2Pac

Released: November 25, 1997

Featuring: Stretch Val Young

Songwriter: 2Pac Val Young QDIII Stretch

Producer: QDIII

[Intro]
Major! Hell motherfuckin' yeah
This one goes out to my nigga Mike Cooley, hell yeah
Mama raised a hellraiser

[Verse 1]
Born thuggin'
Heartless and mean, muggin' at sixteen
On the scene watchin' fiends buggin'
Kickin' up dust with the older G's
Soakin' up the game that was told to me
I ain't never touched a gat that I couldn't shoot
I learned not to trust the bitch from the prostitutes
Taught lessons, a young nigga askin' questions
While other suckers was guessin', I was gangsta sexin'
Elementary wasn't meant for me, can't regret it
I'm headed for the penitentiary and cuttin' classing
I'm buckin' blastin', straight mashin'
Mobbin' through the overpass laughin'
While these other motherfuckers try to figure out, no doubt
They jealous of a nigga's clout, tell me Lord
Can ya feel me? I keep my finger on the trigger
'Cause some nigga tried to kill me
And mama raised a hellraiser, everyday gettin' paid
Police on my pager, straight stressin'
A fugitive my occupation is under question
Wanted for investigation, and even though
I'm marked for death, I'ma spark 'til I lose my breath
Motherfuckers, every time I see the paper
I see my picture, when a nigga's gettin' richer
They come to get ya, it's like a motherfuckin' trap
And they wonder why it's hard bein' black
Dear Lord can ya feel me? Stress gettin' major, unhh

[Hook]
Mama raised a hellraiser, stress gettin' major
Lord be my savior, unnh
Mama raised a hellraiser, stress gettin' major
Lord be my savior, unnh
Mama raised a hellraiser, stress gettin' major
Lord be my savior, unnh
Mama raised a hellraiser, stress gettin' major
Lord be my savior, unnh
Mama raised a hellraiser
Stress gettin' major, unnh
Mama raised a hellraiser, stress gettin' major

[Ad-Lib/Collision: 2Pac]
Dear Lord can ya feel me?

[Verse 2]
Tell me Lord can ya feel me? Show a sign
Damn near running outta time, everybody's dyin'
Mama raised a hellraiser, can't figure
Why you let the police beat down niggas
I'm startin' to think all the rich in the world is safe
While the po' babies rushin' into early graves
God come save the youth
Ain't nothin' else to do but have faith in you
Dear Lord I live the life of a Thug, hope you understand
Forgive me for my mistakes, I gotta play my hand
And my hand's on the sixteen-shot, semi-automatic
Crooked cop killin' Glock, tell me Lord
Can ya feel me? Show a way
I'm prayin' but my enemies won't go away
And everywhere I turn I see niggas burn
Every nigga that I know's on death row
My younger homie's seventeen and he paid a price
Little young motherfucker doin' triple life
Though I tell him in his letters, it's gettin' better
If my nigga knew the truth he'd hit the roof
Just heard ya baby's mama was smoked out, fuck the drama
Wanna break my Loc out, smokin' blunts
Gettin' drunk off that Tanqueray gin
'Bout to break my nigga out the fuckin' pen'
Mama raised a hellraiser, uhh, yeah
C'mon, uhh, mama raised a hellraiser
Uhh, dear Lord can ya feel me? Stress gettin' major
(Lord be my savior, unnh)

[Hook]
Mama raised a hellraiser, stress gettin' major
Lord be my savior, unnh
Mama raised a hellraiser, stress gettin' major
Lord be my savior, unnh
Mama raised a hellraiser, stress gettin' major
Lord be my savior, unnh
Mama raised a hellraiser, stress gettin' major

[Verse 3]
Dear Lord can ya hear me? It's just me
A young nigga tryin' to make it on these rough streets
I'm on my knees beggin' please come and SAVE ME
THE WHOLE WORLD done made a nigga crazy!
I got my three-five-seven can't control it
Screamin' die motherfucker and he's loaded
Everybody run for cover, aww shit
Thug Life motherfucker, duck quick
Now am I wrong if I am don't worry me
Cause do or die gettin' high 'til they bury me
Dear Lord if ya hear me, tell me why
Little girl like LaTasha, had to die
She never got to see the bullet, just heard the shot
Her little body couldn't take it, it shook and dropped
And when I saw it on the news how she bucked the girl, killed Latasha
Now I'm screamin' fuck the world, in the end
It's my friends, that flip-flop
Lip-locked on my dick when my shit drop
Thug Life motherfucker, I lick shots
Every nigga on my block dropped two cops
Dear Lord can ya hear me? When I die
Let a nigga be strapped, fucked up, and high
With my hands on the trigger, thug nigga
Stressin' like a motherfuckin' drug dealer
And even in the darkest nights, I'm a thug for Life
I got the heart to fight now
Mama raised a hellraiser why cry
That's just life in the ghetto, do or die

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.

more tracks from the album

R U Still Down? (Remember Me)

From the album

R U Still Down? (Remember Me) (1997)

2Pac popular songs

Hellrazor2Pac

2Pac

R U Still Down? (Remember Me)