Thug Angels – English Lyrics

• By: Wyclef Jean, Small World
• Album: Ecleftic

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic journey with Wyclef Jean and Small World's "Thug Angels," a classic hip-hop track that vividly portrays the complexities of street life. Learning the lyrics will not only deepen your appreciation for its powerful narrative and raw energy but also expose you to contemporary English expressions and storytelling unique to the genre, making it an engaging way to enhance your language skills.

[English]

♪ Refugees yo, all you say ♪

♪ Dirty south ♪

♪ I used to play while at the YMCA, in L.A. ♪

♪ Sold my first A-K ♪

♪ I saw her man get (censored) ♪

♪ On Sunday, Bloody Sunday ♪

♪ (What about Texas) ♪

♪ They need to chill with the gun play ♪

♪ (New York city y'all) ♪

♪ Police are at the door ♪

♪ The Magnum was by the ashtray ♪

♪ (Look at shorty y'all) ♪

♪ He about to go out like Scar face ♪

♪ He woke up in a cardboard box with no space ♪

♪ With Thug Angels singing, saying ♪

♪ (Uh huh ah) ♪

♪ So you wanna be a thug? ♪

♪ To all my thugs in Houston, you want push drugs? ♪

♪ To all my thugs in Memphis ♪

♪ You want the cars in the videos ♪

♪ To the Jacksonville Thug Angels ♪

♪ Let me tell you how it really goes ♪

♪ I'm on the highway with a black bandana, headed to Atlanta ♪

♪ Until I heard (police sirens) ♪

♪ That "Sound of The Police", should I pull over ♪

♪ He had the dark shades on ♪

♪ But he ain't look like Stevie Wonder ♪

♪ His face was, pale and long ♪

♪ He looked like cold day in December ♪

♪ Now let me ask the truth or something ♪

♪ Should I slow down and be a good camper ♪

♪ I heard a young thug scream ♪

♪ It depends what you got in the beamer ♪

♪ Now I got two choices I could (censored) ♪

♪ And become Most Wanted in America ♪

♪ Or I could slow down like the man in the Bronco ♪

♪ and get Johnny Cochran to be my lawyer ♪

♪ Oh Sonya, hit her on the Motorola ♪

♪ If I get locked up I ain't getting out 'til Tuesday ♪

♪ Cause this is Saturday, and it's a holiday ♪

♪ Now I got to spend a week hanging ♪

♪ In the South in jail ♪

♪ But you told me that crime pay ♪

♪ The Dirty Dirty Dirty South ♪

♪ I used to play while at the YMCA, in L.A. ♪

♪ Sold my first A-K ♪

♪ I saw her man get (censored) ♪

♪ On Sunday, Bloody Sunday ♪

♪ (What about Brooklyn?) ♪

♪ They need to chill with the gun play ♪

♪ (Hey) Police are at the door ♪

♪ The Magnum was by the ashtray ♪

♪ (New Jersey) He bout to go out like Scar face ♪

♪ He woke up in a cardboard box with no space ♪

♪ with Thug Angels singing, saying ♪

♪ (Uh huh, ah) ♪

♪ So you wanna be a thug? ♪

♪ My thugs in Chicago, you wan' push drugs ♪

♪ My thugs in Orlando, you want the cars in the videos ♪

♪ To V-A and D.C., St. Louis, Miami ♪

♪ So you a killer, how many people did you (censored) ♪

♪ You a dealer, how many drugs did you deal-a ♪

♪ For'realla, used to sell (censored) on the hill ♪

♪ Yeah right! My name is Elvis and your wife is Priscilla ♪

♪ You're an ACTOR, you need a part in this thriller ♪

♪ Hold up, ain't no need to bust your four-fifth ♪

♪ It's two of us ♪

♪ One of us is bound to leave here in a coma ♪

♪ So say your prayers, and give my regards to the undertaker ♪

♪ At the Dirty Dirty Dirty South ♪

♪ I used to play while at the YMCA, in L.A. ♪

♪ Sold my first A-K ♪

♪ I saw her man get murdered on Sunday, Bloody Sunday ♪

♪ (What about New Orleans?) ♪

♪ They need to chill with the gun play ♪

♪ (New York City y'all) Police are at the door ♪

