album III
Track 4: "Dancing with the Devil"
After "Brenda's Got a Baby," Tupac refuses to let the listener escape the harsh reality of systemic failure. "Dancing with the Devil" is a direct continuation, shifting focus from Brenda to her son, who is left to navigate the same world that failed his mother. The song serves as the darkest moment in Poetic Justice, hitting listeners with a gut-wrenching narrative that exposes the cycle of poverty, violence, and neglect.
Brenda's son grows up without a father, without stability, and without teacher. Society never gave Brenda a chance, and it doesn't give her son one either. He is passed around from home to home, raised by the streets, and quickly learns that survival means becoming part of the same system that destroyed his mother.
Tupac describes how the boy, now a teenager, gets pulled into a life of crime. He starts with small offenses—stealing, skipping school, running with gangs—before escalating to more serious violence. The song's title, "Dancing with the Devil," reflects how deeply he gets caught up in a lifestyle that only leads to destruction.
As the track progresses, Tupac's storytelling intensifies. The boy's fate is sealed when he gets involved in a robbery gone wrong. In a desperate attempt to prove himself, he shoots someone, unaware that his actions will lead to his own demise. The final verse details his tragic end—gunned down in the streets, his body left in the same cold world that abandoned his mother.
By the end of "Dancing with the Devil," the listener is left in shock. Tupac doesn't just tell a sad story—he forces the audience to confront an uncomfortable truth: the system is designed to make stories like Brenda's and her son's inevitable. It's a heartbreaking cycle that continues to claim young lives.
This is the lowest point of the album. The overwhelming sadness from "Brenda's Got a Baby" and "Dancing with the Devil" makes Poetic Justice feel unbearably dark. Tupac realizes that if the entire album continues down this path, only people with hardened hearts will listen. So, he decides to make a shift.
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Track 5: "Shorty Wanna Be a Thug"
A Conversation That Changes the Album's Tone
The transition from "Dancing with the Devil" to "Shorty Wanna Be a Thug" is significant. Instead of diving deeper into darkness, Tupac takes a step back and approaches the subject from a different angle.
The song begins with Tupac having a conversation with a young boy named Jordan. Tupac asks Jordan what he wants to be when he grows up, expecting to hear something like a doctor, an athlete, or a musician. But Jordan's answer catches Tupac off guard:
"A thug, like you."
This moment is heartbreaking. Jordan sees Tupac—a rapper, an activist, a leader—but to him, Tupac is still a thug. This speaks to the way young boys in the hood view survival. The word "thug" isn't just about crime; it's about being respected, being feared, and not being weak.
Tupac doesn't scold Jordan. Instead, he turns this moment into a song—a reflection of how so many young boys idolize the thug lifestyle without fully understanding the consequences.
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The Chorus: A Dangerous Aspiration
The chorus repeats a haunting message:
"Said he wanna be, shorty's gonna be a thug / Said he wanna be, one day he's gonna be."
It's not just wishful thinking; it's a tragic prophecy. When a young boy says he wants to be a thug, he doesn't realize he's signing up for a life that often ends in death or prison. Tupac makes it clear—if society doesn't intervene, these kids are going to follow the same path as those before them.
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Verse 1: The Transformation of an Innocent Boy
Tupac begins by painting a picture of a boy who once had potential:
"Was a nice middle-class nigga / But no one knew the evil he'd do when he got a little bigger."
This boy wasn't born into crime. At one point, he had a normal life, but circumstances pushed him into the streets.
"You'd often find him blazed / For puffing on a Newport, plotting on another way to catch a case."
At a young age, he's already smoking and thinking about crime, looking for ways to make a name for himself.
"Was only 16, yet convicted as a felon / With a bunch of old niggas, but you the only one ain't tellin'."
This is a crucial turning point. At just 16, he's arrested and put into the system. Instead of being rehabilitated, he's surrounded by older criminals who reinforce the street mentality. He refuses to snitch, proving his loyalty and earning his place among them.
Tupac tries to warn him:
"I tell you it's a cold world, stay in school / You tell me it's a man's world, play the rules."
But the boy isn't interested in staying in school. He believes being a man means living by the street code.
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Verse 2: The Harsh Reality of the Streets
In the second verse, Tupac fast-forwards to the boy's future:
"Straight from the hall to the pen' / An adolescent nigga standing way higher than six feet ten."
He's not a kid anymore. He's grown, both physically and mentally hardened by his environment.
"He carried weight, like a Mack truck / Gonna bust on playa haters, if them motherfuckers act tuff."
He's fully embraced the thug lifestyle, carrying guns and ready to kill.
"No mother and father, you see, the nigga's all alone / Old timers my role model, the war zone."
Like make many black broken family, he has no family to guide him. His friends only role models are the older men in the streets, who teach him how to survive.
"Been laced with this game 'til it's a part of me / My heart don't beat no fear, and that ain't hard to see."
The boy is fearless now, but not because he's strong—because he's numb.
"The future's looking dim / I'm tryin' to make a profit out of living in this sin."
He doesn't have hope. He knows this lifestyle doesn't lead anywhere, but he feels trapped in it.
Tupac doesn't glorify this life—he's warning the listener. "Shorty Wanna Be a Thug" is a cautionary tale. Young boys in the hood aren't born wanting to be criminals. They grow up in an environment that makes them believe they have no other choice.
This song is Tupac's way of showing that the cycle will continue unless something changes.
After the darkness of "Dancing with the Devil," this song marks the beginning of a tonal shift. While Poetic Justice continues to explore deep issues, Tupac understands that the listener needs balance. If the album is entirely dark, the message might be lost.
"Shorty Wanna Be a Thug" still carries a heavy message, but it introduces a glimmer of hope. By having the conversation with Jordan at the beginning, Tupac shows that there's still time to guide these kids in a different direction.
With the next track, "Keep Ya Head Up," Tupac fully embraces this shift, moving from exposing problems to inspiring solutions.
The fourth and fifth tracks of Poetic Justice work together to complete a crucial turning point in the album.
"Dancing with the Devil" is the darkest moment, showing the tragic fate of Brenda's son.
"Shorty Wanna Be a Thug" introduces a new perspective, warning against glorifying the thug lifestyle while offering a subtle shift toward hope.
From this point forward, Tupac focuses on society. He's still telling real stories, but now he's trying to uplift his people rather than just exposing their struggles.