Lyrics & breakdown
Demo lines only. Select a line number to copy a stable deep link.
- 06
Check this, I know you niggas got no love for me
07But how the fuck your whole clique turn to thugs, homie?
08Like misdemeanors, it's a small thang
Block noteUses a pointed question as an accusation
TargetBad Boy Records
MeaningWhat it means: In “But how the fuck your whole clique turn to thugs, homie?,” 2Pac puts Bad Boy Records' conduct on trial through a question that is meant as a challenge, not a neutral request for information. Why it was said: The record belongs to 2Pac's conflict with The Notorious B.I.G., Bad Boy Records, and associated rivals after the 1994 Quad Studios shooting and the ensuing East Coast–West Coast dispute. The question shifts the burden onto Bad Boy Records: any answer must accept the premise raised in the lyric or explain why that premise is false.
ContextThe record belongs to 2Pac's conflict with The Notorious B.I.G., Bad Boy Records, and associated rivals after the 1994 Quad Studios shooting and the ensuing East Coast–West Coast dispute.
- 10
Bust it, I took apart your whole crew, lack heart, I ain't concerned
11I bust at Bad Boy, Mobb Deep and murder The Firm
12When you scream "Fake thugs," who the fuck you mean?
Block noteTreats the target's persona as fabricated
TargetBad Boy Records
MeaningWhat it means: In “When you scream "Fake thugs," who the fuck you mean?,” 2Pac says Bad Boy Records' public story or image is false rather than a reliable account of who the target is. Why it was said: The record belongs to 2Pac's conflict with The Notorious B.I.G., Bad Boy Records, and associated rivals after the 1994 Quad Studios shooting and the ensuing East Coast–West Coast dispute. Once the persona is presented as invented, the boasts and accusations built on it become easier for listeners to dismiss.
ContextThe record belongs to 2Pac's conflict with The Notorious B.I.G., Bad Boy Records, and associated rivals after the 1994 Quad Studios shooting and the ensuing East Coast–West Coast dispute.
- 14
Now Dre want to switch sides, tricks hide in war
15Last year, I'd shed tears, but I don't cry no more
16Plus Jay-Z tried to play me, won't last long
Block noteUses broken loyalty against the target
TargetDr. Dre
MeaningWhat it means: In “Now Dre want to switch sides, tricks hide in war,” 2Pac presents Dr. Dre as disloyal, abandoned, or unable to keep the support of people who were once close. Why it was said: The record belongs to 2Pac's conflict with The Notorious B.I.G., Bad Boy Records, and associated rivals after the 1994 Quad Studios shooting and the ensuing East Coast–West Coast dispute. The loyalty charge gives the feud a moral frame, portraying conflict with Dr. Dre as the consequence of betrayal while suggesting the target lacks a dependable circle.
ContextThe record belongs to 2Pac's conflict with The Notorious B.I.G., Bad Boy Records, and associated rivals after the 1994 Quad Studios shooting and the ensuing East Coast–West Coast dispute.
- 18
Listen Doo-Wop, don't get your shit knocked, you can't win
19Tell 'em all to let the games begin, we havin' war games
Block noteContests who deserves the top position
TargetDr. Dre
MeaningWhat it means: In “Go ask King Sun how it feel to have your ass gone,” 2Pac turns rank, legacy, or leadership into the issue and argues that Dr. Dre's claim to the position is undeserved. Why it was said: The record belongs to 2Pac's conflict with The Notorious B.I.G., Bad Boy Records, and associated rivals after the 1994 Quad Studios shooting and the ensuing East Coast–West Coast dispute. The line identifies the prize behind the feud—control of reputation—and asks whose record supports the title rather than whose claim went unchallenged.
ContextThe record belongs to 2Pac's conflict with The Notorious B.I.G., Bad Boy Records, and associated rivals after the 1994 Quad Studios shooting and the ensuing East Coast–West Coast dispute.