Knowing Thug Life -- It's All In the Lyrics

I reckon yes.

Trick Daddy said, "I don't know what this world's gonna bring/But I know one thing, that this is the life for me."

What life is he referring to?

Thug life ... damn.

And after hearing what he had to say and looking back on some of my college experiences ... the proof is in the lyrics. Sing it, Trick Daddy.

"Could it be my baggy jeans or gold teeth ..."

Once Gap started carrying blue jeans to hide my hard-earned beer belly, I hopped on board. Especially when those carpenter pants got hot (I was always looking for a place to stash my Palm Pilot). I had no idea that would turn me into a thug, but unforeseen consequences are sometimes the best kind.

Once I adopted that aspect of "thug life" it was only a matter of time before some other things fell into line -- the gold teeth.

Quite some ago, I asked my father, a dentist by trade, if he would help in my quest for "thugitude." He tacitly denied but suggested several of his colleagues skilled in the art of metallurgy. With their help, I worked tirelessly to create an image for myself that "would not quit."

First I was stuck on the number 23 emblazoned on my two front choppers, but after much deliberation decided on white gold fangs (the ladies love these, fellas). Trick Daddy knows, "I know he got clout/Look at his mouth ... Baby 'cause I'm a thug."

"Since y'all wanna smoke the blunts, tote the guns ..."

I was never really into drugs (before thug life that is), but since my dogs wanted to do it, the dude obliged.

After meticulously rolling down my first one and eating my first 20-inch Pokey Stix cooped up on South Campus, I decided that Philadelphia wasn't just the city of brotherly love -- it is the purveyor of the finest tools in the business (if you don't understand this, you're probably better off) -- which brings me to my next point.

If one wanted to be thug -- and I do -- you need the right tools. Sure, Phillies are important, but nothing seemed more important than my piece.

I went to the finest shop in town and got myself a Daisy, that's right -- I could take out most squirrels with a single shot from that overpowered air gun. "That's right you heard/Baby cause I'm a thug."

If your ass wasn't home/Me and her been get get gettin' it on ...

Preach on, Trick Daddy. It's just happened too many times not to be a believer.

Whether it's my girl's boyfriend or her pops, someone's gotta get out of there. See, if I can get with my girl or her "momZ" while the men are out of the house, Leon Phelps, "The Ladies Man," said it best, "Yeah, that's cool."

One time when I was get get gettin'' it on with this one girl her pops walked in. Leon Phelps sums this up well too, "That was definitely not cool."

And my girl knows what she wants ... "She want a thug."

"And you ain't gotta give me my props ..."

For all you chumps out there who don't want to respect a thug, I think I speak for Trick Daddy when I say we just don't care.

When I hang out in Internet sex chat rooms -- who gets all the ladies? I think you know the answer to that.

Want more? I know my fair share of seven-letter Scrabble words. Most are hellufied ghetto slang but some are legitimate old English -- OE dog.

Now we don't have Dreamcast in the back or anything like that, but the station wagon gets the ladies going just as much as Kris Lang's Escalade.

Yeah --"Baby 'Cause I'm a Thug."

Everybody sing it now. "I don't know ... Baby 'cause I'm a thug." I challenge all the thugs out there to take your "thugitude" to the next level. Do one more chick, pack one more Daisy, and throw down for your dogs.

Josh Baylin will be holding a rally for thug life in the Pit next week with a little help from Trick Daddy. E-mail him for details or his new weekly thug life advice column at jbaylin@email.unc.edu.