thug life

plural thug lives

1. countableironicoftenuncountableA life in which one has to go through many struggles, like that of poor gangstas.

   I didn’t choose the thug life. It chose me.

   3 more examples

   Too many young Black men have adopted this thug life pose.

   1996 September 22, Wayne Johnson, “Thug Life – Why This Raised So Much Hell”, in soc.culture.african.american (Usenet)

   For all of these rappers claiming to live the thug life, there's really no difference.

   2005, Black Dot, Hip Hop Decoded: From Its Ancient Origin to Its Modern Day Matrix, page 165

   Whether death refers to biological death or serves as a metaphor for oppression and marginalization (social death), the potential for collective reconciliation with death is linked to his identity as a nigga living thug life.

   2011, Michael Jeffries, Thug Life: Race, Gender, and the Meaning of Hip-Hop, page 107