''Thug Life, Volume I'' is the only studio album 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 or ...

, 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 Mu ...

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 ...

. 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 ...

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

Warren G Warren Griffin III (born November 10, 1970) is an American rapper and producer known for his role in West Coast rap's 1990s ascent.Steve Huey"Warren G: Biography" ''AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited May 8, 2020. Along with Snoop Dogg and N ...

Easy Mo Bee Osten Harvey Jr. (born December 8, 1965), better known by his stage name Easy Mo Bee, is an American hip hop and R&B record producer, known for his production work for artists such as Big Daddy Kane and Miles Davis, as well as his affiliatio ...

, 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 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 Amaru Entertainment (formerly Amaru Records) is a record label founded in 1997 by Afeni Shakur after the death of her son Tupac Amaru Shakur. The label was created to handle the release of Tupac's previously unreleased material, and was given ...

, the label owned by Tupac's mother,

Afeni Shakur Afeni Shakur Davis (born Alice Faye Williams; January 10, 1947 – May 2, 2016) was an American political activist and member of the Black Panther Party. Shakur was the mother of rapper Tupac Shakur and the executor of his estate. She founded t ...

, 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 A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

'' album. In commemoration of its twenty-fifth anniversary, it was released on vinyl on November 22, 2019. In 2019,

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

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 ''Above the Rim'' is a 1994 American sports drama film co-written and directed by Jeff Pollack in his directorial debut. The screenplay was written by Barry Michael Cooper, adapted from a story by Benny Medina. The film stars Duane Martin, Tu ...

soundtrack. It was then included in the Thug Life, Volume I studio album. The second and final single, "

Cradle to the Grave ″Cradle to the Grave″ is a song by American hip hop recording artist 2Pac and his group, Thug Life, released on November 4, 1994 as a single from their one and only album, '' Thug Life, Volume I'' (1994). It is one of the few songs from the ...

" 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 Machismo (; ; ; ) is the sense of being " manly" and self-reliant, a concept associated with "a strong sense of masculine pride: an exaggerated masculinity". Machismo is a term originating in the early 1930s and 1940s best defined as hav ...

and do or die stances," wrote Jake Barnes in '' Q'', "the lyrics'

hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...

posturing is perversely undercut by sweet and delicate backings from artists like

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

, George Clinton and

The Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decade ...

."'' Q'', February 1995 "A shockingly considered, thoughtful rap record," opined ''

Select Select or SELECT may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Select'' (album), an album by Kim Wilde * ''Select'' (magazine), a British music magazine * ''MTV Select'', a television program * ''Select Live'', New Zealand's C4 music program ...

s Matt Hall. "And a very chilling one."''

'', 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