Blasphemy

The fifth track on Makaveli is Blasphemy, one of my personal favorites. This song portrays a more religious side of Tupac similar to the Hail Mary track.

My family tree, consists of drug dealers, thugs and killers
Strugglin; known to hustle; screamin fuck they feelings
I got advice from my father, all he told me was this
Nigga, get off your ass if you plan to be rich

While in some of his earlier songs Tupac shows much hatred for his father, this particular verse shows a rare insight into his relationship with his biological father; Billy Garland. He had several father figures and indeed perhaps he is referring to them. He knew his father until he was five years old and then he left, until 1994 when Tupac was shot for the first time.

Apparently Tupac was quite surprised to see his real father and perhaps this meeting influenced an evolution of attitude he held for his father. These lines would certainly indicate that perhaps his father's influence was not entirely absent and that the advice he did give Tupac, albeit not very much at all, was not completely useless.

Also, the progression of his attitude towards his father evolves quickly and exceptionally as he evidently psychologically matures; evidenced when you compare this attitude to his song 'Papaz Song' on his second album much earlier in his career.

There's ten rules to the game, but I'll share with you two
Know, niggas gon' hate you for whatever you do
Now rule one -- get your cash on, M.O.B.
That's Money Over Bitches, cause they breed envy

The first rule is acquire money, and then Tupac references the acronym M.O.B, which he had a tattoo of and was very prominent in some of his later songs.

Tupac had a huge respect for women. More importantly he has made such powerful songs regarding womens rights and hard times, such as Brenda's Gotta Baby and Keep Ya Head Up.

The type of women who hang around clubs and that are often affiliated with rap stars and/or their entourages, are called 'groupies' and it's not surprising that he held contempt for such females, particularly because they were why he went to prison before he released All Eyez On Me.

Now rule two is a hard one, watch for phonies
Keep yo', enemies close nigga, watch yo' homies
It seemed a little unimportant, when he told me I smiled
Picture jewels being handed, to an innocent child

Now this part is extremely intriguing and poetic and as such is open to interpretation. Perhaps Tupac was being quite literal at this point in the song, and was reminiscing back to when his father gave him gifts and he was quite pleased about it.

On the other hand the 3rd line could have a comma before 'I smiled' like this:

It seemed a little unimportant, when he told me, I smiled

In this case, he could mean that someone told him these rules, and at first he considered them to be unimportant and then realised that these rules were 'jewels' being handed to him while Tupac himself is the metaphor of an 'innocent child.' The next lines seem to follow this meaning.

I never knew in my lifetime I'd live by these rules
Initiated as an outlaw, studying rules
Now papa ain't around, so I gotta recall
or come to grips with bein' written on my enemy's wall

While he says 'my enemy's wall' you can hear Tupac in the background saying 'Rest in Peace.' So I believe he's saying that he has to remember these rules that his father knew otherwise get use to people hating him so much that they wrote his name on their wall's not resting until Tupac was dead.

[I] Promise if I have a seed, I'm a guide him right
Dear Lord don't let me die tonite

Basically Tupac is saying that if he impregnates a girl that he will raise him well, as long as he survives.

I got words for my comrades, listen and learn
Ain't nuttin free, give back what you earn, no doubt
Gettin higher than a mother fucker, bless me please
This Thug Life will be the death of me, c'mon, yeah

The end of this verse is saying that he is teaching us what be understands to be and that since nothing is free we need to redistribute these rules of life. A very deep ending to the verse.

We probably in Hell already, our dumb asses not knowin'
Everybody kissin ass to go to heaven; ain't goin
Put my soul on it

It's quite obvious what he is saying here I think the last line means that he would bet his soul on the fact that no one is going to heaven.

I'm fightin' devil niggas daily
Plus the media be crucifying brothers severely
Tell me I ain't God's son, nigga mom a virgin

We got addicted had to leave the burbs, back in the ghetto
doin wild shit, lookin at the sun don't pay

Here again is one of the most prominent themes of the album, (including the front cover), in which Tupac refers to himself as Jesus; this time saying that his mom was a virgin. Religious leaders often hated Tupac because even though he respected the Lord and Christianity deeply his musical persona portrayed Jesus suggesting that perhaps he was going to die for everyone's sins and not Jesus.

