Most fans know about the late Rapper Tupac Shakur’s various tattoos. Some dedicated fans even imitate his famous tattoos.
What you might not know is that ‘Thug Life’ – one of his most iconic tattoos – has a special meaning behind it.
In an interview, Tupac revealed that THUG LIFE is actually an acronym for “The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everyone“.
Despite criticism from the media at the time, which viewed Tupac as a violent person or a genuine “thug,” the real message of the tattoo was a warning that: “If we continue to raise children in a negative environment, surrounded by racism, violence, and oppression, the cycle will continue.”
Dennis ‘Dago’ Coelho, the tattoo artist who worked on Tupac, told ‘The Source’ that when choosing a tattoo for him: “It had to be meaningful and something no one else had. Every tattoo had its own meaning for 2Pac.”
In 1994, Tupac shared: “I don’t consider myself a soldier, I consider myself a thug. And my definition of a thug comes from half the street element, and half the independence movement.”
“We want our freedom. We do it by self-defense or by any means necessary. That’s where my family comes from and that’s ‘thug life.’ It’s a mixture.”
“When I say ‘thug,’ I don’t mean a criminal or someone who fights, but I mean the underdog! But they made it out successfully, the one who overcame all obstacles.”
Since his passing, the Thug Life philosophy has continued. Rihanna tattooed the phrase on her fingers and it remains in use within Hip Hop culture.”
