Released: November 12, 1991

Featuring: Ray Luv Shock G

Songwriter: Big D The Impossible 2Pac

Producer: Shock G

[Intro]
Rebel ... rebel
Rebel
Rebel ... rebel

[Verse 1]
They just can't stand the reign, or the occasional pain
From a man like me, who goes against the grain
Sometimes I do it in vain
So with a little bass and treble
Hey mister, it's time for me to explain that I'm the rebel
Cold as the devil
Straight from the underground, the rebel, a lower level
They came to see the maniac psychopath
The critics heard of me, and the aftermath
I don't give a damn and it shows
And when I do a stage show I wear street clothes
So they all know me
The lyrical lunatic, the maniac MC
I give a shout out to your homies
And maybe then, the critics'll leave your boy alone, G
On the streets or on TV
It just don't pay to be, a truth tellin' MC
They won't be happy 'til I'm banned
The most dangerous weapon: an educated black man
So point blank in your face
Pump up the bass, and join the human race
I throw peace to The Bay
'Cause from The Jungle to Oaktown, they backin' me up all the way
You know you gotta love the sound
It's from the rebel - the rebel of the underground

[Hook]
Rebel, he's a rebel
Rebel of the underground
Rebel, he's a rebel
Rebel of the underground
Rebel, he's a rebel
Rebel of the underground
Rebel, he's a rebel
Rebel of the underground

[Verse 2]
Now I'm face to face with the devils
'Cause they breedin' more rebels than the whole damn ghetto
And police brutality
Shit, it put you in the nip and call it technicality
So you reap what you sow
So reap the wrath of the rebel, jackin' 'em up once mo'
Now the fox is in the henhouse
Creepin' up on your daughter while you sleep I got her sneakin' out
2Pac ain't nothin' nice, I'll be nothin' how I wanna
And doin' what I'm gonna
Now I'm up to no good
The mastermind of mischief movin' more than most could
So sit and slip into the sound
Peep the rebel - the rebel of the underground

[Hook]
Rebel, he's a rebel
Rebel of the underground
Rebel, he's a rebel
Rebel of the underground
Rebel, he's a rebel
Rebel of the underground
Rebel, he's a rebel
Rebel of the underground

[Verse 3]
They say they hate me, they wanna hold me down
I guess they scared of the rebel - the rebel of the underground
But I never let it get me
I just make another record 'bout the punks tryin' to sweat me
In fact, they tryin' to keep me out
Try to censor what I say
'Cause they don't like what I'm talkin' 'bout
So what's wrong with the media today
Got brothers sellin' out cause they greedy to get paid
But me? I'm comin' from the soul
And if it don't go gold, my story still gettin' told
And that way they can't stop me
And if it sells a couple of copies, the punks'll try to copy
It's sloppy, don't even try to
I'm a slave to the rhythm, and I'm about to fly through
So, yo, to the people in the ghetto
When ya hear the bass flow, go ahead and let go
Now everybody wanna gangbang
They talkin' street slang, but the punks still can't hang
They makin' records 'bout violence
But when it comes to the real, some brothers go silent
It kinda make you wanna think about
That ya gotta do some sellin' out, just to get your record out
But 2Pacalypse is straight down
So feel the wrath of the rebel - the rebel of the underground

[Outro]
2Pac is a rebel
Rebel of the underground
2Pac is a rebel
Rebel of the underground
2Pac is a rebel
Rebel of the underground
2Pac is a rebel
Rebel of the underground
2Pac is a rebel
Rebel of the underground
2Pac is a rebel
Rebel of the underground
2Pac is a rebel
Rebel of the underground
2Pac is a rebel
Rebel of the underground

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.