Also, another extremely deep phrase is said by Tupac: 'Looking at the sun (son) don't pay.' Here is another pun (a literary device used by poets, puns are prolific in the writings of Shakespeare, who was read by Tupac in his youth) where Tupac uses this phrase, there are 3 different meanings here.

Firstly we have the literal meaning which is if you look at the sun you won't get anything out of it. This is how critics of his work interpret this line.

Secondly, he means 'Son' instead of 'sun' referring to Jesus. One thing he could possibly mean by this he is referring to himself again as Jesus and that the media is the all-looking eye (as shown with his line earlier: media crucifying brothers severely.) Also, the bible says that Jesus died for all our sins and as such letting us avoid paying for them. Perhaps he meant that we don't pay for our sins when considereing Jesus' (or Tupac's) sacrifice. To further strengthen the argument that this insinuation is plausible, Shakespeare uses "sun / son" as a pun in his play of Richard the III, where Edward the IV is referenced as the [blazing] sun of York. Brilliantly, King Richard the III has often been referenced as the perfect example of a Machiavellian King, with his murderous and treacherous traits.

Thirdly, and most exceptionally, the word sun is used as a metaphor for heaven, or God, by philosophers since Plato referred to the sun as such in The Republic, Socrates also used that same metaphor.

Tupac was a follower of early philosophical literature which he studied in Baltimore along with studies of Shakespeare and Niccolo Machiavelli. Understanding the depth of his literary study one can become immediately aware the depth of his lyrics are not by accident, but by design.

So considering this third interpretation Tupac is saying looking towards heaven will bring us no closer, the work is to be done here on earth.

Criminal mind all the time, wait for Judgment Day
They say Moses split the Red Sea
I split the blunt and rolled a fat one, I'm deadly -- Babylon beware

Babylon was an ancient city with much biblical history, specifically the destruction of the city was due to 'God's punishment' of the entire world. I believe that Tupac here is saying the time for punishment is once again upon us, which relates to the beginning of the verse.

Comin for the Pharaoh kids, retaliation

Makin legends off the shit we did,

Quite interestingly the Pharaoh is considered to be evil in the bible, suggesting that this line means Tupac is doing God's work by ending the line of Pharoah's.

Still bullshittin' niggaz in Jerusalem, waitin for signs
God comin', she's just takin her time, haha

Here Tupac is laughing at the idea of God coming to our saviour; almost mocking the idea of salvation when the world is in such shape, fitting with the title of the song: Blasphemy.

Living by the Nile while the water flows
I'm contemplating plots wondering which door to go
Brothas getting shot, comin back resurrected
It's just that raw shit, nigga check it (that raw shit)

June 16th

Happy Birthday to Tupac Shakur who would have been 37 years of age today.

The analysis of the next track, 'To Live and Die in L.A.,' will be uploaded in a couple of days.

To Live and Die in L.A.

The fourth track on the album is To Live and Die in L.A.

To live and die in LA, where everyday we try to fatten our pockets
Us niggas hustle for the cash so it's hard to knock it
Everybody got they own thang, currency chasin'
Worldwide through the hard times, worryin' faces

I've heard people say instead of 'Worrying' Tupac actually says 'Warrior.' However, I believe he says 'worrying' because he is talking about the 'hard times.' Nevertheless, everyone's interpretation is never definitive, unless of course Tupac, himself, had an explanation.

Shed tears as we bury niggas close to heart
What was a friend, now a ghost in the dark, cold hearted bout it
Nigga got smoked by a fiend, tryin' to floss on him
Blind to a broken man's dreams, a hard lesson

This part of the verse is so incredibly powerful that its open to several interpretations.

'Smoked' means to be shot and killed and then he says 'trying to floss on him.' I believe he's basically saying the crack fiend was pretending to do business with him and then killed the dealer.

