Until the End of Time
When Thugz Cry
2Pac
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
47
End
254
Internal
72
Multi
250
Slant
19
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus: (2Pac)]
Oh, why should you send your child off to die?
In the streets of chalk where they lie
Let no wrongs cry out when thugs cry, dear God (When thugs cry)
Oh my, does it have to be this way?
Our children✦ of today✦ won't stay wise
Let the children✦ hear when thugs cry, dear God, oh why?
[Verse 2]
Maybe my addiction✦ to friction✦ got me buggin'✦
Where is the love? Never✦ quit my ambition✦ to thug
Ain't shed a tear since the old school years of elementary
Niggas✦ I used✦ to love, enclosed in Penitentiaries
But still, homie, keep it real, how does it feel
To lose your life, over✦ something that you did as a kid?
You all alone,✦ no communication,✦ block on the phone
Don't get along✦ with your pop, and plus your moms is gone
Where did we go wrong? I put my soul in the song
To help us grow in time, but now our minds are gone
We went from brothers and sisters to niggas✦ and bitches✦
We went from welfare livin'✦ to worldwide riches✦
But somethin' changed in this dirty✦ game, everything's strange
Lost all my homies✦ over✦ cocaine,✦ man
See, they ask me if I shed a tear, I ain't lie
See, you gotta✦ get high or die, ‘cause even✦ thugs cry
[Chorus]
Oh, why should you send your child off to die?
In the streets of chalk where they lie
Let no wrongs cry out when thugs cry, dear God
Oh my, does it have to be this way?
Our children✦ of today✦ won't stay wise
Let the children✦ hear when thugs cry, dear God, oh why?
[Verse 3]
And all I see is these paranoid bitches,✦ illegal adventures✦
Bustin'✦ motherfuckers✦ with uppercuts, I leave 'em with dentures✦
‘Cause in my criminal mind, nobody✦ violates the Don
I write your name with a piece of paper,✦ now your family's gone
Why perpetrate✦ like you can handle my team?
So merciless in my attack I take command of your dreams
Leavin'✦ motherfuckers✦ drownin'✦ in they own blood, clownin',✦ takin'✦ pictures✦
Later✦ laugh 'bout them punk bitches✦ that turned✦ snitches✦
Regulate✦ my area,✦ the terror I represent
Makin'✦ your people disappear, you wonderin' where they went
Am I cold, or is it just I sold my soul?
Addicted to these streets, never✦ find true peace I'm told
Come take my body,✦ God, don't let me suffer✦ any✦ longer!✦
Smoke a pound of marijuana, so I know it ain't long
Where is the end of all my misery,✦ is there a close?
I suppose that's why I murder✦ my foes
When thugs cry
[Chorus]
Oh, why should you send your child off to die?
In the streets of chalk where they lie
Let no wrongs cry out when thugs cry, dear God
Oh my, does it have to be this way?
Our children✦ of today✦ won't stay wise
Let the children✦ hear when thugs cry, dear God, oh why?
Oh, why should you send your child off to die?
In the streets of chalk where they lie
Let no wrongs cry out when thugs cry, dear God
Oh my, does it have to be this way?
Our children✦ of today✦ won't stay wise
Let the children✦ hear when thugs cry, dear God, oh why?
[Bridge: 2pac]
I shed tattooed tears for years
For my dead homeboys and my prison✦ peers
Y'all ain't never✦ heard my cries
Now you wonder✦ why would you die?
[Outro]
Ayy Nas, remember that shit you said?
I don't know what magazine✦ you said it on
Some shit about✦ we're sending thugs to whoever✦ and whenever✦
You need to go to the record store and check out some of the albums you've been putting out, because you been spitting this thug shit for a while now
I know you've been listening 'cause you've been biting this shit so, uh recognize✦ and realize✦ before✦ your ass get rolled✦ on!
Technical Breakdown
9.0
Multisyllabic Rhymes8.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres6.5
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm10.0
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity8.0
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control9.0
Performance and control
Computed Score8.98
Production
— Corney Mims, Greg Dalton, Johnny J, Ronnie KingBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
The verse functions as a masterclass in emotive storytelling over technical density, using a conversational, confession-like cadence to ground the listener in the reality of the post-incarceration struggle.
A+
8.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
10
Cadence / Flow
8
Vocabulary
6.5
Wordplay
9
Delivery
Assonance-heavy internal rhymingConversational cadenceThematic progression from past to presentEpistolary tone
Rhyme Architecture: A mix of AABB and AAAA couplet structures using heavy internal slant rhymes (e.g., friction/buggin/ambition/thug) that maintain a high-velocity flow while keeping a somber tone.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"addiction to friction"
① Physical dependency on violent conflict or 'street life' chaos.② A psychological compulsion toward constant turmoil as a substitute for emotional stability.
"In the streets of chalk where they lie"
① The physical outlines drawn by police around a crime victim.② A metaphor for the fragility and 'temporary' nature of life in a neighborhood prone to violence.
Exceptional emotional resonance and authenticity
Effective use of internal rhyme strings to maintain momentum
Compelling narrative arc regarding social decay
High level of vocal urgency that complements the lyrical content
Relies on established tropes of the era regarding street life
Wordplay is functional and literal rather than abstract or highly layered
Some rhymes lean toward the predictable within the 90s West Coast framework