and Hennessy, where the Glock be?
The singer has alcohol and car keys in his possession, along with a firearm.

Time's passin', will I last here another day
The singer wonders if he will survive another day in his violent life.

I put my gun away, and grab my AK
The singer is putting away his pistol and retrieving an assault rifle.

It's gettin' hectic, I can't call it
The artist is becoming more violent and unsure of his survival in the current climate.

House full of alcoholics, now a nigga's under pressure
The artist is surrounded by drunk people and is very anxious and stressed due to his violent lifestyle.

Yeah, that's right
The singer affirms his beliefs and validates his violent perspective.

Under pressure nigga, a nigga's under pressure, yeah!
The singer is emphasizing that he is experiencing a lot of pressure.

When the pressure's on, it's a hit
When violent tension is high, something is about to happen.

Ski mask, extra gats, bring the clips
The artist is armed and prepared for a violent altercation, wearing a mask to conceal his identity.

Don't nobody move when we walk the streets
People avoid physical movement or confrontation when the artist and his associates are present.

They stay silent, cause talk is cheap
People stay quiet, knowing that talking or complaining will not change their situation with the violent gang.