He then says 'blind to a broken man's dreams.' The 'broken man' Tupac is referring to is not the crack fiend, as most would interpret it as, but its the dealer. Tupac has often displayed lyrical disdain for drug dealers, particularly crack dealers.

He was himself a dealer and saw the destruction of the drug firsthand. He even sometimes referred to a New York that was 'B.C,' which meant 'Before Crack.' Tupac was not proud of this, but understood that perhaps sometimes it was vital to survival. Although, the dealer was a 'broken man,' he was only 'broken' temporarily and the fact that he had 'dreams' emphasises this because the fiend was blind to such dreams and therefore uncaring of the mans future.

The 'hard lesson' is pretty much self-explanatory in that his ways of financial pursuit led to his death. As a scholar of literature, one can recongise that multiple meanings of a certain poem or phrase is not a principle of uncertainty or ambiguity. Tupac often says things that can mean different things, whether its in the general flow of his writings or in a single pun.

William Shakespeare has famously used puns in many of his writings, for example in Hamlet he uses the word 'sun' which can also be interpreted to be the word 'son.' Obviously, since Shakespeare's writings can be read in a book we know the appropriate spelling of the word, but nevertheless the other spelling of 'son' would work as well.

Im going a little off topic here but the most appropriate example of such word play in Tupac's work can be seen in a song in 'Better Dayz.' The song 'All out' where Tupac says:

'I'm similar to Saddam, sometimes I question Hussein [or Who's Sane]'

This line is very intelligent because it speaks of Saddam Hussein, obviously, but then it asks Who's Sane? One meaning of this is the general question: who is sane. Another meaning is perhaps questioning this 'Hussein' in that Hussein is himself, because he says 'I'm similar to Saddam.' So very cleverly in between the lines he questions his violent ways and even his occasionally insincerity for particular people.

Nevertheless, Tupac goes on to say:

Court cases keep me guessin, plea bargain
ain't an option now, so I'm stressin

A plea bargain, for those who don't know, is a settlement between the prosecutor and the defendant in a court of law whereby the defendant will be charged automatically with perhaps a less severe punishment than he or she would have perhaps received had they fought against the charge.

Cost me more to be free than a life in the pen
Makin' money off of cuss words, writing again

This line is important to Tupac's overall message. It's as if he is admitting that he understands that the intellectual intensity of some of his music is not as powerful as he would want them to be, but the main point is it's possible to make money off of this specific sacrifice.

Learn how to think ahead, so I fight with my pen
Late night down Sunset liking the scene
What's the worst they could do to a nigga got me lost in hell
To live and die in LA on bail, my angel sing

His first line here is certainly open to interpretation but I believe he is saying that perhaps it's always easy to write about the present or the past, but writing about the future is always difficult and as a consequence he 'fights' with his pen to produce the right words. 'Liking the scene' doesn't really sound like scene at all and I was wondering maybe he's saying 'sin.' Liking the sin of the city, on the other hand he could be saying scene in a way which rhymes with pen.

It's the, City of Angels and constant danger
South Central LA, can't get no stranger
Full of drama like a soap opera, on the curb watching the ghetto bird helicopters,
I observe so many niggas getting three strikes tossed in jail
I swear the pen right across from hell

The first four lines here are self-explanatory, the last line is a little more complicated. I believe he's saying that the penitentiary is almost as bad as hell.

I can't cry 'cause it's on now, I'm just a nigga on his own now
Living life Thug style, so I can't smile

Again these lyrics depict a Thug persona which perhaps has to be 'lived' up to.

Writing to my peoples when they ask for pictures, thinking Cali just fun and bitches

Tupac may be talking about people that he knew on the east coast and also in Baltimore where he lived for a brief time.

Better learn about the dress code, B's and C's
All them other niggas copy-cats, these is G's

B's and C's are Bloods and Crips respectively.

I love Cali like I love women
'Cause every nigga in L.A. got a little bit of thug in him
We might fight amongst each other, but I promise you this
We'll burn this bitch down, get us pissed
To live and die in LA

Here Tupac is saying that sometimes the 'thugs' may be individuals but they will unite when needed.

