According to Tupac Shakur, the name refers to the acronym: "The Hate U Gave Little Infants, Fuck Everybody".§[1] It represents the idea that the racism and marginalization experienced by black youth ends up negatively affecting society.

[2] Big Syke was a Crips gang member and Macadoshis was a drug dealer during the 1990s.

Tupac, Randy "Stretch" Walker and Princess Mel formed Thug Life in 1992 with Tyruss "Little Psycho" Himes.

The first single and video was "Pour Out a Little Liquor" (which originally appeared on the Above the Rim soundtrack, released six months earlier), which was a Tupac solo song.

Tupac's mother's label, Amaru Entertainment, has since gained the rights to the album.