Released: November 12, 1991

Songwriter: Isaac Hayes Big D The Impossible 2Pac

Producer: Big D The Impossible

[Intro: 2Pac & 2Pac as "Soulja"]
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, like me
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, like me
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, like me
They cuttin' off welfare...
They think crime is rising now
You got whites killing blacks
Cops killing blacks, and blacks killing blacks
Shit just gon' get worse
They just gon' become souljas
Straight souljas

[Chorus]
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, like me
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, like me
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, like me
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, like me

[Verse 1: 2Pac as "Soulja"]
Crack done took a part of my family tree
My momma's on the shit, my daddy split and moms is steady blaming me
Is it my fault, just cause I'm a young black male?
Cops sweat me as if my destiny is makin' crack sales
Only fifteen and got problems
Cops on my tail, so I bail 'til I dodge 'em
They finally pull me over and I laugh
"Remember Rodney King?" and I blast on his punk ass
Now I got a murder case...
You speak of heaven punk? I never heard of the place
Wanted to come up fast, got a Uz' and a black mask
Ducking fuckin' Task, now who's the jackass?
Keep my shit cocked, cause the cops got a Glock too
What the fuck would you do? Drop them or let 'em drop you?
I chose droppin' the cop
I got me a Glock, and a Glock for the niggas on my block
Momma tried to stab me, I moved out
Sold a pound a weed, made G's, bought a new house
I'm only seventeen, I'm the new king
Got me a crew, bought 'em jewels, and a Uz'-thing
But all good things don't last
Task came fast, and busted my black ass
Coolin' in the pen, where the good's kept
Now my little brother wants to follow in my footsteps
A soulja

[Chorus]
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, like me
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, like me
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, like me
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, like me

[Verse 2: 2Pac as the younger brother]
Buck, buck - niggas get fucked, don't step to this
Quiet as kept I'm blessed on a quest with a death wish
Tell 'em to come and test, and arrest, nigga it's hectic
Here's the anorexic, I'm makin' it to an exit
Walking through the streets on the black tip
Packed with several gats, cause I'm on some pay 'em back shit
Niggas don't wanna try me, brother you'll get shot down
Now I'm king of the block, since my bigger brother's locked down
I'm hot now, so many punk police have got shot down
Other coppers see me on the block, and they jock now
That's what I call a kingpin
Send my brother what he needs and some weed up to Sing-Sing
Tellin' him just be ready set
Pack ya shit up quick; and when I hit, be prepared to jet
Niggas from the block on the boat now
Every single one got a gun, that'll smoke - pow!
These punks about to get hit by the best
I'm wearin' double vest... so aim at my fuckin' chest
I'll be makin' straight dome calls
Touch the button on the wall, you'll be pickin' up your own balls
I can still hear my mother shout
"Hit the pen nigga -- break your bigger brother out"
I got a message for the warden
I'm comin' for ya ass, as fast as Flash Gordon
We get surrounded in the mess hall, yes y'all
A crazy motherfucker making death calls
Just bring me my brother and we leavin'
For every minute you stall, one of y'all bleedin'
They brought my brother in a jiffy
I took a cop, just in case things got tricky
And just as we was walkin' out (BANG!)
I caught a bullet in the head, the screams never left my mouth
My brother caught a bullet too
I think he gon' pull through, he deserve to
The fast life ain't everything they told ya
Never get much older, following the tracks of a soulja

[Chorus]
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, like me
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, like me
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, a soulja
All you wanted to be, a soulja, like me
Straight soulja, 1993, and forward

2Pac

Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an actor and a highly influential rapper who is considered by many to be the greatest of all-time due to the revolutionary spirit and thug passion he mixed into his music. During his music career, he made appearances in movies such as his acclaimed debut in Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993), and Above the Rim (1994).

Born in Harlem, New York City to Black Panther Party members Billy Garland and Afeni Shakur, Tupac would later move to Baltimore before settling in the Bay Area cities of Oakland and Marin City in the late 1980s. There, he joined his first rap group Strictly Dope with Ray Luv before connecting with Shock G and Digital Underground. He was a roadie and backup dancer for the group before his breakthrough performance on their 1991 song “Same Song.”

2Pac released his debut album 2Pacalypse Now in 1991, which featured intense storytelling on singles such as “Trapped” and “Brenda’s Got a Baby.” His sophomore album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z featured one of his signature songs, the Digital Underground-assisted “I Get Around.” After working on the Thug Life group album in 1994, 2Pac released Me Against the World the following year, which is considered by many to be his best album, peaking at #1 on the Billboard 200 and receiving a Grammy nomination—all while he sat in prison.