Cause would it be LA without Mexicans?
Black love brown pride and the sets again
Pete Wilson trying to see us all broke

Pete Wilson is the Governor of California.

I'm on some bullshit
Out for everything they owe, remember K-DAY

K-DAY is a radio station in California.

Weekends, Crenshaw -- MLK

Crenshaw is a district within California in which Martin Luther King Boulevard is located.

Automatics rang free, niggas lost they way
Gang signs being shown, nigga love your hood
But recognize that it's all good, where the weed at?

Here Tupac is saying that there's nothing wrong with representing your city as long as you don't act violent towards someone else because of it. Then he asks 'where the weed is at' to suggest that weed could be a peaceful element between these people.

Niggas getting shermed out
Snoop Dogg in this mother fucker permed out, M.O.B.

Sherm is another name for the drug PCP. Perhaps here Tupac is saying that Snoop Dogg is intoxicated in some form and also M.O.B stands for Money over Bitches.

Big Suge in the Low-Low, bounce and turn
Dogg Pound in the Lex, wit a ounce to burn
Got them Watts niggaz with me, OFTB

OFTB stands for Operation From The Bottom who are a rap group from Watts, California.

They got some hash took the stash left the rest for me
Neckbone, Tre, Head Ron, Buntry too
Big Rock got knocked, but this one's for you

Roger 'Neckbone' Williams and Alton 'Buntry' McDonald were former friends of Suge Knight, the owner of Death Row Records. Tre and Head Ron were also associates of the suspected Blood member, Knight. I would imagine Big Rock was also someone involved in the running of the Death Row.

I hit the studio and drop a jewel, hopin it pay
Gettin high watchin time fly, to live and die in LA

This is a great poetic line from Tupac saying he'll 'drop a jewel' and indeed he does make a great song in To Live and Die L.A.

Toss It Up

The third track on the album is called Toss It Up and it starts with Tupac saying

The money behind the dreams
My right hand, my other Capo in this big motherfuckin war we got
My other Capo in this big ass, conglomerate called Death Row
Snoop motherfuckin Dogg, Tha Doggfather
And who he comin through right now, Makaveli the Don
Feel this, Killuminati

A 'capo' is an important member of a 'Mafia family' and is usually in charge of his own men. The 'capo' is obviously underneath the 'don.'

A 'conglomerate' is an company who has general interests in particular area but has 'multiple interests.' I suppose this would infer that Death Row Records did include perhaps shadier business ambitions.

Lord have mercy, father help us all
Since you supplied yo' phone number, I can't help but call
Time for action, conversatin', we relaxin', kickin' back
Got you curious for thug passion, now picture that

The first line in this verse is basically saying forgive us for giving in to our temptations as he continues to talk about intimate relations until basically the end of this verse:

Tongue kissing, hand full of hair, look in my eyes
Time to make the bed rock, baby look how it rise
Me and you, moving in the nude, do it in the living room
Sweating up the sheets, it's the thug in me
I mean no disrespecting when I tongue kiss your neck
I go a long way to get you wet, what you expect
Late night, hit the highway, drop the top
I pull over, getting busy in the parking lot
And don't you love it how I lick your, hips and glide
Kiss you soft on your stomach, push my love inside
Got you lost in a love zone, stuck in the lust
I got the bedroom shaking back-breaking when we're tossin' it up

After a number of choruses, Tupac raps:

Do you want me what's your phone number, I get around
Cali Love to my true thugs, picture me now
Still down for that Death Row sound, searching for paydays
No longer Dre Day, arrivederci

Here Tupac is talking about Dr. Dre and his departure from Death Row Records. 'Arrivederci' is actually Italian for goodbye, I suppose to follow with this Italian 'Mafia' theme and also to tie into the fact that Niccolo Machiavelli who was Italian himself.

Blown and forgotten, rotten for plotting Child's Play
Check your sexuality, as fruity as this Alize
Quick to jump ship, punk trick, what a dumb move
Cross Death Row, now who you gon' run to?

