2Pac

Released: March 27, 2001

Songwriter: Johnny J 2Pac

Producer: Johnny J

[Intro]
Yeah, ballad of a dead soldier
This is the ballad of a dead soldier
This is the ballad of a dead soldier
Come play the ballad of a dead soldier

[Verse 1]
The plan, to take command of the whole family
Though underhanded, to be the man it was planned
All my road dogs, official mob figures
Love to act up, the first to bomb when we rob niggas
I can be lost in my own mind
To be the boss, only thought's: grip on chrome 9's
Niggas get tossed up, war scars, battlefield memories
Swore I saw the devil in my empty glass of Hennessy
Talkin' to a nigga on a tight leash
Screamin' "Fuck the police!" as I ride through the night streets
Little child runnin' wild, towards danger
What's the cause? Don't be alarmed, death to all strangers
Maybe I'm a madman
A pistol grabbin' nigga, unleash the Sandman
Promise a merciless retaliation, nothin' is colder
Close your eyes, hear the ballad of a dead soldier

[Hook: singing + 2Pac]
Thug for Life, I will be
This is the ballad of a dead soldier
A life of crime I will lead
Close your eyes, hear the ballad of a dead soldier
If you play the game, you play to win
This is the ballad of a dead soldier
It's a crazy world full of sin
Close your eyes…

[Verse 2]
Completely lost, revenge at all costs
Payback's a bitch, switched, now the trick's crossed
Tossed up and never to be heard of
A single witness screamin', "Bloody murder, murder!"
Blast, tell me, homie, what you see now?
A blind man and a dead body, I'm ready to leave town
And get my cash though, hook up with Kastro
Homie had to blast on the task force
Stupid coppers tried to play us out, never that
They took my money and my stash, time to get 'em back
Upon my secret arrival
Two Glock four-fives, time for survival
Death to my rivals – tell me, what you want, Lord?
Nobody left after the death of a drug lord
The situation's critical, nothin' is colder
Than hear the ballad of a dead soldier

[Hook: singing + 2Pac]
Thug for Life, I will be
This is the ballad of a dead soldier
A life of crime I will lead
Close your eyes, hear the ballad of a dead soldier
If you play the game, you play to win
This is the ballad of a dead soldier
It's a crazy world full of sin
Close your eyes and hear the ballad of a dead soldier

[Verse 3]
Be a coward, put yo' hands to the moon
When my Glocks rang out, the niggas came out, BOOM!
Who wanna see me in a challenge?
So merciless, I'm terrifyin' niggas in my ballads
Do you feel me? Capo or Capi-tan
One day I'll be the Don; until then, remain strong
My only fear of death is reincarnation
Bustin' at my adversaries like a mental patient
To all my niggas facin' 60 years
Sheddin' tattooed tears, another suicidal on the tier
Takin' private planes, tryin' to survive the game
For all my homies that'll never be alive again
All they promise us is death, nigga
Take a breath, come be the last one left, nigga
It's real now, feel it or fantasize it, ain't nothin' colder
Listen, you can hear it – the ballad of a dead soldier

[Hook: singing + 2Pac]
Thug for Life, I will be
This is the ballad of a dead soldier
A life of crime I will lead
Close your eyes, hear the ballad of a dead soldier
If you play the game, you play to win
This is the ballad of a dead soldier
It's a crazy world full of sin
Close your eyes and hear the ballad of a dead soldier

[Outro]
This go out to Kato, Mental, all the niggas that passed away
Mutulu, Geronimo, Seyku – all the down-ass riders
All the niggas that put it down, all the soldiers
All the niggas that go through that day-to-day struggle
(This is the ballad of a dead soldier!)
All the niggas that passed on
All the niggas with ambition and money in they heart
All the niggas that want some and that don't take none
Hahaha (It's the ballad of a dead soldier!)
The police are so scared of us
All the feds they aware of us
They wanna see us dead
They got pictures of a nigga head, (Ballad of a dead soldier!)
Tryin' to see me in chains, shit
Them niggas'll never breathe again
Before they put me in a cell, they'll see me in Hell
(‘Cause it's the ballad of a dead soldier!)
Got my pistols cocked
Run the whole motherfuckin' block; fuck the cops!
The police? We run these streets, nigga
(Ain't heard the ballad of a dead soldier!)
These niggas can't see me, half the world wanna be me
Multi-millionaire, shit, it ain't fair
But nigga, you know – it's the ballad of a dead soldier!

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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