Thug Life
| Thug Life | |
|---|---|
 From left to right: Big Syke, Mopreme, Tupac, Macadoshis, The Rated R. | |
| Background information | |
| Genres | Hip hop, G-funk, gangsta rap |
| Years active | 1993–1995 |
| Labels | Jive Records, Out Da Gutta Records |
| Past members |
2Pac (deceased) Stretch (deceased) Mopreme Macadoshis Big Syke (deceased) The Rated R |
Thug Life was an American hip hop group that consisted of Tupac Shakur, Big Syke, Stretch, Mopreme Shakur, The Rated R, and Macadoshis. They released one album, 1994's Thug Life: Volume 1, before disbanding after Tupac died on September 13, 1996. Big Syke died on December 5, 2016, 20 years after Shakur's death.
History
Makaveli, Randy "Stretch" Walker and Princess Mel formed Thug Life in 1992 with Tyruss “Little Psycho” Himes.[1] They recorded a song also titled "Thug Life" and soon Little Psycho joined the group, under the name Syke. Later Macadoshis and The Rated R joined the group. They signed with Interscope Records and recorded an LP titled Thug Life Volume 1. Tupac’s stepbrother, Mopreme Shakur, later joined the group.
Thug Life: Volume 1
On September 26, 1994, Thug Life: Volume 1 was released.
The first single and video was "Pour Out a Little Liquor" which was a Tupac solo song. Additional singles, "Cradle to the Grave", "How Long Will They Mourn Me?" and "It Don't Stop" followed.
Tupac performed "Out on Bail" at the 1994 Source Awards.[2] The album was originally released on Shakur's label Out Da Gutta. Tupac's mother's label, Amaru Entertainment, has since gained the rights to the album.
The track "How Long Will They Mourn Me?" appeared on 2Pac's 1998 Greatest Hits album.
Thug Life: Volume 1 sold 478,419 copies in the United States as of 2011.
The track "Str8 Ballin'" was redone and released three years later on the Tupac album R U Still Down? (1997) under the title "I'm Gettin Money".
Stretch's death
On November 30, 1995, Stretch died after being shot four times in the back by three men who pulled up alongside his minivan in Queens Village.[3] Stretch was killed exactly one year after 2pac's 1994 Quad Studio shooting.[4]
Original members
- 2Pac (a.k.a. Makaveli) (d. 1996)
- Big Syke (a.k.a. Mussolini or Little Psycho) (d. 2016)
- Mopreme (a.k.a. Mocedes, The Wycked, Komani or Mo' Khomani)
- Macadoshis The Original Mac 10
- The Rated R (a.k.a. Super Star)
- Stretch (a.k.a. Big Stretch) (d. 1995)
Discography
- 1994: Thug Life: Volume 1
References
- ↑ Big Syke bio at Allmusic
- ↑ Aqua Blanco, Alvin (9 September 2012). "Busta Rhymes Says Tupac Dissing A Tribe Called Quest Was A Misunderstanding". hiphopwired.com. Hip Hop Wired. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ↑ Jones, Charisse (1 December 1995). "Rapper Slain After Chase in Queens". nytimes.com. New York Times. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ↑ Reid, Shaheem (16 March 2008). "Biggie, Diddy Knew Tupac Would Be Ambushed In 1994, Alleges Los Angeles Times Reporter". mtv.com. MTV. Retrieved 9 January 2016.