Allegedly, Dr. Dre had relations with a young boy while he was married and Tupac is obviously referencing that here. I have no idea how much basis this rumor has in reality. 'Alize' is the sweet and fruity hard liquor.

Looking for suckers 'cause you similar
Pretending to be hard, oh my God, check your temperature
Screaming Compton, but you can't return, you ain't heard
Brothers pissed cause you switched and escaped to the burbs
Mob on to this new era, cause we Untouchable
Still can't believe that you got Pac rushin' you
Up in you, bless the real, all the rest get killed
Who can you trust, only time reveals -- toss it up!

On the inside of the front cover, it actually says 'Untouchable' Death Row Records which is perhaps where this came from, or perhaps they took his these lyrics from Tupac and stuck it on the cover. Also, during the famous song 'California Love,' which Dr. Dre and Tupac made, Dre says 'Untouchable like Eliot Ness.' Perhaps they assumed this phrase with a slightly sarcastic disposition.

Hail Mary

Tupac starts off the second track on the album by saying:

God said he should send his one begotten son
to lead the wild into the ways of the man, follow me

This sentence suggests that he believed that he was a spiritual leader. The front cover of his album does depict him as Jesus Christ. From a certain perspective, one could consider him a leader, or at least a cult leader, amongst his friends and fans.

After all, his lyrics are probably analysed with more consistency and precision than that of the Holy Bible amongst the younger generation of today. Nevertheless, much controversy surrounded these remarks and many Christian groups have attempted to censor these lyrics from future releases of the album. Tupac goes on:

I ain't a killer but don't push me
Revenge is like the sweetest joy next to gettin' pussy
Picture paragraphs unloaded; wise words bein' quoted
Peeped the weakness in the rap game and sewed it

The first two lines are self-explanatory. The second two lines are much more profound; by saying 'wise words being quoted' its as if he's saying people will analyse these lyrics much deeper, which is the whole point of this blog. The next line suggests that he saw what was wrong with rap genre and filled it with his work.

Bow down, pray to God hoping that he's listenin'
Seein' niggaz come for me, for my diamonds, when they glistenin'
Now pay attention, rest me please father
I'm a ghost in these killin' fields

Almost every lyric website which has these lyrics says that Tupac says 'rest in peace father' instead of 'rest me please father.' Of course, it's open to interpretation, however I believe he says the latter because he then says 'I'm a ghost in these killin' fields.'

Hail Mary, catch me if I go, let's go deep inside
the solitary mind of a madman who screams in the dark
Evil lurks, enemies, see me flee [or Send me pleas]

Tupac could mean two things here he says 'Hail Mary, catch me if I go.' Personally, I believe he means 'catch me if I go [insane]' and then he continues to justify the situation upon which insanity can be created.

An alternative explanation could mean, that 'if I go' would mean if he dies, and that he would want to be 'caught' and brought to heaven. The last line certainly sounds as if Tupac says 'see me flee,' which personally I believe does not really fit in with what he's trying to say here. He's attempting to justify his sins by saying that he is retaliating in the midst of a temporary insanity. Seeing him flee certainly wouldn't do that, but saying 'Enemies send me pleas' would seem to fit in.

Activate my hate, let it break, to the flame
Set trip, empty out my clip, never stop to aim

Emptying out his clip and not stopping to aim would seem to indicate that he doesn't care who dies and who lives. These lyrics would seemingly be an attempt to demonstrate 'no mercy' and him being 'heartless.'

Some say the game is all corrupted, fucked in this shit
Stuck, niggaz is lucky if we bust out this shit, plus
mama told me never stop until I bust a nut
Fuck the world if they can't adjust
It's just as well, Hail Mary

Here Tupac is using lyrics to articulate rhythmically that the World is bad; there are inherently evil things in this world and that we are 'lucky' if we are ever to live in a good world. Then he says 'mama told me never stop until I bust a nut.' This is a metaphor which implies that you never leave a job unfinished. The general job which Tupac cleverly applies this metaphor to is to fix the world. In order to fix it, he must show everyone whats wrong with it.

