This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Between you and Biggie
was like who's gone who's gone who who rules theThe nigga kingdom and shit, basically
you know what I am saying shit
I was like this is like a fuckin election
[It is that]
It is an election...
[It is that]
You know what I'm sayin
Me and Biggie situation is smaller than that
Me and Biggie situation is like
[Sirens]Metro...we got a black male shot...tupac shakur was shot seven times
[Chorus]
You know, I wonder if they'll laugh when I am dead
Why am I fighting to live, if I'm just living to fight
Why am I trying to see, when there aint nothing insight
Why I am I trying to give, when no one gives me a try
[I am destroyin them...]
Why am I dying to live, if I'm just living to die
I'm destroying them
I'm destroying them
[Notorious B.I.G.]
Check it, I grew up a fuckin screw up
Got introduced to the game, got a ounce and fuckin blew up
Choppin rocks overnight
The nigga Biggie Smalls tryin ta turn into the black Frank White
We had to grow dreads to change our description
Two cops is on the milk box missin
Show they toes you know they got stepped on
A fist full of bullets a chest full of Teflon
Run from the police picture that, nigga I'm too fat
I fuck around and catch a asthma attack
That's why I bust back, [gun shot] it don't phase me
When he drop, take his glock, and I'm Swayze
Celebrate my escape, sold the glock, bought some weight
Lay back, I got some money to make, motherfucker
[Chorus]
You know, I wonder if they'll laugh when I am dead
Why am I fighting to live, if I'm just living to fight
Why am I trying to see, when there aint nothing insight
Why I am I trying to give, when no one gives me a try
[I am destroyin them...]
Why am I dying to live, if I'm just living to die
I am destroyin them...
[2Pac]
It's on me...
But still I'm havin, memories of high speeds, when the cops crash
As I laugh pushin the gas while my glocks blast
We was young, and we was dumb but we had heart
In the dark will we survive through the bad parts?
Many dreams is what I had, and plenty wishes
No hesitation in extermination of these snitches
Envious bitches they still continue to pursue me
A couple of movies now the whole world tryin to screw me
even the cops tried to sue me
So what can I do but stay true, sippin 22's of brew
and now the medias tryin to test me got the press askin questions, tryin to stress me
misery is all I see, thats my mind's state
My history with the police is shake the crime rate
Ma main man had 2 strikes, slipped, got arrested and flipped
He screamed 'Thug Life!' and emptied a clip
gots tired of runnin from the police
[chorus]You know, I wonder if they'll laugh when I am dead
Why am I fighting to live, if I'm just living to fight
Why am I trying to see, when there aint nothing insight
Why I am I trying to give, when no one gives me a try
[I am destroyin them...]
Why am I dying to live, if I'm just living to die
I am destroyin them...
I wasnt more shocked or anything ya know what im saying
I wasnt more shocked of him dying to hear him
Pac is a strong dude you know I know dude I mean real strong so when they said he got shot I was just more like "again?" He always gets shot or shot at, and he gonna pull through this one again make a few records about it
But when he died I was like "Whoa", kinda took me by
Even while we was goin through our tramau I didnt wish death on nobody because there aint no comin back for them
was like who's gone who's gone who who rules theThe nigga kingdom and shit, basically
you know what I am saying shit
I was like this is like a fuckin election
[It is that]
It is an election...
[It is that]
You know what I'm sayin
Me and Biggie situation is smaller than that
Me and Biggie situation is like
[Sirens]Metro...we got a black male shot...tupac shakur was shot seven times
[Chorus]
You know, I wonder if they'll laugh when I am dead
Why am I fighting to live, if I'm just living to fight
Why am I trying to see, when there aint nothing insight
Why I am I trying to give, when no one gives me a try
[I am destroyin them...]
Why am I dying to live, if I'm just living to die
I'm destroying them
I'm destroying them
[Notorious B.I.G.]
Check it, I grew up a fuckin screw up
Got introduced to the game, got a ounce and fuckin blew up
Choppin rocks overnight
The nigga Biggie Smalls tryin ta turn into the black Frank White
We had to grow dreads to change our description
Two cops is on the milk box missin
Show they toes you know they got stepped on
A fist full of bullets a chest full of Teflon
Run from the police picture that, nigga I'm too fat
I fuck around and catch a asthma attack
That's why I bust back, [gun shot] it don't phase me
When he drop, take his glock, and I'm Swayze
Celebrate my escape, sold the glock, bought some weight
Lay back, I got some money to make, motherfucker
[Chorus]
You know, I wonder if they'll laugh when I am dead
Why am I fighting to live, if I'm just living to fight
Why am I trying to see, when there aint nothing insight
Why I am I trying to give, when no one gives me a try
[I am destroyin them...]
Why am I dying to live, if I'm just living to die
I am destroyin them...
[2Pac]
It's on me...
But still I'm havin, memories of high speeds, when the cops crash
As I laugh pushin the gas while my glocks blast
We was young, and we was dumb but we had heart
In the dark will we survive through the bad parts?
Many dreams is what I had, and plenty wishes
No hesitation in extermination of these snitches
Envious bitches they still continue to pursue me
A couple of movies now the whole world tryin to screw me
even the cops tried to sue me
So what can I do but stay true, sippin 22's of brew
and now the medias tryin to test me got the press askin questions, tryin to stress me
misery is all I see, thats my mind's state
My history with the police is shake the crime rate
Ma main man had 2 strikes, slipped, got arrested and flipped
He screamed 'Thug Life!' and emptied a clip
gots tired of runnin from the police
[chorus]You know, I wonder if they'll laugh when I am dead
Why am I fighting to live, if I'm just living to fight
Why am I trying to see, when there aint nothing insight
Why I am I trying to give, when no one gives me a try
[I am destroyin them...]
Why am I dying to live, if I'm just living to die
I am destroyin them...
I wasnt more shocked or anything ya know what im saying
I wasnt more shocked of him dying to hear him
Pac is a strong dude you know I know dude I mean real strong so when they said he got shot I was just more like "again?" He always gets shot or shot at, and he gonna pull through this one again make a few records about it
But when he died I was like "Whoa", kinda took me by
Even while we was goin through our tramau I didnt wish death on nobody because there aint no comin back for them
Lyrics submitted by RaineBM1185
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This song is bs. Do you think for one moment Pac would have collaborated with Biggie in life? Same with half the artists on his posthumous releases....his mum is trying to rewrite her sons past. I loved Pac but he had a dark side which is overlooked in his death...he was a convicted rapist for gods sake and now he's being protrayed as a young Martin Luther King or something!!!
Young kids don't realise this but 2pac was seriously considered insane when he was alive by most of the public and rapping scene.
he actually did collaborate on a song called Runnin(from tha police) which is where biggies verse on this is from, tupac had a difirent verse originally but it was swapped for this song. this version (dying to live) was produced by eminem. also the song that is in the chorus is called dying to live by edgar winter,famous for the song frankenstein. his original is in alower key but for this song eminem changed the pitch