♪ The Magnum was by the ashtray ♪

♪ (Look at shorty y'all) ♪

♪ He about to go out like Scar face ♪

♪ He woke up in a cardboard box with no space ♪

♪ With Thug Angels singing, saying ♪

♪ (Uh huh, ah) ♪

♪ So you wanna be a thug ♪

♪ To my thugs in Tampa, you wan' push drugs ♪

♪ To my thugs in Detroit, you want the cars in the videos ♪

♪ To the North, to the South, to the whole Carolina-lina ♪

♪ Let me tell you how it really goes ♪

♪ So you wanna be a thug ♪

♪ To my thugs in A-T-L, you wan' push drugs ♪

♪ To my thugs living in Dallas ♪

♪ You want the cars in the videos ♪

♪ Thug Angels in the Birmingham ♪

♪ Let me tell you how it really goes, let's go ♪

♪ Watch out, for the beasts ♪

♪ Watch out, if you got a seed homie ♪

♪ Cause you don't want your kids growing up ♪

♪ Thinking they never had no daddy ♪

♪ Big Pun, rest in peace forever ♪

♪ Bronx, pour some liquor, ah ♪

♪ Slang Tom, rest in peace ♪

♪ Police is in the news, watch yourself ♪

♪ Y'all saw what they did to Diallo ♪

♪ Yeah you betta turn music down! I call 911 ♪

♪ You gon' do WHAT ♪

♪ Wait! Yo turn up your musics louder ♪

♪ Wait! All my people in the system Jeep ♪

♪ Wait! All my people goin to school early in the morning ♪

♪ Wait! Eastern Parkway ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
thug /θʌɡ/ B2	noun - A violent, aggressive person, especially one who is a member of a gang. adjective - (informal) Characteristic of a thug; violent and aggressive.
angels /ˈeɪndʒəlz/ A2	noun - (In the song's context, likely metaphorical or ironic) A person of exemplary conduct or virtue; a spiritual being acting as a messenger of God.
drugs /drʌɡz/ A2	noun - An illicit substance that affects the brain or body, often causing addiction.
police /pəˈliːs/ A1	noun - The civil force of a state, responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and the maintenance of public order.
gunplay /ˈɡʌnpleɪ/ B2	noun - The use or display of guns, especially in a violent or threatening way.
dirty /ˈdɜːrti/ A1	adjective - Soiled, unclean; (informal) involving illegal or dishonest activities.
jail /dʒeɪl/ A2	noun - A place for the confinement of people accused or convicted of a crime.
crime /kraɪm/ A2	noun - An action or omission that constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law.
murdered /ˈmɜːrdərd/ B1	verb - To kill (someone) unlawfully and with premeditation.
killer /ˈkɪlər/ B1	noun - A person or thing that kills.
dealer /ˈdiːlər/ B1	noun - A person or company that buys and sells goods; (in context) a person who sells illegal drugs.
box /bɒks/ A1	noun - A container, typically made of cardboard or wood, with a flat base and sides and a lid.
chill /tʃɪl/ B1	verb - (informal) To relax or calm down; to stop or desist from an activity.
pale /peɪl/ B1	adjective - (of a person's face or complexion) having less colour than usual, typically as a result of shock, fear, or illness.
coma /ˈkoʊmə/ B2	noun - A state of deep unconsciousness that lasts for a prolonged or indefinite period, caused especially by severe injury or illness.
lawyer /ˈlɔɪər/ B1	noun - A person who practices or studies law, especially an attorney.
seed /siːd/ C1	noun - (slang, plural 'seeds') A child or offspring.
liquor /ˈlɪkər/ B1	noun - Alcoholic drink, especially distilled spirits.
beasts /biːsts/ B2	noun - An animal, especially a large, dangerous four-footed one; (figurative) a cruel, violent, or monstrous person.
highway /ˈhaɪweɪ/ A2	noun - A main road, especially one connecting towns or cities.