He concludes by saying 'Fuck the world if they can't adjust,' which means if these people take offense by the violence and the hate he embraces, and utilises for an effective delivery, then they deserve to be condemned in the evil world which we all live in. The second verse starts:

Penitentiaries is packed with promise makers
Never realisin' the precious time the bitch niggaz is wastin' institutionalised,

Perhaps here Tupac is drawing on some experiences for when he was incarcerated. Obviously, he feels that it was time wasted when he was in there and that he could have spent more time on the outside making music.

I lived my life a product made to crumble
But too hardened for a smile, we're too crazy to be humbled

Here that he is remarking perhaps on his 'past life.' If he's attempting to be 'reincarnated' as Makaveli, and that he is no longer Tupac, then perhaps this line would insinuate all his fame and accomplishments summed up to nothing either at the point which he was in jail or up to the point he chose to make this album (the album right after All Eyez On Me.)

Catch me father please, cause I'm fallin', in the liquor store
That's the Hennessey I hear ya callin', can I get some more?
Hail 'til I reach Hell, I ain't scared

Again, there's a reference to him 'falling' as he referred to it in the first verse. Perhaps he's falling into insanity or Hell, which he does make a reference to right after. He says 'Hail [Mary] until I reach Hell,' which would mean he has faith in God until he dies.

Mama checkin' in my bedroom; I ain't there
I got a head with no screws in it, what can I do
One life to live but I got nothing to lose

Again theres a reference to losing sanity and that he has no choice but to live the lifestyle he does. He also remarks that he has nothing to lose.

Just me and you
On a one way trip to prison, sellin' drugs
We all wrapped up in this livin', life as thugs
To my homeboys in Quentin max, doin' they bid
Raise hell to this real shit, and feel this
When they turn out the lights, I'll be down in the dark
Thuggin eternal through my heart, now Hail Mary nigga

Here he refers to the maximum security area of the San Quentin State Prison and the inhabitants of which must keep faith.

To conclude, it's quite easy to understand why Tupac chose this image of Jesus to portray. He had such a strong following, his fans loved everything he did and said.

He also had no real father growing up, something that Jesus and Tupac had in common. He was heavily religious demonstrated by the massive cross on his back. The mysterious nature of the album can provoke many different interpretations of Tupac's lyrics, I do not believe that everything I say is set in stone.

Bomb First (My Second Reply)

Welcome to Tupacology! This blog is dedicated to analysing Tupac's lyrics, this site is for Tupac fans who perhaps want to look deeper into the poetry in his music. If you believe that Tupac was an average MC like P. Diddy, Nas, etc. I hope these blog entries change your mind.

I'll start by looking at perhaps Tupac's most original album, and one of his most lyrically intense: Makaveli: The Don Killuminati: 7 Day Theory. The first track is called Bomb First (My Second Reply).

To start off there have been controversial suggestions that a voice in the background says 'Suge Shot Me.' This of course refers to Suge Knight, the Executive Producer of Tupac's record label, Death Row Records.

I'm not saying either way, in fact I'd like to hear what you think happened, but Snoop Dogg certainly seems to thing that Suge was responsible. But lets not forget, Suge was in the car at the time Tupac was shot, sitting right next to him, and was grazed in the head with a bullet.

An assassination attempt by any reasonably intelligent mobster would not include the initiator to be sitting right next to the victim, however I'm open to all suggestions.

Nevertheless, a voice certainly does seem to say this at the beginning of the song. I will skip any of the Outlawz verses as these are hardly ever relative to the insight of what Tupac was trying to say. Tupac starts off his verse by saying:

Allow me to introduce first
Makaveli the Don
Spittin' spiritual Lyrics like the Holy Koran

First let me explain for all those who don't know. Tupac took the name Makaveli, from the Italian political philosopher who wrote The Prince, which principally teaches to rule with fear instead of love. The Don is obviously the leader of an Italian mafia hierarchy. Tupac then says:

Niggas get shook like 5-0
My .45 lurks next to me when we ride
For survival

The 5-0 is the police and 'shaking' would refer to losing them and a .45 is a pistol.

