''Thug Life, Volume I'' is the only

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by American hip hop group

Thug Life Thug Life was an American hip hop group that consisted of Tupac, Big Syke, Mopreme, Macadoshis, and The Rated R. They released one album, 1994's '' Thug Life: Volume 1'', before disbanding in 1995. Etymology According to Tupac, the name orig ...

, released on September 26, 1994, by

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...

and Out da Gutta Records and distributed by

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

. The group was started by American rapper

2Pac Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...

and also comprising

Big Syke Tyruss Gerald Himes (November 22, 1968 – December 5, 2016), better known by his stage names Big Syke and Mussolini, was an American rapper best known for his work with the American hip-hop groups Thug Life and Outlawz. His stage name "Big Syk ...

, The Rated R, Macadoshis and

Mopreme Shakur Maurice Harding (born August 16, 1967), better known by his stage name Mopreme Shakur, originally known as Wycked, is an American rapper. He was a member of the hip-hop group Thug Life and is the stepbrother of Tupac Shakur. He was also a member o ...

, Tupac's stepbrother. The album features guest appearances by Y.N.V. and

Nate Dogg Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American singer and rapper. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals for a multitude of hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning the ...

and production by Warren G, Easy Mo Bee, Big Syke and Stretch. The album received critical acclaim and has been regarded as one of Shakur's most underrated records.

Background

Due to heavy criticism of

gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, emerged in the mid- to late 1980s as a controversial hip-hop subgenre whose lyrics assert the culture and values typical of American street gangs and street hustlers. Many gangsta rappe ...

at the time, the original version of the album was scrapped and re-recorded with many of the original songs being cut. The album only contains ten tracks because

felt many of the other recorded songs were too controversial to release. It has been said that 2Pac created two other versions of this album, with many of the songs still remaining unreleased. Several of these unreleased recordings include a 4 verse solo version of Bury Me A G with two new 2Pac verses, a radio version of Bury Me A G with another new unreleased verse by 2Pac and two alternate recordings of Str8 Ballin', which include never before released adlibs by the rapper. Although the original version of the album never came to fruition as the album went through a number of changes, Tupac performed the planned first single from the album, "Out on Bail" at the 1994 Source Awards. Although the album was originally released on

, Amaru Entertainment, the label owned by Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur, gained the rights to it. ''Thug Life, Volume I'' was certified Gold. The track "How Long Will They Mourn Me?" appeared later in 1998 from

's '' Greatest Hits'' album. In commemoration of its twenty-fifth anniversary, it was released on vinyl on November 22, 2019. In 2019, Universal Music Group posted the video version to the song "How Long Will They Mourn Me?" to their YouTube channel. This version features an alternate verse by 2Pac with different lyrics that was not issued on the album.

Singles

The first single, " Pour Out a Little Liquor" was released August 23, 1994 as a promotional single. It was originally released on the Above the Rim soundtrack. It was then included in the Thug Life, Volume I studio album. The second and final single, " Cradle to the Grave" was released November 4, 1994.

Critical reception

The album has been met with critical acclaim retrospectively as a classic underground rap album. Full of machismo and do or die stances," wrote Jake Barnes in '' Q'', "the lyrics' hardcore posturing is perversely undercut by sweet and delicate backings from artists like Curtis Mayfield, George Clinton and The Isley Brothers."'' Q'', February 1995 "A shockingly considered, thoughtful rap record," opined '' Selects Matt Hall. "And a very chilling one."'' Select'', January 1995

Commercial performance

The album was certified gold on January 24, 1996, selling over 500,000 copies.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1994 albums Albums produced by Easy Mo Bee Albums produced by Johnny "J" Albums produced by Warren G Tupac Shakur albums Big Syke albums Mopreme Shakur albums Jive Records albums Interscope Records albums Atlantic Records albums Thug Life albums