2Pac

Released: November 25, 1997

Songwriter: 2Pac Stretch Mopreme Shakur Big Syke Macadoshis Rated R George Clinton Bootsy Collins Bernie Worrell

Producer: Live Squad

[Intro: 2Pac]
Pssst... psssssst... ayo
Are you afraid to die, or do you wanna live forever?
Tell me, what's wrong? (What's wrong nigga?)

[Verse 1: 2Pac]
They wanna bury me, I'm worried, I'm losin' my mind
Look down the barrel of my 9, and my vision's blurry
Fallin' to pieces, am I guilty? I pray to the Lord
But he ignores me, unfortunately, ‘cause I'm guilty
Show me a miracle, I'm hopeless
I'm chokin' off marijuana smoke
With every toke it's like I'm losin' focus
Fallin' asleep while I'm in service, when will I die?
Forever paranoid and nervous, because I'm high
Don't mention funerals, I'm stressin' and goin' nutty
And reminiscin' 'bout them niggas that murdered my buddy
I wonder: When will I be happy? Ain't nothin' funny
Flashbacks of bustin' caps, anything for money
Where am I goin'? I discovered, can't nothin' save me
My next door neighbor's havin' convo with undercovers
Put a surprise in the mailbox, hope she get it
Happy birthday, bitch, you know you shouldn't have did it
Everybody's dyin', am I next? Who can I trust?
Will they be G's, and they look at me before they bust?
Or will they kill me while I'm sleepin'?
Two to the head while I'm in bed
Leakin' blood on my satin sheets
Is there a heaven for a baller?
I'm gettin' suspicious of this bitch
The line's busy every time I call her
Now she's tellin' me to visit, who else is home?
I check the house before I bone, so we all alone
After I nut I hit the highway, see ya later!
To all the players, watch the fly way a nigga played her
This bitch is tellin' all her homies
That I can fuck her like no other
Now them other bitches wanna bone me
I'm under pressure, gettin' drunk, somebody help me
I drank a fifth of Hennessy, I don't think it's healthy
I see my enemies, they creepin', don't make me blast
I watch the 5-0's roll, the motherfuckers pass
By me like they know me, smilin' as they laugh
I put up my middle finger, then I dash
Niggas don't like me, ‘cause I'm thuggin'
And every day I'm a hustler lookin' to get paid

[Verse 2: 2Pac]
They wanna bury me, I'm worried—no need to lie
I pray to God I don't scream when it's time to fry
Nowhere to rest, I'm losin' homies—ain't that a bitch?
When I was rich I had clout, now a nigga's lonely
I put the pistol to my head, and say a prayer
I see visions of me dead, Lord, are you there?
Then tell me, am I lost? ‘Cause I'm lonely
I thought I had friends, but in the end a nigga dies lonely
Nowhere to run, I'm in terror, and no one cares
A closed casket at my funeral and no one's there
Is there a future for a killer? I change my ways
But still that don't promise me the next day
So I stay thuggin' with a passion, forever blastin'
I'm bustin' on these motherfuckers in my madness
They wonder if I'm hellbound
Well, Hell can't be worse than this, ‘cause I'm in Hell now
Don't make me hurt you, I don't want to, but I will
Seen motherfuckers killed over phone bills
Never will I die, I'll be back
Reincarnated as a motherfuckin' MAC
-11, ‘cause in Heaven there's no shortage on G's
I'm tellin' you now: ''You motherfuckers don't know me''

[Chorus: Mental Illness, 2Pac]
Only fear of death... you ghetto niggas
Only fear of death is comin' back reincarnated
Only fear of death... you ghetto niggas
Only fear of death is comin' back reincarnated
(I ain't scared to die)
Only fear of death... you ghetto niggas
Only fear of death is comin' back reincarnated
Only fear of death... you ghetto niggas
(I ain't scared to die)
Only fear of death is comin' back reincarnated
Only fear of death... you ghetto niggas
Only fear of death is comin' back reincarnated
Only fear of death... you ghetto niggas
(Only fear of death)
Only fear of death is comin' back reincarnated
Only fear of death... you ghetto niggas
You ghetto niggas...
You ghetto niggas...
You ghetto niggas...
You ghetto niggas...
You ghetto niggas...

[Outro: 2Pac]
I ain't scared to die
(You ghetto niggas...)
Do you wanna live forever?
(You ghetto niggas...)
Are you scared to die?
Or will you scream when you fry?
My only fear of death
My only fear of death is coming back, reincarnated
This is dedicated to Mental, R.I.P
And Big Kato, R.I.P.
And all you other O.G.'s who goes down; my only fear of death

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.

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