Money making plans, pistol close in hands
Swollen pockets
Let me introduce the topic then we drop it
Expose snakes cause they breathe freely
See me rise
Located world wide like the art of graffiti

Here I believe Tupac is introducing the topic of 'snakes.' He cleverly only says one line about the degradation of his enemies and continues to glorify his own ambitions.

I think I'm tougher than any
My attitude shitty born in the dope fiends titty

Tupac refers here to his mother, Afeni Shakur, being a crack fiend when Tupac was young. This is an example of a deep contradiction particularly within this album which Tupac consistently portrays. Such a cold referral to his mother and his experience as a youth would indicate an unemotional leader certainly using the Machiavellian technique of fear to capture the audience. However, as we see in later songs, such as White Man's World, his lyrics suggest such a sentimental and kind aspect, with respect to women in particular.

And every city you'll find me looking for trouble
Right behind me my outlaw niggas down to die for me
(Nawhat I mean)
I hit the scene
Niggas ducking for my guillotine stare I'm right there
My every word
A fucking night mare
Getting high let me see the sun rise and fall
This is for my dogs down to die for y'all

These are purely confrontational lyrics which demonstrate an intimidating disposition. Quite common in many of Tupac's albums is a tendency to introduce with a very wicked demeanor almost as if demonstrate the pain upon which he has suffered as a youth. Obviously, there are contradictions to this, particularly with the albums that were released posthumously (more in number than when he was alive) and consequently had no influence on the organisation of the album.

Extreme Venom
No mercy when we all up in em cut em down
To hell is where we send em
My whole team
Trained to explode ride or die
Murder muthafuckas lyrically and I'm not gon' cry
Me
A born leader
Never leave the block without my heater
Two big pitts, I call them Mobb bitch nigga eaters

Another theme of showing 'no mercy' is prominent in this song, with him specifically saying 'No mercy when we all up in em' and also when he says 'Murder muthafuckas lyrically and I'm not gon' cry.' It's interesting that Tupac chose to say 'lyrically' because one would expect him to be far more callous in his approach and perhaps not worry about being too harsh, but here it shows that his cruelty is not particularly genuine. His line about 'Mobb bitch nigga eaters' is about his hatred for the rapper Mobb Deep.

And I won't whimper till I'm gone
Thug life running through my veins so I'm strong
Ha ha ha
Bye Bye bye lets get high and ride
Oh, how do we do these niggas but I'm not gonna cry

Again, an example of 'no mercy,' when he says 'but I'm not gonna cry.'

I'm a Bad Boy killa (killa)
Jay-Z die too
Looking out for Mobb Deep
Nigga when I find you
Weak muthafuckas don't deserve to breathe
How many niggas down to die for me
Yeah eh yayuh
West coast ridah comin right behind ya
Shoulda never fucked with me
I want money hoes sex and weed
I won't rest till my row dogs free

His 'Row dogs' are his Death Row fellow rappers, in some cases friends and other cases not. Skipping all the Outlawz verses.

Shoot first, look at they head burst bleeding
Didn't want no shit this evening
Believe me

This part would indicate again, that perhaps he does not 'go out looking for trouble' as the introduction would suggest, but the wrongs of his enemies force him to do so. In a reversal of suggestion, hes saying here that his intimidation and want for confrontation is due to the faults of his enemies and not due to his cruel disposition.

We, bomb first when we ride, please
Reconsider for' you die
G's, and thug niggas on the rise
Plan plot strategise
To bomb first
We, bomb first when we ride, please
Reconsider for' you die
G's, and thug niggas on the rise
Plan plot strategise
To bomb first

Perhaps ironically, Tupac is telling his enemies to reconsider their wrongdoings before he 'bombs first.' And then the last line which is truly revealing Tupac says, after a gunshot:

Lets pray my niggas
For we definitely have sinned

This is another example of the contradiction always seemingly obvious with almost aspect of Tupac. The whole point of the song really is to intimidate his enemies and 'rule with fear' which he does extremely successfully and then he ends up saying 'we definitely have sinned.'