Young Black Male

## Song by 2Pac

"**Young Black Male**" is a song by 2Pac, released as the lead track from his debut studio album, *2Pacalypse Now* (1991). It samples the following songs: Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs's "I Got to Have It", Ice Cube's "Dead Homiez", War's "Where Was You At", Funkadelic's "Good Old Music", and Ice Cube's "The Product". 2Pac links his own experiences to issues Black male youth face, including societal prejudices, institutional racism, and police brutality.

## Background

In commentary of his LP, he said of the track, "Only a Young Black Male can tell you how a Young Black Male lives. How you get sweated by the cops all the time. How your homies are rushed. This rap's so straight from the heart that I did it in one take, one burst." He explained to *Los Angeles Times*, "I just wanted to rap about things that affected young black males. When I said that, I didn’t know that I was gonna tie myself down to just take all the blunts and hits for all the young black males, to be the media's kicking post for young black males. I just figured since I lived that life I could do that, I could rap about that."

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro: 2Pac, *Ice Cube*, **Ed O.G.**]

*Elam— Elam— Elam— Elam—*

**Hard like an erection**, *young Black male*

**Hard like an erection**, *ain't shit to fool with*

**Hard like an erection**, *young Black male*

**Hard like an erection**, *ain't shit to fool with*

*Htiw loof ot tihs t'nia*, **noitcere na ekil drah**

Elam kcalb gnuoy, **noitcere na ekil drah**

*Young Black male* (Yes, n\*\*\*as)

Yes, n\*\*\*as

*Young Black male* (Yes, n\*\*\*as)

**Hard like an erection**, *young Black male*

**Hard like an erection**, *ain't shit to fool with*

**Hard like an erection**, *young Black male*

**Hard like an erection** (Go n\*\*\*a, go)

[Verse: 2Pac]

Young Black male

I'm tryna effect by kicking the facts

And stacking much mail

I'm packing a gat 'cause cops wanna jack

And fuck going to jail

'Cause I ain't a crook, despite how I look

I don't sell yayo

They judging us brothers like covers on books

Follow me into a flow

I'm sure you know which way to go

I'm hitting 'em out of the doors

So simple and slow, they step on the flow

I'm fucking the sluts and hoes

The bigger the butts, the tighter the clothes

They givin' ya jim many blows

Then what do you know? It's off with some clothes

Proud when the crowd says "ho"

That let's me know they know I can flow

I love when they come to my shows

I get up and go with skins before

When I'm collecting my dough

I let 'em respect the way that I rep

The quicker the n\*\*\*a can wreck

The bigger the check, now watch how they sweat

Now what kind of style is that?

The style of a mack and ready to jack

I ran through the piles of wack

The wacker the pack, the fatter the smack

They hate it when real n\*\*\*as bust

They hate when I cuss, they threaten to bust

I had enough of the fuss

I bust what I bust and cuss when I must

They gave me a charge for sales

For selling the tales of young Black males

[Outro]

Yes, n\*\*\*a

N-I-G-G-A, n\*\*\*as

Ayy, n\*\*\*a, you can't handle that shit

Pass that, man

Hit that shit, that's the shit

It smell like skunk

Skunk smell like that n\*\*\*a over there mama

Some old funky-ass shit

We ain't nothin' but some low down dirty n\*\*\*as

Keep it real, n\*\*\*a! Fuck you, n\*\*\*a

You ain't giving me near a dime on this real motherfucker

Fuck St. Ides, it's an Olde E thing, baby

Stick with some of that Hennessy

Can I drink with you, fellas? Can I get in on it in here?

Fuck you, Capo, you ain't in, baby

I tell you what!

You guys are not gonna be talking all that shit, when I come back, okay?

We gonna see who the big mouth when I come back

*Young black male— male*

## References

1. ↑ Scarano, Ross (November 14, 2016). "Here's Tupac's Song-by-Song Commentary on His Debut, '2Pacalypse Now'". *Complex*.