Trapped
Tupac Shakur Lyrics

You know they got me trapped in this prison of seclusion
The singer feels isolated and stuck in a bad situation.

Happiness, living on tha streets is a delusion
The idea of finding joy while living on the streets is unrealistic.

Even a smooth criminal one day must get caught
Everyone, even someone who is skilled at committing crimes, will eventually face consequences.

Shot up or shot down with tha bullet that he bought
Someone who uses a gun to commit crimes will eventually be killed by one.

Nine millimeter kickin' thinking about what tha streets do to me
The singer reflects on the negative impact that the streets have on his life while carrying a gun.

Cause they never talk peace in tha black community
In the singer's experience, the black community often turns to violence instead of discussing peaceful solutions.

All we know is violence, do tha job in silence
The black community is so familiar with violence that it has become the norm and is often carried out quietly.

Walk tha city streets like a rat pack of tyrants
The singer describes the way that groups of men in the black community walk around in a frightening and dominating manner.

Too many brothers daily heading for tha big penn
A lot of young black men are ending up in prison.

Niggas commin' out worse off than when they went in
Those who are released from prison are often in worse condition than when they were sent there.

Over tha years I done alot of growin' up
The singer has matured and learned from his experiences over time.

Getten drunk thrown' up
He has made some bad decisions and struggled with addiction.

Cuffed up
The singer has been arrested in the past.

Then I said I had enough
He became fed up with his situation and decided to make a change.

There must be another route, way out
The singer believes that there are other ways to escape his current situation.

To money and fame, I changed my name
The singer decided to pursue a career in music and changed his name in order to do so.

And played a different game
He decided to live his life in a different way than before.

Tired of being trapped in this vicious cycle
The singer is tired of being stuck in a never-ending cycle of violence and poverty.

If one more cop harrasses me I just might go psycho
The singer is angry and frustrated with the way that police treat him and is close to losing control.

And when I gettem
If he has to confront the police again...

I'll hittem with tha bum rush
...he will use physical force against them.

Only a lunatic would like to see his skull crushed
Violence is never the answer; only a crazy person would think otherwise.

Yo, if your smart you'll really let me go 'G'
The singer is telling the police to back off and avoid any confrontation.

But keep me cooped up in this ghetto and catch tha uzi
If the police continue to harass him, they should expect to be met with violence.

Can barely walk tha city streets
The singer is constantly fearful when he goes outside.

Without a cop harrassing me, searching me
He is often stopped and searched by police for no reason.

Then asking my identity
Police ask for his identification even when he has done nothing wrong.

Hands up, throw me up against tha wall
The police often respond with violence when interacting with black men.

Didn't do a thing at all
The singer is often punished for things he didn't do.

I'm tellen you one day these suckers gotta fall
The singer believes that the police and those in power who are oppressing black people will eventually get what's coming to them.

Cuffed up throw me on tha concrete
The singer has experienced physical abuse at the hands of the police.

Coppers try to kill me
Police have even tried to kill him in the past.

But they didn't know this was tha wrong street
The police made a mistake by harassing him when he was innocent.

Bang bang, down another casualty
Someone has been shot and killed.

But it's a cop who's shot there's brutality
The person who was shot is a police officer.

Who do you blame?
This event raises the question of who is responsible for the violence and brutality in society.

It's a shame because tha mans slain
The fact that someone died is a tragedy.

He got caught in tha chains of his own game
The police officer died as a result of being part of a broken system.

How can I feel guilty after all tha things they did to me
The singer doesn't feel bad for the police officer's death because of the negative treatment he has received from law enforcement in the past.

Sweated me, hunted me
Police have been pursuing him for a long time.

Trapped in my own community
The singer feels trapped by the violence and poverty in his neighborhood.

One day i'm gonna bust
The singer wants to take action against the system that is oppressing him.

Blow up on this society
He wants to take drastic action to change the status quo.

Why did ya lie to me ?
The singer is disillusioned with society because he has been misled and given false hope.

I couldn't find a trace of equality
The singer doesn't believe that there is equality in society.

Work me like a slave while they laid back
Those in power benefit from the hard work of black people while doing nothing themselves.

Homie don't play that
The singer is not willing to put up with this treatment any longer.

It's time I lett'em suffer tha payback
He wants those in power to finally experience the negative consequences of their actions.

I'm tryin to avoid physical contact
The singer wants to avoid violence if possible.

I can't hold back, it's time to attack jack
But if he is provoked, he will fight back.

Now i'm trapped and want to find a getaway
The singer is stuck in his situation but wants to find a way out.

All I need is a 'G' and somewhere safe to stay
He needs money and a safe place to live to escape his current circumstances.

Can't use tha phone
He is paranoid and believes that the police are listening in on his conversations.

Cause i'm sure someone is tappin in
He is convinced that his phone is being tapped.

Did it before
He has had his phone tapped in the past.

Ain't scared to use my gat again
He is not afraid to use his gun if necessary.

I look back at hindsite the fight was irrelevant
The fight that led to the death of the police officer was pointless.

But now he's tha devils friend
The police officer who died is now in hell.

Too late to be tellin' him
It's too late to undo what has been done.

He shot first and i'll be damned if I run away
The singer was defending himself and is not willing to be a victim.

Homie is done away
The police officer is dead.

I should of put my gun away
The singer wishes that he had not used his gun.

I wasn't thinkin' all I heard was tha ridicule
He acted impulsively because he felt embarrassed and disrespected.

Girlies was laughin', Tup sayin Damn homies is dissin you
Women were laughing at him and Tupac remarked on how disrespectful the other men were being.

I fired my weapon
He used his gun.

Started steppin' in tha hurricane
He began running in a chaotic and dangerous environment.

I got shot so I dropped
He was shot and fell to the ground.

Feelin' a burst of pain
He was in a lot of pain.

Got to my feet
He stood up.

Couldn't see nothin' but bloody blood
He was in a lot of pain and couldn't see clearly due to blood in his eyes.

Now i'm a fugitive to be hunted like a murderer
He is now a fugitive from the law, on the run and being pursued by law enforcement.

Ran through an alley
He ran through an alleyway.

Still lookin' for my getaway
He is still searching for a way out of his situation.

Coppers said Freeze, or you'll be dead today
The police ordered him to stop, threatening him with violence.

Trapped in a corner
He is cornered and can't escape.

Dark and I couldn't see tha light
He is surrounded by darkness and is unable to see a way out.

Thoughts in my mind was tha nine and a better life
He considers his gun and dreams of a better future.

What do I do ?
He is unsure of what to do next.

Live my life in a prison cell
He fears that he will be caught and sent to prison for the rest of his life.

I'd rather die than be trapped in a living hell
He would rather die than be stuck in his current situation forever.