thug life en · NOUN
Etymology
Popularised by American rapper Tupac Shakur (1971–1996) in 1993.
Meanings
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(countable, ironic, often, uncountable) A life in which one has to go through many struggles, like that of poor gangstas.
Too many young Black men have adopted this thug life pose.
1996 September 22, Wayne Johnson, “Thug Life – Why This Raised So Much Hell”, in soc.culture.african.american (Usenet):Whether death refers to biological death or serves as a metaphor for oppression and marginalization (social death), the potential for collective reconciliation with death is linked to his identity as a nigga living thug life.
2011, Michael Jeffries, Thug Life: Race, Gender, and the Meaning of Hip-Hop, page 107:For all of these rappers claiming to live the thug life, there's really no difference.
2005, Black Dot, Hip Hop Decoded: From Its Ancient Origin to Its Modern Day Matrix, page 165:I didn’t choose the thug life. It chose me.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| thug lives | Number=Plur | lexicographic |